One doesn't have to be a fan of Sarah Palin and her family to be offended by David Letterman's utterly tasteless, senseless remarks about her trip to New York City. Somewhere in there may be a clue as to why NBC picked Jay Leno instead of him to replace Johnny Carson on the Tonight show all those years ago.
Letterman told his television audience that Palin, her husband and daughter had attended a New York Yankees game where the daughter had been "knocked up" during the 7th inning pause by Yankee star Alex Rodriguez. He also insulted every hardworking airline crewmember outside the cockpit by describing Palin's own appearance as a "slutty flight attendant look."
Let me note here that as the father of one daughter and the grandfather of four young ladies, three of them teenagers, and the father-in-law of a former longtime flight attendant who missed being on one of the ill-fated 9-11 planes by one day, I was particularly outraged by these mindless remarks.
To her credit, Palin ignored the assault on her own person, realizing her political ambitions have made her fair game. But what parent, even one who understands that in this country politicians can expect rough treatment, would not be angered by the gratuitous off-color assault on their teenage daughter? The Palin daughter at the game was 14-year-old Willow. Palin called the remark "sexually perverted," which seems an apt description for one who apparently thinks the suggested rape of a child or a teenage pregnancy are laughing matters.
Letterman said he would never say that about a 14-year-old. Well, that would indicate at least he knows the consequences attached to an assault, verbal or otherwise, on an underage girl. He said he was referring to Bristol, the 18-year-old who is an unwed mother but who was not at the game -- an obvious cop out. But either way, of course, he was out of line. Just because this former TV weatherman hails from the Indiana farm country (as do I) doesn't mean he should be bombarding us with pig dung in the guise of barnyard "humor" that most Hoosiers on either side of the political aisle would consider unfunny.
Furthermore, this smutty dialog is not fit for national television. Aren't we getting a bit tired of those who feel somehow their lofty positions give them immunity from the social restraints and standards of good taste and decency that govern most civilized Americans? It is safe to say that had Letterman's remarks been made with any sort of racial overtone, his job would be on the line. There really is no reason for it not to be now if one subscribes to the notion that a baseless suggestion of immorality about any one no matter their color should bear some consequences, First Amendment guarantees notwithstanding.
Letterman's remarks may have been written for him but the responsibility is still his. He has complete control of his own material. It is puzzling that after all these years, he has not learned the difference between fair comment and satire and vicious disparagement. What may be more troublesome in all this is that it furthers the incivility of today's politics, that its nastiness moves us just that much closer to the hate line at the expense of innocent bystanders -- in this case children.
Liking or disliking Sarah Palin has nothing to do with this. Those who find her politically unsettling should be as appalled as those who are her biggest supporters. Her daughter's pregnancy and decision to keep the baby does not make her a legitimate target for scurrilous public bathroom scribbles from morons. Mothers all over the world should be offended.
It may be too late for a Letterman apology but it isn't for CBS officials to issue a strong disassociation with his remarks. After all, he violated most of the unwritten but understood rules that have protected minor family members from such unfair attacks. They have fired people for less. What this whole matter says about our direction is downright disgusting.
(E-mail Dan K. Thomasson, former editor of the Scripps Howard News Service, at thomassondan(at)aol.com.)
COLUMN
Letterman re; Palin
I agree completely with the column. The fact that she continues to be one of the main concerns for the media, despite losing the election, says volumes about the fear she generates from the MSM. Something about her values...which happen to be those most average Americans share. They must have missed Michelle Obama's outfit in London if they wanted something amusing....not degrading a 14 year old girl.
It is a freaking joke.
It is a freaking joke. Palin is a public figure. Bristol and Sarah put themselves in the spotlight with contradicting messages on "safe sex." Get over it!
Go knock yerself up. LOSER
Go knock yerself up. LOSER
Get over your self.
What I find appalling is how the media take every opportunity to magnify a tiny controversy, of no importance, in an effort to sell more advertisements.
Letterman - Palin remarks
Thank you!! Well said, regardless of your affiliated party.
