More victimhood from Sarah Palin - this time involving "Family Guy."

[BigT]

@Jragon

I thought that protocol was that you always referred to people with the title of the highest office they’d attained (except former (vice)presidents, who you refer to with the highest title they received before their (vice)presidency). I’m probably wrong though.

That’s the general rule for certain publications, but a lot of people* don’t think it should apply if you resign before completing your term. And then there are other publications that don’t believe it should apply at all. They use a more exact title at the beginning (“Former Governor of Alaska Sarah Palin”) and then refer to more plebian title throughout the rest of the article (“Mrs. Palin”, “Palin”)

*Apparently including some Dopers. I actually wrote this earlier and forgot to post, and didn’t see their response.

[Merijeek]

@Bosstone

Works for me. She abandoned her civic duty post so she could make money by trading on the very title she abandoned. Why dignify that?

How’s a reference to someone’s rank made when they’ve been through a dishonorable discharge? I think that’d be pretty analogous.

-Joe

[Bricker]

@Diogenes_the_Cynic

I think you should lose the title completely if you quit.

@Bosstone

Works for me. She abandoned her civic duty post so she could make money by trading on the very title she abandoned. Why dignify that?

@Lynn_Bodoni

Works for me, too.

@Snowboarder_Bo

Another who subscribes to this notion; if you quit you get nothing.

@BigT

That’s the general rule for certain publications, but a lot of people* don’t think it should apply if you resign before completing your term. And then there are other publications that don’t believe it should apply at all. They use a more exact title at the beginning (“Former Governor of Alaska Sarah Palin”) and then refer to more plebian title throughout the rest of the article (“Mrs. Palin”, “Palin”)

*Apparently including some Dopers. I actually wrote this earlier and forgot to post, and didn’t see their response.

Can anyone cite to a recognized manual of style or reporting guideline that says this? Nixon resigned, but I don’t recall too much hay being made about the use of his title.

[Rhythmdvl]

“I think you should”
“Works for me”
“Works for me, too”
“Another who subscribes to this notion”
“but a lot of people don’t think it should apply”

That doesn’t sound like a claim that it’s a rule to be found in a style manual; sounds like personal preference.

Shouldn’t you first cite a style manual that says it’s mandatory?

[Maus_Magill]

@justrob

I’m still confused by this. I thought titles of office were what you were referred to while you held the office. After leaving office I thought you were referred to as, in this case, former Governor of Alaska Palin*. It seems odd that there would be multiple “Governors of Alaska” at the same time.

*At least that’s how the Wiki article describes the title of Mr. Presidentworks.

She no longer holds the title Governor of Alaska. She does retain the honorific “Governor”.

Hell, even Blago retains the honorific “Governor”. If everyone can agree on anything, it’s that Ron Blagojevich left his office in even more shameful circumatances than did Palin.

That said, I think it’s stupid that she insists on being called “Governor”, especially since she quit after only half a term.

[BobLibDem]

It was either Ann Landers or Miss Manners who insisted that the proper way to address former presidents was by their highest title other than president or vice president. Thus, we’d have Governor Bush, Governor Clinton, Ambassador Bush, Governor Reagan, Governor Carter, Representative Ford, etc.

[Diogenes_the_Cynic]

It would be “Mayor Palin,” then.

[Maus_Magill]

@BobLibDem

It was either Ann Landers or Miss Manners who insisted that the proper way to address former presidents was by their highest title other than president or vice president. Thus, we’d have Governor Bush, Governor Clinton, Ambassador Bush, Governor Reagan, Governor Carter, Representative Ford, etc.

ISTR the NPR ombudsman had stated that, in news stories at least, on first reference, presidents and VPs (past and present) receive the honorific (Former)(Vice-)President LastName. On all following references they receive the honorific Mister or Missus.

Senators, representatives, ministers, secretaries, governors, et al continue to receive their bestowed honorific.

[Nzinga_Seated]

@Kimstu

That is, we don’t laugh at the Palins for being retarded; we laugh at the retarded for being Palins.

Hee! I know that is why I was laughing!

[Wile_E]

@Maus_Magill

She no longer holds the title Governor of Alaska. She does retain the honorific “Governor”.
…
.

I misread that as “horrific” but I think it still fits.
I groaned when I heard that bit on Family Guy because I knew it would lead to more Palin attention whoring.

[dhkendall]

@Diogenes_the_Cynic

no foreigners allowed at her press conference…not kidding on the last one. That was really one of her demands). she’s got a thing about it.

Probably after the Canadian parody show This Hour Has 22 Minutes made her look stupid (yeah, didn’t take much).

(At work, so can’t find a YouTube clip, but in my short time as a Doper I have trust in my fellow board members to instantly cite the URL on my behalf.)

[Snowboarder_Bo]

@dhkendall

Probably after the Canadian parody show This Hour Has 22 Minutes made her look stupid (yeah, didn’t take much).

(At work, so can’t find a YouTube clip, but in my short time as a Doper I have trust in my fellow board members to instantly cite the URL on my behalf.)

well, maybe not instantly…

- YouTube

[Boyo_Jim]

@Kimstu

…That is, we don’t laugh at the Palins for being retarded; we laugh at the retarded for being Palins…

So calling Trig Palin retarded is redundant.

[SteveG1]

@Diogenes_the_Cynic

When Palin made an appearance here at Mall of America pimping her book a month or two ago, the mall leaked some kind of rider listing all of Palin’s demands. One of them was that everybody had to call her “Governor” (along with stuff like no cameras or cell phones, or recording devices being allowed in her presence, and no foreigners allowed at her press conference…not kidding on the last one. That was really one of her demands). she’s got a thing about it. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if she had it in her contract with Fox that she had to be referred to as “Governor.”

Wouldn’t Quitter be a better and more accurate title?

[Boyo_Jim]

That’s Governor Quitter, if you please.

[Bosstone]

@Rhythmdvl

That doesn’t sound like a claim that it’s a rule to be found in a style manual; sounds like personal preference.

Shouldn’t you first cite a style manual that says it’s mandatory?

Eh, it’s a fair question by Bricker, since the usual rule of etiquette doesn’t really say anything about someone who quit their position.

[Blalron]

The voice actress from Family Guy speaks up:

My name is Andrea Fay Friedman. I was born with Down syndrome. I played the role of Ellen on the “Extra Large Medium” episode of Family Guy that was broadcast on Valentine’s day. Although they gave me red hair on the show, I am really a blonde. I also wore a red wig for my role in " Smudge" but I was a blonde in “Life Goes On”. I guess former Governor Palin does not have a sense of humor. I thought the line “I am the daughter of the former governor of Alaska” was very funny. I think the word is “sarcasm”.

In my family we think laughing is good. My parents raised me to have a sense of humor and to live a normal life. My mother did not carry me around under her arm like a loaf of French bread the way former Governor Palin carries her son Trig around looking for sympathy and votes.

Brilliant.

[Diogenes_the_Cynic]

Wow. Palin just got served by an actual person with Down Syndrome.

[ToeJam]

Ahem, that’s Trig “Loaf of **Freedom **Bread” Palin to you, Ms. Friedman.

Man… that was an awesome burn though- there’s someone with a healthy attitude and a positive outlook there. Not everyone likes being considered the victim all the time. It gets old quick.

[SleepyDuck]

@Diogenes_the_Cynic

Wow. Palin just got served by an actual person with Down Syndrome.

And it was epic. I love how she uses the first paragraph like a series of jabs to put the target in range, then uses the french bread for the TKO. Whoever writes her material should be on the SDMB.