(CNN) – Comedienne Tina Fey might be most well known for her 2008 portrayal of Sarah Palin on Saturday Night Live – an impersonation that, to the detriment of the McCain campaign, led many to confuse Fey with the real thing.
But now Fey is defending her role as Palin amid critics who say she unfairly exploited the Alaska governor.
"Some may argue that exploiting Governor Palin and her family helped bring attention to my low-rated TV show," writes Fey of 30 Rock, the NBC show that has struggled in the ratings despite critical acclaim.
Fey's comments appear in her new memoir, "Bossypants," an advance copy of which was obtained by USA Today.
"I am proud to say you are wrong," she continues. "My TV show still enjoys very low ratings. In fact, I think the Palin stuff may have hurt the TV show. Let's face it, between Alec Baldwin and me there is a certain fifty percent of the population who think we are pinko Commie monsters."
Despite appearing at Fey's side on Saturday Night Live shortly before the 2008 presidential election, Palin has since made clear she is no fan of the actress that many believe defined the former Alaska governor more than anyone else.
In a 2009 interview with conservative John Ziegler, Palin said of Fey, "I know that a lot of people are capitalizing on, oh I don't know, perhaps some exploiting that was done via me, my family, my administration – that's a little bit perplexing, but it also says a great deal about our society."
From CNN Politics
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It just always come to light...Republicans have no sense of humor.
Tina, i don't think the American (some would say world) electorate has ever properly rewarded or thanked you for your great public service. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!.... from the bottom of my heart!
Sarah Palin is right. It "says a great deal about our society" that people who pursue nutty agendas (socialist! muslim! foreign agent!) against Obama are shocked, shocked, shocked when a comedian makes a fool out of a mediocrity like Palin.
I cannot possibly understand what world Sarah Palin lives in, where she continuously blames the media for everything. Of course she's going to be satirized; she was a national public figure - and he lack of intellect made her spout off all sorts of lame-brain comments that made her oh so satirizable.
Ha! The funniest part of all of this is that Tine Fey basically quoted Palin word for word from her Couric interview. Palin is a punch line in an of itself.
That 50% of the population Fey is referring to is absolutely correct – Joseph Goebels would be VERY proud of her !
Oh my goodness. Instead of the daily anti-Republican lead post, we got something different – a pro-Democratic lead post.
WHy would she have to defend this? Isn't this her job?
if you do or say things that make you look less than prepared or flat out stupid be ready to be mocked by comics....
I am by no means a fan of Tina Fey but critics say she unfaily exploited the Alaskan Gov? Really? I think Sarah Palin does a good job of that all by herself. Who allows her family to go on reality TV (Dancing with the Stars AND their own reality TV show)? I don't remember seeing Tina Fey force anyone to do that. Besides, Sarah Palin being in the political areana already puts her up for everyone to poke fun at her. Get over it, if she didn't want to have anyone make fun of anything she does or did, she would have never been in politics or any other theater that would allow everyone to see everything she does.
Must be tough to wake up every morning and have to act your way through each day. I'm talking about $arah, not Tina.
SNL has spoofed every major political figure since Gerald Ford, including President Obama. Palin needs to get over herself.
Funny that no other politician or public figure whined about their spoof on SNL before Palin. She needs to quit this victim crap.
If anyone know diddly about exploitation it's a Palin supporter.
Palin requires ZERO help from ANYONE when it comes to influencing what America thinks of her. She is not liked or wanted by the vast majority of this Nation and for good reason.
I would rather have Tina Fey in the WH.
Palin needs to learn a valuable lesson of politics, which is, when someone makes fun of you, you respond by laughing along with them and poking fun at yourself as well. It takes away their ammunition and makes you appear magnanimous and self effacing rather than bitter and proud.
As for 30 Rock, I love the show, and I loved it before the election. It's hilarious, regardless of my differences of opinion with Fey and Baldwin politically. I even got my ultra-conservative sister into it after she had avoided it for a while because she hated Alec Baldwin. But after seeing the show, she now LOVES him. Well, in the role anyway...
McCain and Zpalin lost the 2008 election because of their foolishness not because of Tina Fey. Ms. Fey was terrific in the role of Palin. Balme Palin for her stupidity.
Yet another example of how Palin can't take the heat. The woman is a joke and anyone who would vote for her should have their right to vote taken away.
Fey EXPLOITED Palin?
That's rich.
Without Fey, Palin would have failed even worse than she did.
Shut up, Sarah.
Tina should running for president since Sarah Palin is a joke.
Tina Fey was the only good thing about Sarah Palin's candidacy!
Of course Palin had no problem appering on SNL and interacting with said character when she stood to benefit from the exposure.
Can anyone say "Free Speech?" Once you enter public life and put yourself out there, everything is vunerable to humor and spoofing. That is one of the things that makes this country so great! + it's FUNNY!
Any politician that cannot accept comedic parody, should simply be laughed at directly and never taken seriously.
Seems that sister-Sarah has yet to learn that nobody is required to be in her cheering-section. Nobody.
Then, when you factor in Sarah's extreme ignorance, arrogance and self-absorption, after the referendum on her in '08, she could just remain silent, count her money, and hang up the campaign-bought wardrobe.
Wouldn't hurt much, were she to ditch the recent "biker-chick" items. Just confirms her as a bully-wuss to some. (Most bullies are really wimps when they're called.)