Letterman
People have different senses of humor. I happen to think it was very funny and I happen to think Sarah Palin cries crocodile tears. I happen to think Letterman is a very decent caring honest and moral guy. He's also self deprecating. Coarse? Not to me he isn't. To me he's refreshing. If you want to make it out like he was advocating something here, I'm sorry, that's nonsense. He jokes about everything, he's very funny, and he makes fun of himself just as hard as anyone else. And no, even though it was Palin's 14 year old dtr at the game, everyone understood the joke was about her eldest daughter. without Bristol the eldest, there is no joke. And Bristol has become a public figure when she started going on tv advocating birth control at first, and abstinence later.
Try lightening up. Much ado about nothing. If you don't like letterman, fine, but don't use this nonsense.
HAHAHA
HAHAHA
if you dont like it, dont watch it...
simple.
Palin is the one that dragged her kids into the spotlight, she ran the risks.. its only words, all protected. if you dont like it, dont watch it..
Good advise. Conan, add one
Good advise.
Conan, add one more new viewer.
Dave
I love Dave, Keep up the good work.
NONSENSE....
A real non-story, this one. Dave is going nowhere. Sara, on the other hand... Look at this weak-assed attention grab, once again at the expense of her kids, for instance. She'll beat this horse into powder, and then I wouldn't be at all shocked if six months down the line she was a guest on the show... or wanting to be. I'd double-book it and replace her at the last minute with a dog that does Mad Libs or something.
Thomasson: Letterman
No one has the right to not be offended. Furthermore, the person who was allegedly offended doesn't get to choose what the punishment is for said offense. In other words, GET OVER IT. No one was hurt, no one lost any money, and there has been some discussion about the issue to satisfy the nannies. If you want to talk about something offensive, start talking about the destruction of our economy by Emperor Obama.
Letterman should be fired
It's been known for some time by those who sampled his show that he is an extreme leftist, but another little known fact was that he's very mean-spirited and unfunny in his attacks. If Letterman gets away with the rape joke unscathed. At least most of mainstream America will know how biased he is and non-leftists and people against rape can boycott his show. He'll cater to the msnbc crowd.
Letterman definitely knew that he was attacking a 14 year old, that is why he didn't mention her name. Many guests, especially comedians mention how hard it is to get a joke 'vetted' and that Letterman approves everything himself.
Lettemania
When the country's chief tv humorist is a sullen vicious sociopath, I think our problem lies in the audience, not in the buffoon.
America under George Bush is
America under George Bush is responsible for the murder of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis but you think Americans should be offended by some jokes that David Letterman said about Palins?
Yes
Yes we should. Just 'cause you hated Bush doesn't mean the left can bash the right for everything.
Those Iraqis died in war, they weren't murdered. 100's of thousands, really? Source? BTW: Moveon.org doesn't count.
Source
Here's the latest entry from "documented civilian deaths from violence in Iraq" This organization has docummented between 92,345 – 100,820 civilian deaths in a detailed database at http://www.iraqbodycount.org/.
ENJOY!
Date: Monday 8 June: 14 dead
Baghdad: bomb in minibus kills 9.
Ninewa
Mosul: gunmen kill school boy; bomb kills young girl.
Babil
Iskandariya: gunmen kill woman.
Hilla: bomb hidden under toy kills 2 children.
get what you give
Where was the outrage from the right when Rush said everyone knows about Socks the cat but there's also a new dog in the white house called Chelsea - Guess it's OK if you're a consevative and verbally aqttack a young teen girl
He never said that. Do some
He never said that. Do some research before you post and don't believe everything you read on the liberal blogs. It was a staffer who did that without Limbaugh's knowledge. Limbaugh accepted full responsibility, FIRED the guilty party immediately, and PERSONALLY apologized to Hillary Clinton for the cruel "joke."
She is a dog
Rush didn't lie, Chelsea is a dog.
See an insult isn't necessarily the same as being a pervert.
I think it's disgusting that
I think it's disgusting that Palin is using this media story to further her political career. 2012, keep dreaming!
Thomasson /Palin
How can one joke cause so much turmoil among the righties when Rush Limbaugh makes vicious, unfounded, racist, sexist comments every day and the right supports him. Amazing hypocrisy. He is the true example of the national coarseness
Well done, sir
A beautifully written article. It is carefully crafted and spot on. I envy your talent.
