David Letterman - Prince of Late Night Cowardice

[Jack_Berry]

c'mon.....who apologizes for humor.

letterman is just trying to out bad taste conan for audience share. relax. in a month its over.

[greg334]

Well see here is the problem, the staff is at fault for the comment, it is their job to ensure things are done right. 14 years olds are off limits, it makes no sense to see it any other way. If we bring her daughter into the picture, then Obama's kids are also fair game and it will never end.

But because he made a joke out of the apology and didn't take responsibility for saying it, he is at fault for the entire matter at that point. He is the guy in charge and needs to be professional but like so many others, he is going to skate.

I think a real boycott is in order, he like other entertainers forgets who pays the bills, it isn't the sponsors but the audience.

[layoutshooter]

His making a joke of an apology shows just what a childish immature litte boy he is. A MAN would have stood up and done it correctlly. Boys act like him.

[Turtle]

What, exactly, did Letterman say about this 14 year old girl? Nothing, that's what.

He obviously, and admittedly, confused the daughter that was with Sarah Palin as being the 18 year old daughter and not the 14 year old. His joke didn't mention the girl's name, nor her age.

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

Doesn't say 14, doesn't say her name, doesn't even say raped. ON the surface it's a funny joke, 'cause A Rod is known to have sex with anything that moves, and Palin's daughter is know to have gotten herself knocked up. It's only when you read into it what's not there that it becomes a problem.

So like I said, go ahead and plug yourself into an issue that don't matter. See what that gets ya.

[chefdennis]

1st the joke wasn't funny and to connect either girl to a-rod and his sexual conquest was ignorant and there was no reason.. to me the kids are off limits not just palins, but all of the elected reps kids no matter what party.

You let anything in bad taste be said about barrys kids, and the left and the media would go nuts.....

[layoutshooter]

You got that right, just ONE word, JUST ONE and all heck would break out. Not only with the media, in the streets. This is a VERY bad thing with even mentioning candidates kids. THEY are NOT running.

[LDB]

It very much does make a difference and would be no different if said about Chelsea Clinton at 14, Amy Carter at 14 or one of Obama's kids at 14. Before that joke was included they should have made sure who they were talking about. It would have been in poor taste about Palin's older daughter but she's at least of age. The staff was wrong to include it without full information. Letterman was wrong to not question it to confirm full information. Letterman was further wrong to "apologize" in the manner he did. Letterman's status as a supposed comedian means nothing and gives him no special pass. Conan's total lack of talent and apparent competition with Letterman for stupidest unfunny man on tv also means nothing and gives him no special pass. He screwed up and he failed the test afterward. Let's imagine what would happen if Rush or Hannity or any of those said the same thing about Obama's kid. We have to imagine it because it will never happen but the outcome would be quite a show.

[layoutshooter]

There IS a real double standard. I could prove it in here, all I need do is make a crack about Obama's daughters and you would see it in action!! I won't lower my self to that just to prove a point but I promise you I would get jumped faster than a hen mallard in April!!!

[Turtle]

"1st the joke wasn't funny..."

That much is true. Could have been. It was close, but it was no cigar.

"and to connect either girl to a-rod and his sexual conquest was ignorant and there was no reason.."

The reason was comedy. A Rod has long been the butt of jokes, especially in the New York media, where Letterman works. One of Palin's daughters got knocked up, despite her stance on teenage abstinence, which is ripe for comedy. The two put together is all kinds of funny. Letterman incorrectly assumed that the daughter who was at the game was the same one who got pregnant, and if it was, the joke would have been funny, but she wasn't, so the joke isn't funny.

To suggest Letterman purposefully made a joke about the raping of an underage girl is just assinine, and is something that only, until today, a Liberal would do. Gag me with a spoon.

"to me the kids are off limits not just palins, but all of the elected reps kids no matter what party."

Obama's kids aren't old enough to have done anything worthy of comedy. Yet.

Chelsea Clinton was routinely found in comedy routines. So were the Bush babes.
Cheney's daughter got her share of jokes made about her.

And Bush Sr's kids were just pummeled

When you run for public office, especially on a national stage, your private life is out there on display (well, not Obama's, 'cause he's special), including your family.

The frustrations of the Republican Party over being a failure are now focused, and well redirected, onto a comedian. Perfect. Anyone want to watch the reruns of McCain and Palin doing their SNL Home Shopping Network routine? That'll get the Party back on the right track.

[layoutshooter]

I think that was my point, Turtle, it IS wrong reguardless of who's kids are getting battered like that. I have NO use for ANYONE that would go after kids like that. NONE. It has to stop and don't give me any 1st Amendment stuff, that is NOT political speech, sleeze is sleeze, it cannot and should not be excused. Excusing stupidity, crasness and scumbagerry is just enabling them. It should stop and now. We really do need to get back to standards of decency. I would fire the bunch if I were in charge, rating be darned!!

[pelicn]

I think Lettermans' so called "joke" wasn't a mistake, he meant every word of it. The mistake was which daughter he was speaking about. I believe the man is a fool, and this proves it, when he doesn't even know "who" he is making the joke of.
Now, about the Republican hysteria over this issue, also foolish. There are much bigger issues that need to be dealt with, and spending this much airtime talking about a "fool and his joke" is just crazy.

[Pilgrim]

My original point was the double standard that exists in the media regarding reaction to comments about democrats as opposed to comments about republicans; at this point I've seen nothing that changes my mind, because all the media reaction has come from conservative commentators. However, the most reaction seems to have come from the general public and that's probably what precipitated Letterman's non-apology. Don't think for a minute that sponsors/advertisers aren't sensitive to this sort of thing, especially in a slow economy when every revenue dollar counts. Why do you think Kellogg's yanked Michael Phelps' picture off the corn flakes boxes after the picture came out showing him smoking pot?

It's still my contention that this attack on Sarah Palin and her daughter is part of a continuing effort by the left to marginalize her effectiveness as a candidate. They will keep pouring on the scorn and ridicule because in reality they know that a large part of the conservative base still likes her a lot. The "slutty flight attendant look" comment was a dim-witted cheap shot that was obviously part of a general behavioral theme Letterman was trying to promote about Palin's family, especially when taken in context with the quip about her daughter that was part of the same routine. Granted, he didn't say anything about rape but the suggestion about her daughter and A-Rod was still offensive. I also don't believe for a second that he mistakenly thought he was talking about the 18 year-old daughter. Considering the print and photo coverage given Palin by the NY media, they knew exactly who she was traveling with the minute she got off the plane. Wonder how long it will be before Letterman or somebody like him starts making jokes about Palin's Down's Syndrome baby? Wonder what the media would say if he referred to Obama's kids as "yard apes?" After all, it's just a fact now that any kid of any politician is fair game once they get their pictures in the media.

Personally, I think I'll go the boycott route - I don't need the calories from M&M's and Snickers bars anyway. Turtle's right - it may not have any effect on Mars at all. But it's kind of like throwing a golf ball into a water hazard when it doesn't go in the hole like it's supposed to. It doesn't accomplish anything, but it sure does feel good.

[davekc]

At the end of the day, I think Letterman is trying to gain as much traction as he can before Leno comes back. He can easily beat Conan, but doesn't hold a flame to Leno.

[DougTravels]

At the end of the day, I think Letterman is trying to gain as much traction as he can before Leno comes back. He can easily beat Conan, but doesn't hold a flame to Leno.

Letterman definitely thought it was the older daughter and he apologized.

[Turtle]

It doesn't accomplish anything, but it sure does feel good.

They have that on the napkins in the White House Dining Room.