Sarah Palin vs. David Letterman
There has been quite an uproar over some of the comments Letterman made on his show recently about Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin and her family. While I do not necessarily agree Governor Palin would be the best choice for the Republicans to field as a presidential candidate in 2012, I happen to like the Governor and her family.
I do not own a television and even if I did, I would not watch a show such as The Late Show with David Letterman. Therefore, I am sort of coming onto the scene of this a little late, but after watching the video of these so-called jokes by David Letterman about Sarah Palin and her family, I think there is more to be said.
Sarah Palin vs. David Letterman
At the risk of turning my blog into a non-family friendly blog, here are the comments Letterman made, both during his top ten joke segment and what he calls his monologue. First, he said Palin was shopping in Bloomingdales to update her “slutty flight attendant” look. While that is bad enough, it pales in comparison to what he said about her young daughter. Knowing the Palins went to a baseball game at Yankee Stadium, he joked that it was an “awkward moment during the seventh inning when her daughter was knocked up by Alex Rodriguez”.
Letterman has since issued a very weak apology, saying he was talking about Bristol Palin, rather than Willow Palin, who is only 14-years-old. However, Willow was the only daughter with her parents during that baseball game and it’s hard for me to believe Letterman didn’t know that. While I was watching the clip on CNN, they were also playing video of the game and it was very clear that Willow Palin was not present.
I fail utterly to understand how Letterman or anyone else in America would think those jokes (believe me, I use that term very loosely) were even remotely funny. It does not matter that Letterman does not agree with Governor Palin’s politics. It does not matter that he is only “trying” to be funny and attempting to boost his ratings. It does not matter if that is his job. What matters is that he was running off at the mouth and said some very despicable things.
Imagine if you will, the outcry of indignation that would happen if a conservative commentator or comedian said something like that about Michelle Obama and her two young daughters. Those of you who have been reading my blog know full well I have a sense of fair play about me. I do not hesitate to say good things about President Obama, if I believe he merits the words. At the same time, I will take him to task if I believe he is doing something wrong. That however, does not include talking trash about his family. That has been and always will be off limits for me and should be for everyone else as well. I would hope someone like Governor Palin would be extended the same courtsey, but that does not appear to be the case.
The Palin family has their problems, that much is true. I am sure they wish Bristol had not allowed herself to become pregnant out of wedlock. Were there things that they would have done differently during the 2008 campaign? I am sure there are, but that gives no one the right to make sexually implicit jokes about the Governor and her family, especially her daughters. I tend to agree with one comment I read on the CNN article. Maybe it’s time for Todd Palin to visit David Letterman and explain a thing or two to him. That may be the only way Letterman will understand that these sort of jokes are going way past the limit.
My question is … Isn’t his show supposed to be funny? How is “knocked up by” some player funny?
Oh, well …
I’ve heard a little bit about this, and I pretty much agree with you. One of the things that started the beginning of the end of me being a Limbaugh fan was when he referred to Chelsea Clinton as “the White House dog.”
Letterman’s comment, though, crosses other lines. That’s really just sick.
What’s sad, though, is that people consider this to be humor. When I took my boys to see “Night at the Museum,” there were two movie trailers that included sexual jokes. I left a note with the theater manager about the fact that I was going to a movie I knew to be pretty family-friendly, and didn’t appreciate having those jokes thrown at me unawares. More than that, though, those movies are targeted at kids — “Land of the Lost” and the next “Ice Age” movie.
I’m ranting off-topic, now. Sorry.
Anyway … you’re right, this is really inappropriate. I’m no fan of Gov. Palin as a Presidential candidate, either, but that doesn’t mean it’s appropriate to humiliate her teenage daughter. Try to imagine being Willow, going back to school after being the butt of Letterman’s monologue.
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You lost me, at the ‘do not have a tv’ sentence. I am fairly, and reasonably sure you have no ground to make a true and accurate assessment on this ugly situation. If, I were you, knowing as little as you do. I would be quiet. It is uninformed, ignorant, careless and haphazard reactions as this which feed into the deception, lie and manipulation of politicians. Not, having a television is supposed to bring clarity, fairness and a good-Godly frame of thought. I hedge to bet, you are wasteful in other manners.
Yes, it is true that I do not have a television, but I do have the Internet, as you can see. How is that supposed to make me wasteful?
I have no problem making an assessment of this ugly situation, as you call it. It may surprise you, but I know a little more than you give me credit for. I have watched the clips of Letterman’s gutter talk and he had no business talking about the Palin family as he did. This has nothing to do with politics, but rather a comedian who has found out he can make millions by running his mouth about things he knows nothing about. It’s one thing to try to be funny and I have nothing against that. However, talking about any family like that is just uncalled for.
Well, Gov. Palin is certainly getting mileage out of this. She spent the day yesterday making the media rounds and repeating this ad nauseum. She even suggested to Matt Lauer that Letterman should not be alone with young girls. Lauer asked her if she was insinuating that Letterman is a pedophile. After much hemming and hawing, she told him to “take it how ever you want”. If I were her daughter I would be begging her to stop talking about it.
My opinion: Palin should have contacted Letterman quietly and personally, and not dragged this to an audience many times bigger than what would have been watching his TV show.
Kerry,
Yes, Governor Palin could have and maybe should have handled this a little differently. However, that does not detract from the fact that David Letterman was completely out of line by saying what he did. I go back to my original point; if comments such as these were dared to be uttered about President Obama’s family or some other liberal. the media would have taken the person to task for saying it. Instead, they are saying Palin and her family should just take it for a joke and go on. I happen to disagree with the the idea that just because she is a public figure, she should expect such statements.
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Agree with OneMom, Palin should done that personally and this way the world won’t know about that matter. It’s not just US politics, the whole world is watching it. I personally like Palin as a leader and I think she did the right thing as a politician.