Letterman vs Palin

[Lueyen]

It seems a few of you think I'm arguing that a joke about Bristol is worth getting worked up over, that isn't the case. Yes there are those that are crusading for Letterman's job, I am not one of those. I think it was crass in the context Letterman stated he meant, but not worth getting worked up over. What I was arguing was that the Palins reaction to the joke before the explanation was offered was understandable, and that it was not illogical for them to reach the conclusion they did.

The only one who's posted a response that actually addresses this was Gypsiyee, who's argument is two fold. The first part is that people don't joke in such a vile horrendous nature, like no one talks about wishing someones kidney's would fail, or trying to liken someones facial features to an ape. There there's the wicked witch argument, based in large part upon Palin telling people she would be a strong advocate for special needs children. It likely did get her some support, but it wasn't like she was just giving lip service to it, she meant it. Gypsiyee, do you know why she took the trip to New York in the first place?

As far as the sex ed thing Gypsiyee, the survey gave her a choice between two extremes. She later clarified that she didn't strictly adhere to either extreme, she likely just marked the one of the two she found most palatable. Does she really strike you as the type that would rather pander to the left of where she really stands to try and garner votes from the left leaning, in a right leaning state?

to make that long of a post, you're seriously looking way too far into a joke made on late night television.

Your word count on that post: 2,861
My word count on the post you quoted and were referencing: 2,778

8)

she's doing what we normal non-republican fuckjobs call "grasping at straws".

I agree, you are a fuckjob. I wouldn't apply that label to every normal non-republican here though.

[brinstar]

from http://alaskareport.com/news39/x71260_late_sarah.htm


Top 10 Reasons Sarah Palin's Outrage is A Little Late...
By Shannyn Moore

10) Last September, a skit on Saturday Night Live suggested incest in the Palin family. "What about the husband?" asked a mock Times reporter. "You know he's doing those daughters. I mean, come on. It's Alaska!" No outrage. Sarah Palin appeared on the show one month later in late October.

(9) Days after the announcement of Bristol's pregnancy, Conan O'Brien joked, "It's true, John McCain's running mate, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, has revealed that her 17-year-old daughter is pregnant. Palin said, ‘We should never have introduced her to John Edwards.'" Where was the outrage? Was Conan promoting infidelity with an underage girl?

8 ) "Governor Palin announced over the weekend that her 17-year-old unmarried daughter is five months pregnant. Oh, boy, you thought John Edwards was in trouble before, now he's really done it!" –Jay Leno

7) "All the Republicans are heaping praise on Governor Palin. Fred Thompson said, as an actor, he could see them making a movie about Sarah Palin and her family. Didn't they already make that movie? I think it was called ‘Knocked Up!'"–Jay Leno

6) Craig Ferguson's skit of "Larry King vs Levi Johnston" asks about "kinky sex" with the drapes open. Craig Ferguson's honorary Alaska citizenship, granted by Governor Palin wasn't rescinded.

5) "According to expense reports, Sarah Palin charged the state of Alaska over $21,000 for her children to travel with her on official business. In fairness to Gov. Palin, when she leaves them home alone they get pregnant." – Seth Meyers (SNL) Sarah Palin was in a sketch with Seth a week earlier.

4) On October 8, 2008, Sarah Palin walked out on the ice with 6 year old Piper and 13 year old Willow, Conan O'Brien said, "Saturday night, Sarah Palin is going to drop the first puck at the Philadelphia Flyers' hockey game. Then Palin will spend the rest of the game trying to keep the hockey players out of her daughter's penalty box." Oh, yes he did. You get the outrage…but not a peep then. According to the new "logic", O'Brien was advocating for some sick stuff.

3) Rush Limbaugh, "Everyone knows the Clintons have a cat. Socks is the White House cat. But did you know there is a White House dog?" And he puts up a picture of Chelsea Clinton. Chelsea Clinton is 13 years old. Rush also says, "In last year's campaign, the most prominent, articulate voice for standard run-of-the-mill good old-fashioned American conservatism was Sarah Palin." Calling a young woman a "dog" can't be helpful to her "self esteem."

