Hollywood Stand Up Guy of the Month: Patrick Warburton Criticizes ‘Family Guy’
by John Nolte
Things have gotten so bad in Hollywood that these days you need only show some humanity if you want to stand apart from the rest. And this isn’t about politics. This is about a pop culture institution so wildly and cruelly out of control that they are now publicly ridiculing a woman’s mentally disabled child for no other reason than to hurt her.
Patrick Warburton criticizes this cruelty and gets a write up in The Washington Post. Why? Because in today’s Hollywood being critical of ridiculing the mentally disabled child of a conservative woman makes you … a newsworthy exception.
Thus far, Warburton is the only person out of the many involved with “Family Guy” to have the guts to say that what is so obviously wrong is wrong. Remarkable.
Not everyone who works on the Fox animated sitcom “Family Guy” is standing in solidarity with its Valentine’s Day episode’s Sarah Palin joke.
Cast member Patrick Warburton told TV critics Wednesday he objected to the flippant reference to Palin as the parent of a child with Down syndrome.
“I know it’s satire but, personally, that [joke] bothered me, too,” Warburton said on a conference call to promote his other prime-time show, the CBS sitcom “Rules of Engagement,” which returns for a fourth season on March 1. (On “Family Guy,” Warburton does the voice of Joe, a police officer who uses a wheelchair.)
“I know that you have to be an ‘equal-opportunity offender,’ but there are some things that I just don’t think are funny,” Warburton said. …
Warburton is the first person involved with the show in any way, shape or form who has publicly broken ranks.
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113 Comments
He'll probably be the only person on that show to stand up for what is right.
It's so rare these days to see someone you like as an actor (loved Warburton on Seinfeld) actually turn out to be someone you might like in real life. Bless him.
Now THAT'S equal opportunity offending!
(not saying it's right, just equal)
For anyone that's not seen it, do yourself a big favor and behold Warburton's unforgettable performance in the live action version of The Tick. In heaven, that show was never canceled, and is in its 10th season.
Glad to know he has a conscience. I loved his work as Elaine's boyfriend, Puddy on "Seinfeld" and in his short-lived series "The Tick." Husband and I do watch "Family Guy" but sometimes squirm at some of its more offensive jokes, and the veiled reference to Palin's son Trig was one of them. Considering how often Brian the family dog espouses his far-left delusions, I guess we shouldn't have been surprised by this latest unfunny (and uncalled for) joke bomb.
Since we'll probably be quoting soon, I'll start anyway…
Elaine: "What's this? What happened to your fur?"
David Puddy: "I saw Jerry wearing his. He looked like a bit of a dandy. Check this out. 8 ball. You got a question, you ask the 8 ball."
Elaine: "So you're going to wear this all the time?"
David Puddy: "All signs point to yes!"
He was also great in an underrated movie called Big Trouble.
I like Warburton and all, but he might simply be doing it so he can be looked upon as the good guy and folks might watch his other show.
I hope that's not the case, but the cynic in me says it's certainly possible.
I loved him in The Tick… and in Disney's "The Emperor's New Groove".
He's a good guy from what I understand him to be. Family Guy is what it is, South Park takes its cheap shots too, Last year it was the Mc Cain / Palin button on a NAZI SD uniform the way party members of the era worn them. For all of John Mc Cain's short comings lumping him any were with the NAZI's or the SD is more that a cheap shot. I wonder how old Seth would have held up in Hanoi!
As long as he doesn't turn around and do something stupid later, I'll consider him on my "LIKE" list for Hollywood.
Amen.
I catch the show every once and a while, but I stopped watching religiously after the first year they were brought back. Family Guy no longer revolves around Stewie wanting to take over the world, or Brian being the voice of reason, just to name two characters who changed dramatically from what they were. It has become a sucker punch show; such as equating McCain-Palin supporters to Nazis as one example, and the "Alaskan Governor" child incident being the most recent..
While it's nice to see someone like Mr. Warburton stating his dissension (and I love watching him on the Venture Brothers show as the voice of Brock), even that can't bring me back to watch Family Guy again.
Elaine: So is it a problem for you that I'm not religious
Puddy: Not for me.