Manufactured outrage
Yes, Letterman's jokes were tasteless, even taking him at his word that the joke was intended to reference Palin's older daughter who was introduced to America as a pregnant teen, but that's one of the reason's he's on late night tv. Singling out Letterman is silly. This article indicates that Leno is more tasteful, but he said almost the exact same joke back in September, implying that John Edwards had been responsible for empregnating Bristol Palin. Did anyone create a "fire Jay Leno" website? How about when Conan O'Brien made a comment about keeping hockey players away from her daughter at a hockey game? The daughter at that game was even younger! This is late night comedy. Don't like it? Don't watch it. That's what the righties always say when liberals call Rush Limbaugh on his crass "humor." Yes, our culture is sometimes disgusting, but it's the price of a free society. If Sarah Palin wants to do something good for young girls' self esteem, maybe she should do more to protect the young women in her state. Alaska has some of the highest rape rates in the country, and as mayor of Wasilla, she allowed rape victms to be victimized again by making them pay for their own rape kits! Not to mention that she's a former beauty contestent, an "industry" that does more to contribute to low self esteem and sexual objectification of young women than any late night talk host. There are much bigger issues to address than trying to fire a comedian for making a lousy joke.
Faux Outrage!!!
I AM SOOOOO FAUX *OUTRAGED* at this story. How could a late night comedian make a joke! To make a joke about getting 'knocked-up' joke in reference to a woman who had a daughter that got 'knocked-up' by a white-trash hockey player is so unfair!!!! BTW for the slow kids in the group, he said "slutty flight attendant", with slutty being the modifier on flight attendant. You'd have to be the daftest person in the room to see that as a slight to all flight attendants. Some of them might even see it as a compliment. But not in your black and white world of faux outrage.
Palin Pushed Her Kids Onstage
"Her daughter's pregnancy and decision to keep the baby does not make her a legitimate target for scurrilous public bathroom scribbles from morons."
Palin pushed her kids onstage for political gain. When the futile "Just Say No" education she favors failed, as it usually does, and her teenage daughter became pregnant, she tried to turn those political lemons into lemonade.
Sorry, Bristol--you're an adult. Your Mom used you. She made you a political counter in a hardball game, thus making you fair game for political satire and mockery.
Dave Letterman is okay. His remarks were nothing compared to what I hear my right-leaning coworkers say about Clinton, Pelosi, and other left-leaning women on a daily basis.
But I'm sure Thomasson would object if he heard the Michelle Obama and gorilla stuff, or the really crude things about Chelsea Clinton, or...oh, he's already heard about those?
I'd dearly love to hear the real water-cooler rants from Thomasson and other self-righteous public prudes. esotek
please sir
More fake outrage please!
Yes indeedy. Now that we have fixed the economy, excuse me. Now that the free market has corrected itself, everyone has jobs and healthcare, all the nuclear threats have been forestalled, and the soldiers are all home...let's have a long discussion about Spotlight-Sarah and her next, big, family feud.
Todd and Sarah, the Charles and Diana of the Yukon (Margaret Carlson). Cue the banjos.
People here like 'Roger',
People here like 'Roger', 'Harry Freedman', 'don't watch it', and 'vtwin' have their heads stuck so far up their rectums that they can't see anything clearly outside of themselves and their razor-headed opinions and pompousity. Our society is doomed.
I can't believe how upset
I can't believe how upset people are getting over this. It's so funny. You people are so sad! Go out and get yourself a real life. Not one someone else told you to live. Ideologies breed hate, but that probably sounds like socialist talk to you.
Can this get anymore stupid
Im going to start first with the fact I am a woman and find it more degrading to be hoot and hollered at at a stop light then by a little off handed joke made on tv. However this does have a great impact on Plain's inabilities to handle anyhthing let alone be head of a country. I am by means no fan of Bush but with all the comments, jokes etc. made about him and his daughters he never once came out and cried about it. Palin uses any chance she can get to scream about something to keep her as the "victim". I think we are the victims everytime she opens her mouth. As for the idiot that thinks half americans agree with her last time I checked Obama/Biden were in office. I am no liberal by any means but this crazy woman has no place in our government. We need postive role models in this country and her family nor her are. P.S. He was refering to Bristol in the joke so lets work on getting those knickers out of that twist.
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