Palin vs. Letterman

[JamesA1102]

This has become a hot topic in the MSM this week, especially on FAUX and NBC.

Were Letterman's jokes in bad taste? Yes they were. Letterman has admitted that they were and said he regretted telling them. But they were no worse than jokes told by many Late Night comics including Jay Leno and Bill Maher.

Do the Palin's have the right to be outraged about the jokes told about their daughter? Of course they do. But remember at first they were outraged about a joke about Palin herself. It was only after that was getting no traction that they shifted to outrage over the jokes about their daughter.

Were the jokes about Palin's 14 year old daughter? No of course not. It is disingenuous for any to suggest that they were. They were clearly about Bristol Palin. Anyone who says different is just trying to score political points.

Should Letterman's writers have checked to find out which Palin daughter was at the Yankee game. Yes they should have. But most media reports never mentioned that any of the Palin's children were at the game. If the Palin's had never brought it up most people would still not know. They are the ones who dragged their 14 year-old daughter into this.

Should the children of politicians be off-limits? Yes they should. But the Palin's have pushed their 18 year old daughter Bristol into the spotlight, putting her on the cover of People with her baby and having her go on a media tour. You can't have it both ways. And remember back in the '90s Rush and John McCain told terrible jokes about Chelsea Clinton. Jokes they never apologized for. So all those on the right who are now outraged about Letterman should denounce McCain and Rush too; otherwise they are hypocrites.

Are the Palin's accusation that Letterman's joke contributes to child abuse justified? No it is not. What is more outrageous is their saying that the joke was about rape and the suggestion that Letterman is a pedophile. Totally out of line and worse than what Letterman said because he was telling a joke while they are being serious.

Did Letterman's 'Slutty Flight Attendant' joke unfairly sexualize Gov. Palin? Yes it did. But I never heard her complain about Rich Lowery's column after the first debate. Plus Sarah Palin has sexualized herself. One of her campaign slogans in Alaska was something like 'a cold state needs a hot Governor'. And all her cute little winks at the camera in the campaign and during the debates where blatant attempts by her to use her sexuality to win votes. She put it out there so she shouldn't complain about it now.

Are the Palin's using this for the publicity? Obviously. Earlier this week the story was about Palin not being allowed to speak at a GOP fundraiser. She has now changed the narrative and is trying to cloak herself in moral outrage for was is a naked play for the spotlight.

Is the MSN unfairly flogging this story? Yes of course, they love controversy. And both FAUX News and NBC have hidden agendas motivating them. For FAUX part of it is the right wing bias but also Bill O'Reilly's long standing grudge with Letterman. For NBC, they need to bring Letterman down because he pulled ahead of Conan in the ratings earlier this week.

[Peacetrain]

1. Its all they've got and they will run it into the ground till you hear this

universal yawn from every corner of the nation..

[chelsea0011]

2. You know, when you are a comedian, some jokes work and some don't.

If this weren't some far right puppet who needs exposure for her laughable run for President, we all would have yawned and moved on.

[JamesA1102]

4. True

Now let's be clear none of this excuses David Letterman from telling jokes that were in bad taste. But if you condemn Letterman you have to condemn every other Late Night comic, hell every other comedian plus Rush Limbaugh, John McCain etc. Otherwise it is just selective outrage which is hypocrisy.

Also, if the Palin's had taken the tact that their daughter Bristol has made some mistakes but was now taking responsibility for her actions so it was unfair to mock her and showed some grace when Letterman invited her on his show; they would have won the argument. But instead they've shifted what they've been outraged about then dragged their 14 year old daughter into it invoking rape and inferred that Letterman was a pedophile. It is clear that they are using this controversy that they manufactured for political gain.

[Robbins]

3. Letterman

I am totally on his side here.The Palins trying to make him Into a child molester when everyone with a brain knows fullwell which
daughter he was making the joke about.I made the mistake of turning on MSNBC for a few minutes today and saw David gregory defending Palin by saying she's a mother standing up for her children.BS.If she cared so much about her children she wouldn't use
them for her own ends.

The rightwing made jokes and never apolagzed about Chelsea Clinton did bill and Hillary clinton go on and on against them? no

Did President Obama go on and on against the right wing pundits attacking his wife as unamerican?No

She needs to run Alaska or resign and then go spreading her right wing BS.

[Phx_Dem]

6. Agreed!

[Princess Turandot]

14. Letterman is also in complete awe of President Obama..

on several occasions now, he has said something to the effect that Obama is President and (paraphrasing) 'thank God for us and thank God for the world.' I'd be shocked if some of the current criticism of him was not impacted by that.

He also makes a joke about ARod's sex life and Madonna's sex life at least once a week. Anyone in his audience focuses on that, not the 'other party.'

Did anyone ever criticize the absolutely disgusting late-night jokes which were made about Monica Lewinsky? (IIRC correctly, Leno was the worst of the worst there, but I can't stand him in general.) Or did her calendar age despite her teen-fan-girl mind set make her fair game?

[Rosa Luxemburg]

5. She is like a squawking crow. She doesn't behave in a way a Governor should

what she should have done was to send one comment instead of screeching all over the TV.

[JamesA1102]

7. Why is she in Texas and not in Alaska?

Seems like she's spending more time down here than up there.

[Blue_In_AK]

15. She was down there selling Alaska's soul to Exxon.

You may read about it here: http://progressivealaska.blogspot.com/2009/06/saradise-lost-book-2-chapter-60-shame.html and here: http://progressivealaska.blogspot.com/2009/06/saradise-lost-book-2-chapter-61-wally.html Phil Munger expresses my thoughts about this "deal" exactly.

The Mudflats also has a very good writeup on this: http://www.themudflats.net/2009/06/12/alaska-and-exxon-a-romance-rekindled/

It's an esoteric issue which probably isn't of much interest to people outside Alaska, but any backroom deals that Sarah makes with EXXON are sure to arouse suspicion.

[kath]

9. Exactly - she's totally unprofessional, and always has been.

[Fleshdancer]

8. I think Palin over reacted, but I probably would too if it were my daughter.

and may that be the only time I ever make a comparison between me and Sarah Palin. :puke:

[emilyg]

12. So would I.

[falcon97]

10. What is over the top?

Some of the jokes told about Pres. Clinton on over-the-air (albeit late night) TV are much more inappropriate. Granted he is as public a figure as there is and Bristol Palin's public status is debatable. But in terms of tact, it's far from the boundaries. As long as Bristol Palin continues to be a media darling then she is a public personality. So is the father of her child for that matter.

It's unfortunate that Letterman's joke was about the eldest daughter while it was one of the younger girls at the game.

[rvablue]

11. When you voluntarily pose on the cover of People magazine in a graduation gown with your baby

as an unwed, teenage mother and then preach abstinence your public status is no longer debatable.

However, your credibility is.

[falcon97]

13. Well said. n/t