Elaine: Why Not?
Puddy: I'm not the one going to hell.
Brock Samson has spoken!
Sticking up for the Palins sounds like a bit of a career risk for him, tho I suppose it could be just hype. Decency in Hollywood toward conservatives happen so seldom conservatives can't wait to acknowledge the event. I prefer to believe he is genuine and wait for other instances of sanity to bubble up and pounce upon them. Those instances will be accepted from anyone, anyone? Speak up, do I hear anyone? Now I'm just begging.
I wonder how old Seth would have held up in Hanoi!
I'm sure he would have been treated well after the photo of him straddling an artillery piece was taken.
We love you Brock, always EPIC… never FAIL!
I reckon Warburton will shortly be Olbersturmmann's "Worst Person in the World."
I remember him (and the lovely Cynthia Watros) in Dave's World, a sitcom about Dave Barry's columns way-back-when. I like his work.
The Tick was an amazing show. My favorite line–someone says to him, "No offense intended." His cheerful reply, "None comprehended!"
And his Puddy character always made me laugh. I think the show he is in now doesn't do justice to his talents. Glad to hear that he actually is a real human being too.
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When Brock speaks, people listen.
I'll have a chat with Comcast brass, I'm sure for a kick-back of $7.50 and a few tuna salad sandwiches they can be convinced to put Keith "Mr Ratings" Olberman in charge of the Community Cow College Sports Channel and let Patrick take over MSNBC's anchor slot.
"HEY!! you stole my Jesus fish, didn't you??!!
I think you are right, but then again I respect anyone who receives that accolade.
Had the very fortunate chance to meet and speak with Patrick at the Animation Awards a couple years ago. Incredibly nice man and this comment doesn't surprise me at all, at least beyond someone in Hollywood besides Dr. Ted Baehr standing up for decency for once.
Good for Puddy.
Elaine: You painted your face?!!
Puddy: Gotta support the team……..
"I like the cut of his gibberish."
I love that show!
"Arthur, is the system working?"
South Park gets somewhat of a pass because they do take shots all around. A certain episiode about Hillary Clinton comes to mind.
You don't have to be one ideology or the other to recognize a cruel pot-shot when you hear it. And there shouldn't be any problem calling that out.
He clearly is a decent person but………..Family Guy is over the top nearly every other week. Like every other sitcom on TV it has its hits and clear misses.
BUT It butters the bread for FOX Broadcast and everyone connected with the show. More importantly let not forget the viewers responsibility of using your remote and tuning to something elsewhere on the 500 channel menu.
The kid in me comes out when you mention The Venture Brothers……Warburton is great as Sampson
Brock Samson: After the twist, you'll feel a snap and the body goes ragdoll on you.
Hank Venture: And that will knock him out… even more?
Brock Samson: That will kill him.
Hank Venture: Do I have to?
Brock Samson: Alright, fine crybaby. Tie him up and, I guess, gag him. But at the first sign of trouble I want you to at least break both his legs
Sorry…..Had to put that in………..funny stuff…………
Ironically, Warburton is more of a "stand-up guy" for Trig Palin than Trig's mom, who is only outraged by flippant references to mental disabilities when they come from her political opponents. When they come from Rush, that's just "satire" — precisely The Family Guy's excuse, and kudos to Warburton for not accepting it.
I liked Warburton as the man from NASA in the movie The Dish. It's a little Australian comedy about the dish antenna they used in Australia to relay the pictures from the Apollo 11 moon walk, the first time humans had walked on the moon.
Uh-huh. That's right.
finally saw a couple episodes of the cleveland show the other day. seth macfarland seems to be in a competition with the producer of law & order to see who can create more hours of mediocre television a week.
shame, i used to love family guy. but the show has just become a shrill parody of itself. if scrappy doo and lisa simpson had a baby, it would be brian griffin. he is that annoying. probably time to cancel the show again. they could take a few years off, and start over.
"We're the Devillllllllls! The Devillllllllllllls! Blehhhhhhhhh!"
I love Brock Sampson!
RedEye appearance (4m23s)
Letterman appearance (5m00s)
We went to the moon?
