MSNBC's Ratigan: Palin A Hypocrite For Criticizing 'Family Guy' But Not Quitting FNC

February 16th, 2010 5:38 PM

On Tuesday, MSNBC host Dylan Ratigan suggested Sarah Palin was hypocrite for criticizing a Sunday episode of the Fox show "Family Guy," that tangentially mocked her son with Down Syndrome, but not quitting her job as a Fox News contributor.

Featuring Palin in the "Busted" segment near the end of his 4:00PM ET show, Ratigan acknowledged her rightful anger over a girl with Down Syndrome on the animated series claiming her mother was the former governor of Alaska. However, Ratigan then observed: "If Palin really wanted to make a statement, she would reject her paycheck from Fox and remove herself from the network, wouldn't she?"

Of course, Fox News has no connection to the Fox broadcast channel or any of its entertainment programming.  

NewsBusters' Noel Sheppard eariler reported on Palin's Facebook message regarding "Family Guy" and Entertainment Weekly's Jennifer Armstrong defending the offensive episode.

Here is a full transcript of Ratigan's remarks:

4:52PM

DYLAN RATIGAN: Former Alaska governor and current Fox News contributor Sarah Palin busting the Fox network for an episode of the animated series 'The Family Guy.' The show aired an episode Sunday night during which the son, Chris, went on a date with a girl who had Down Syndrome. Take a look at the clip in question:

GIRL: You haven't asked me anything about myself.

CHRIS GRIFFIN: Oh, um. Sorry. Um, so what do your parents do?

GIRL: That's better. My dad's an accountant and my mom is the former governor of Alaska.

[END OF CLIP]

RATIGAN: Palin firing back at that last reference on Facebook, calling it a 'kick in the gut.' Her son has Down Syndrome and we understand why Palin would be angry at the network for a dig at her family. But then again, if Palin really wanted to make a statement, she would reject her paycheck from Fox and remove herself from the network, wouldn't she?