On Saturday, I did something that I haven’t done in a few months, maybe even a year. I watched an episode of “Family Guy.”

Truth be told, I have shied away from the show since around 2005 because I feel that the humor has been sinking lower and lower. As a result, I watch between zero and two episodes each season, generally leaning toward the former.

However, after all the hubbub and uproar from Alaskan media darling Sarah Palin about the latest episode, I decided to investigate for myself. I realized something as a result. The show still relies on sexual humor, making Peter look like a moron and having Stewie act as one of the three rational characters. But let’s get to the red meat, so to speak.

The B-plotline of the episode is that Chris asks out Ellen, a classmate with Down syndrome, and they go on a dinner date. It’s revealed that she’s pushy and that her mother is a former governor of Alaska. Ah, yes, we’ve struck gold!

After finding out about the episode, which she probably didn’t even watch, Mrs. Sarah Palin posted a note on her official Facebook fan page briefly stating how she felt. She then turned the rest of the note over to her daughter Bristol, who added, “If the writers of a particularly pathetic cartoon show thought they were being clever in mocking my brother and my family yesterday, they failed. All they proved is that they’re heartless jerks.”

Well, Miss Palin, let me just poke a little hole in your response. Ellen, the character with Down syndrome, is a GIRL. Your brother, Trig, is, get this, a BOY. Wow! Gender differences! How astonishing!

Now, Mrs. Palin, the character of Ellen is a female character who doesn’t need help with eating or socializing. The way that you are parading around your son around says differently about him, so the comparison is less than apt. The episode was in the works for the last few months. Animated shows aren’t thrown together in a few days or a week with the express purpose of poking fun at a prominent political figure, celebrity or a political celebrity like yourself.

Let’s also not forget that it was Andrea Fay Friedman, who is afflicted with Down syndrome, who voiced the controversial character. She stated in her rebuttal to former Gov. Palin, “My mother did not carry me around under her arm like a loaf of French bread the way former-Gov. Palin carries her son Trig around, looking for sympathy and votes.”

Finally, it’s called a joke. So either you don’t have a sense of humor, Mrs. Palin, or these little pokes are getting through your thick skin. People with special needs can and do get around without being used as a political tool.

Am I forgetting anything? Let me check my palm. Um … nope. I’ve covered all the necessary points. Until the next outburst, Mrs. Palin!