Wow!
[H/T "Dumb and Dumber"]
Sorry, couldn't resist!
How can you not love something that is so close to a Johnny Quest type of program, which I loved watching as a kid, but geared to adults without beating you over the head with a message? I can't get enough of that show.
Brock Samson continues to excel.
Besides his great work in Seinfeld and The Tick as mentioned by many, he made a pretty mediocre animated film, "The Emperor's New Groove", worth watching.
Mr. Warburton, thanks for being a straight-up guy.
I used to watch the show, and I guess my humors a little twisted, because I enjoyed it. I was getting a little tired of the jabs at conservatives. I really don't mind, but after while it becomes obvious the jokes are aimed only at conservatives. Anyway, this is where we part. After this one, I've given up watching them for good.
Nah, it was all staged. Didn't you hear?
One thing about South Park is that they never attack the defenseless. If they're mocking handicapped people, it's usually done to show what a jerk Eric Cartman is. Family Guy went after Trig Palin simply because they hate Sarah Palin, and wanted to both hurt her and get a cheap laugh at the expense of her handicapped child.
Warburton is in a fantastic film called The Dish with Sam Neil that I highly recomend. It's fantastic. Really good.
"We need a battlecry."
"Like, 'Not in the face! Not in the face!'?"
"No, how about, 'SPOON!' ?"
I miss Batmanuel too….
Never watched it. Always looked stupid.
Batmanual was great. And the Moth–what a sidekick! We quote "Crazy talk, crazy talk! Change the subject!" often in our house. Considering it wasn't on for very long, The Tick made a lasting impression on us–every week was laugh out loud funny.
i am an avid fan of family guy and have very much enjoyed the humur in most episodes, but the sarah palin joke was in very poor taste. one – it was not presented as a joke but more like a comment. two – it appeared to me to be quite awkward, not funny!
I love me some Palin, but I do agree she kind of dropped the ball on this one.
She was right to criticize Rahm, that kind of language is entirely inappropriate for someone working that closely with the President. She was also right not to criticize Rush because Rush isn't someone working in politics, he's just a guy on the radio. However, she can't then go after Family Guy for the same thing, no matter how vile. I'd have no problem though if she just went after Seth for being a prick who's clearly obsessed with her rather than get preachy over some cruel jokes.
So…who's in my chair?
Oooh! Yzma! Yzma's in your chair!
Very good, Kronk!
(Yeah, I loved him in that, too)
I have been a long time fan of Mr. Warburton. His portrayal of Crunk in The Emperor's New Groove was especially hilarious! Glad to see he's got a soul unlike most of his Hollywood peers.
What, precisely, is the nature of the offense being taken here? This wasn't even the most offensive joke on the show in that episode, to say nothing of the rest of it's run, and it's also not the first time the show has ever used a physical handicap as fodder for humor (Mr. Warburton's character on the show, for example, is a wheelchair bound cop who's condition is parodied mercilessly) so… is it really JUST that it's the Palins? And if so, by what logic does that work – it's okay to parody the handicapped, so long as you're not ALSO parodying Republican politicians?
I doubt that loser would say it to his face though.
Patrick Warburton is one of the coolest actors out there. One thing about his comments that strikes me as odd is the fact he made them while promoting his other show. I'm not saying he isn't sincere, I'm just saying…
P.S. Puddy rules!
Great movie……Warburton did a nice job in it………………
Makes a certain amount of sense, but Trig isn't the one being made fun of here. The context of the show is that the son character is dating an obnoxious girl with Downs who at one point claims that her mother is "the former governor of Alaska." So it's a fictional, female teenager who's implied to be a Palin, not the actual kid.
Also, for what it's worth… couldn't it be argued that since Trig Palin is an INFANT and thus has little to no concept of the broader world that it's LESS of a mean-spirited joke since there's no way it can possible "matter" to him?
Johnny Quest with male pattern baldness, two "not so bright" kids and a drug problem……what could be funnier…..Nothing!
Great screen name…..
Brock Sampson – a standup guy!
