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Palin vs Letterman

Former veep candidate Palin and her family were the focus of Letterman's "Top Ten" list broadcast Tuesday night. But it was a line in his monologue about Palin's visit to Yankee Stadium with her 14-year-old daughter, Willow, that set off waves of criticism.

One awkward moment for Sarah Palin at the Yankee game, during the seventh inning, her daughter was knocked up by Alex Rodriguez


Letterman tried to calm the storm by saying he was making the crack about 18-year-old single mom Bristol Palin - not Willow
Letterman has been getting a lot of millage from the Palins ever since he took on the the Republicans and, to all outward appearances, made it his personal quest to get Obama elected. Of course it is his job to poke fun at anything and everything but it seems he has rode the Palin pony into the ground. Now others are beginning to think twice about his rhetoric.

I told a bad joke. I told a joke that was beyond flawed, and my intent is completely meaningless compared to the perception. And since it was a joke I told, I feel that I need to do the right thing here and apologize for having told that joke. It's not your fault that it was misunderstood, it's my fault that it was misunderstood. So I would like to apologize, especially to the two daughters involved, Bristol and Willow, and also to the governor and her family and everybody else who was outraged by the joke. I'm sorry about it and I'll try to do better in the future.


A Web site called FireDavidLetterman.com is organizing a rally outside Letterman's show.
Polls do show that a lot of people are upset about this but I don't think it will ever go as far as firing him. I do think his reputation has finally been scared by taking things a little too far. He has contended that Palin is fair game for his repeated shots because she let her daughter get pregnant. Yeah, dumb analogy but he is a comedian not politician.
Now he has committed as big a sin as she. All the excuses in the world won't change that he screwed up his facts. He is responsible for advocating child abuse just as much as Palin is responsible for her 17 year old getting tossed but the hockey star. I'm sure Letterman didn't write the joke, I'm sure Palin didn't watch the kid diddle her daughter.
Maybe we can watch Late Night again now without having to endure the Letterman politics. Who does he think he is anyway... Oprah?


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Comments

Lois 16. June 2009, 11:56

Whether the joke was aimed at the 14 year old or the 18 year old, it was in extremely poor taste and neither one of those girls deserved to hear such filth. It takes real cowardice to attack a child. And it IS advocating child abuse.

He may not have written the joke, but he must have final approval on the things he says on the show.

And.... how many people in America can honestly say that a teen pregnancy could never have happened to them or their child? Palin's daughter was just one of the young ladies that got caught. She probably could have had a quiet abortion and saved her mother from slams on her career, but I think she (and her family) did what was right for her, she stepped up to the plate and took responsibility for her actions. I have much more respect for her than some jackass who can't make a living without attacking children.

Sorry, but I feel very strongly about protecting kids and really hate people who use such infantile tactics when they themselves might just as easily have been in the same situation.

Brian 16. June 2009, 14:16

Yes, the joke was tasteless. But I have watched Letterman since 1980. I have never known him to intend to be mean. He is a comedian. I think this whole thing was blown out of proportion and Gov. Palin used this as another chance to pretend she is holier than thou. Remember this is the woman who tried to hide the fact her unwed teenage daughter was pregnant? I hope she decides to stay in Alaska, we don't need her hypocrisy ruining the GOP ticket again.

Rick 18. June 2009, 15:49

It's not that, Brian. And I do love Letterman. It was funny for a long time, a long, long, long time.
He keeps pointing out her "hypocrisy" to the point that it isn't funny anymore. Maybe that now that he has made a mistake... he can be more forgiving of hers. Just for his fan's sake, so he can move on to something funnier.

Rick 18. June 2009, 16:10

And I don't much care for his jokes about old people either awww

Brian 18. June 2009, 18:46

I will agree he should drop the Palin thing right now, I am sure the lawyers have advised same. But I really did think this was selective speech enforcement. I highly doubt Laura Bush would have jumped right into the us vs them pool as Palin has. It is just my perspective on it.

Rick 18. June 2009, 18:51

She's a redneck.

Anonymous 1. August 2009, 03:22

mike writes:

Well all comedians attack political figures, Jay Leno made so much money off Bush, Clinton and Arnold it is not even funny. HOWEVER Leno only makes fun of them, Letterman is a liberal individual who OPENLY supports liberal causes and attacks Palin not because of this or that, but because she is a Republican.

Leno has no bias, he makes fun of everyone, Palin is attacked because her political views are against Letterman's.

Anonymous 1. August 2009, 03:25

mike writes:

Well all comedians attack political figures, Jay Leno made so much money off Bush, Clinton and Arnold it is not even funny. HOWEVER Leno only makes fun of them, Letterman is a liberal individual who OPENLY supports liberal causes and attacks Palin not because of this or that, but because she is a Republican.

Leno has no bias, he makes fun of everyone, Palin is attacked because her political views are against Letterman's.

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