I don't see why you are all heaping praise on Mr. Warburton just because he came against that one joke. His character mocks the handicapped constantly on the show. Where is the difference? Is it okay to make fun of a person in a wheelchair as long as they don't have a mental disability? Or is it okay to make fun of handicapped adults, but just not children?
There doesn't seem to be any logic here – either it's right or it's wrong. I personally think that Sarah Palin shouldn't have legitimized the jokers at Family Guy by complaining about it. They have the right to make a brainless, moronic, insulting show and we have the right to not watch it, but now this guy Warburton is drawing a line in the sand which just doesn't seem to make sense to me.
Does this make any sense to all of you or am I missing something?
He ought to stand up for her, his character on Family Guy is disabled!
I'm glad someone on that show has stood up for her, I wonder how much longer Joe Swanson will get to live in Quahog now.
Hooray for Hollywood, and the selfish and indulgent A**holes that live there. Hope they don't black list this guy.
There are exceptions and we have found one here, and others include Ben Stein, James Woods, Mel Gibson, Victoria Jackson and Ted Nugent. Any more?
I am quite sure that former semi-governor Palin does not think she "dropped the ball" with her attack on "The Family Guy" — it is one hundred per cent consistent with her philosophy of one standard for herself and her allies and another for her opponents.
Warburton was doing an interview a few years back alongside Seinfeld. When the conversation turned to Ronald Reagan, Warburton said he loved Reagan. Seinfeld, being the liberal that he is, gave some nasty remark indicating his disgust with the Reagan presidency. That made me appreciate "Puddy" all the more. High Five!
You beat me to it bobbs.
I was going to mention it. The Dish is a particular favourite here in Aus.
I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Patrick really rounded out an excellent cast. From what we heard at the time, he was a great favourite with the cast and the crew loved him.
Family Guy is a lazy show that's written without any attempt at a story – just a series of disconnected scenes where its lead character says "Remember when I…" and the animators fill in their latest pop culture joke about Mr. Pibb or Saved by the Bell. Family Guy creator Seth Macfarlane is a smug, unfunny guy who is almost palpably condescending. I don't know why everyone involved in the show is sticking together against all this criticism… judging from the quality of the show, it doesn't seem like they work hard enough on it to really be proud of it. Maybe they're all protecting their jobs, and Warburton, thankfully, has a fallback plan. I expect that Family Guy fans will soon be complaining about how Warburton's character suddenly sounds a whole lot different.
I must have missed that part of her philosophy. Care to enlighten me?
We first watched Warburton on "Dave's World," the bio-series based on Dave Barry's life. He was good on there, and I am proud he is standing up for what is right.
Nobody effs with Brock Samson. NOBODY.
"a newsworthy exception"
Indeed. My first thought when I read the headline was "it's a shame we can't come up with a hollywood stand up guy of the <i<day</i>".
Little wonder the sequel was just all about Kronk.
Good for Patrick. It's also should be noted that it's a shame when even this mild criticism of a show as left as Family Guy warrents a Washington Post story. Also please note that MacFarlane hasn't been an "equal-opportunity offender" for quite some time now. His shows are pretty well a left wing , well wing of the Democrat party now. Too bad as in the early years MacFarlane really showed an edgy sense of humour that was great fun to watch. Now he makes about a million a week for his three cookie cutter shows.
The other advantage that South Park has over Family Guy is that South Park is funny.
Precisely. The over-reliance on flashback jokes just oozes sloth.
I think the problem is, Trig Palin's a baby. It's one thing to make fun of Sarah Palin, or to mock an adult in a wheelchair. It's quite another to take potshots at a mentally handicapped infant because you don't like his mother.
This is a pretty mild story. A nice guy actor who has no significant input into the content of the show says that a very over-the-line joke was hurtful, and this reporter whips it up into his "breaking ranks".
Great job, Mr. Warburton. You're a credit to your profession. And Brock Samson rules!
Family Guy isn't even funny. It is a mumble jumble of potty/sex humor thrown up and aired on your television every week.
I always found it strange that Warburton was associated with it-because he has chosen much smarter-less offensive vehicles for his dry, sardonic form of humor.
Quite frankly-South park may have more explatives, bloodshed, and raunchier–but it is smartly written and can carry an actual story line all the way through a complete episode.
The animated Tick series was much better.
THAT'S OK. EVERY ATTACK, ALL THE LOW BLOWS DO MORE TO HELP SARAH THAN HOLLYWOOD DIMWITS CAN COMPREHEND! They live in their own little bubbles, immune to the world around them.
wow, he actually resembles Joe. Or should I say Joe looks like him??
"Also, for what it's worth… couldn't it be argued that since Trig Palin is an INFANT and thus has little to no concept of the broader world that it's LESS of a mean-spirited joke since there's no way it can possible "matter" to him? "
I can understand what you are saying about Trig's feelings on this, but the point is, a woman's INFANT was used as a point of attack against her. You want to hurt someone, the worse way to do it is through their children. And if you think they wont take such a thing badly, try testing this theory: go up to a mom with her baby out in public somewhere and tell her how ugly or stupid that baby is and see what kind of reaction you might get.
LONG LIVE PUDDY!!!!!!!!!!!!
Don't hold your breath, he makes noises like a pure hater and nothing more.
So you're accusing her of fighting like a Democrat. Ok, I can see that point.
"C'mon….you know where you're going….."
Kudos, Puddy. Now let's get some Arby's.
he was also pretty good in Newsradio back in the day…
I might cause blood to shoot out of your eyes, but what makes "the Tick" so great?
"Family Guy is what it is, South Park takes its cheap shots too, Last year it was the Mc Cain / Palin button on a NAZI SD uniform the way party members of the era worn them."
Your sentence "structure" makes it sound like South Park was guilty of the Nazi-button "joke", but it was Family Guy.
Did anyone notice the columnist's snotty closing line "(Note to the Palins: that was a joke.)"?
I am telling my age here, but I find it appalling that adults watch shows that are 1) in cartoon format, and 2) rely on what passes today for "jokes". There are a couple of generations out there now who were raised on this crap, and frankly, I think they are lost. If they haven't matured past this brand of "humor", I don't think they are going to. But aside from all of THAT, I do not understand the reasoning that is behind this joke. Are they trying to make Sarah Palin the spokesperson for ALL Downs people everywhere? If they are, they will be disappointed to learn that MOST Americans will stand up and fight for Downs people without a thought. The people who create/work on this show obviously live in their own bubbleworld, where the morals can only be imagined, if there are any at all. They should be ashamed of themselves and anyone who watches this crap should be also. But I don't think they are intelligent enough to be ashamed. I wonder what the parent's of these "writer's" (I use the term loosely) think about this?
That was great. What a boyfriend!
I haven't read through all of the comments, but when I read the article John refers to, the Warburton section ends with the actor saying his mother says his soul is in danger for being on "Family Guy." Author of the article adds this comment: "(Note to the Palins: That was a joke.)"
Okay, so the journalist agrees with the actress Friedman — If you have a handicapped child and someone chooses to make fun of you and your family, and it offends you, well, then you have a thin-skin and no sense of humor, no sense of humor whatsoever. And even though the journalist is reporting on Warburton's objections, well, then, he has no sense of humor either?
Would they make fun of James Baker over the fact he can't speak right or walk after being shot in the head? Would they jest about Chris Reeves having fallen off his high horse, becoming paralyzed? Oh, but if you're conservative you have to suffer all the slings and arrows — the brunt of the joke is the problem here?
Strange, inconsistently cruel lot these libs.
But his handicapped cop character routinely kicks ass and performs Woo-fu feats against criminals, which kinda defuses any mocking of his disability.
He also did the series (on Disney channel) and he was great in the not-so-mediocre animated film Hoodwinked. Also to this day my wife and I still quote his brief stint on John Ritter's last series 8 Simple Rules where he played Ritter's boss: "Oh my god! Walnuts!"
Looks like Joe is going to meet the same fate as Chef!
He didn't stick up for the Palins, he just said the joke crossed the line too far. Family Guy crosses the line all the time, nothing, no one is off limits. The joke even made me cringe, but, it comes with the show, its what they do.
I reckon Warburton will be Palin's running mate in 2012
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