2) "Why is Chelsea Clinton so ugly? Because her father is Janet Reno." John McCain, Palin's running mate. Should McCain apologize to every young woman in America?

1) Palin's friend, political defender and informer of the David Letterman comments, John Ziegler was fired from his radio show for using the "n word" on line and on air in 1997. In 2000, he was fired for spelling the n-word on the air. How much does that word affect the psychological health of the youth of America, regardless of their race? Now he is pimping his film about how mean the "liberal media" was to Palin.

The "candidate who must be obeyed" was talking about Palin's family when he said "kids are off limits." Jake Tapper of ABC News interviewing then Candidate Obama asked, "Governor Palin and her husband issued a statement today saying their 17-year-old daughter Bristol, who is unmarried, is five months pregnant. Do you have any reaction?"

OBAMA: "I have said before and I will repeat again, I think people's families are off-limits. And people's children are especially off-limits. This shouldn't be part of our politics. It has no relevance to Governor Palin's performance as a governor or her potential performance as a vice president. And so I would strongly urge people to back off these kinds of stories. You know, my mother had me when she was 18. And, you know, how family deals with issues and — and, you know, teenaged children, that shouldn't be the topic of — of our politics."

The Palin children have been fodder for comedians since they were brought to the national stage. Incest isn't funny. Ugly kid jokes aren't funny. Many of the things said about public figures are just flat wrong. Being "knocked up" isn't much fun.

I understand being defensive; just wonder what took so long. Why now?

© AlaskaReport.com All Rights Reserved.

[Drem]

she's doing what we normal non-republican-fuckjobs call "grasping at straws".

which is exactly what you did when you made your cute joke lueyen

[Gypsiyee]

The only one who's posted a response that actually addresses this was Gypsiyee, who's argument is two fold. The first part is that people don't joke in such a vile horrendous nature, like no one talks about wishing someones kidney's would fail, or trying to liken someones facial features to an ape. There there's the wicked witch argument, based in large part upon Palin telling people she would be a strong advocate for special needs children. It likely did get her some support, but it wasn't like she was just giving lip service to it, she meant it. Gypsiyee, do you know why she took the trip to New York in the first place?

Sure - she was there to raise money for kids with autism. Conveniently, she was also there to receive an award for the same subject. I don't personally feel the woman does anything completely selfless - everything I've seen of her has a second side that contributes to her own personal benefit. She picked a charitable angle, ran with it because she could use her kid as a poster child, and is receiving recognition for it, which fares well in later races. I'm not impressed. Her child is an infant - you don't earn credit for becoming an advocate all the sudden. I'll be more impressed to see how she deals with his disability as he grows older - how she actually cares for him, not how she pays others to or how she brings him with her on the national stage. It takes a hell of a lot more than money, fame, and marching in parades to care for a child with downs.

I never implied that people don't joke in such a vile horrendous nature as you put it. I said it's seriously not a big deal and there's no use in twisting the words to imply something other than the actual punchline, which is what's happening here. To compare it, it'd be like saying the statement about Michelle Obama was really implying she needs to carry her monkey-ass back to Africa. Imagine if Michelle Obama actually made a big stink about it and said that man needed to apologize to blacks everywhere - conservatives would be all over what an overreaction it was, and imo considering the circumstances his statement was far worse.

As far as the sex ed thing Gypsiyee, the survey gave her a choice between two extremes. She later clarified that she didn't strictly adhere to either extreme, she likely just marked the one of the two she found most palatable. Does she really strike you as the type that would rather pander to the left of where she really stands to try and garner votes from the left leaning, in a right leaning state?

I don't know, she expanded on her statement saying the explicit programs wouldn't find her support. Choice between two extremes would be a fill in the bubble yes or no - if she had the words to elaborate (and I'm sure that that phrase was her verbiage - please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong), she could've easily clarified her stance before it was questioned. That was her stance, she later altered it using semantics as an excuse. That's politics - based on her opinions on everything else, I firmly believe the former version.

Your word count on that post: 2,861
My word count on the post you quoted and were referencing: 2,778

8)

no fair, though, because mine was in response to you and yours was a defense and analysis of the whole subject!

[leah]

2) "Why is Chelsea Clinton so ugly? Because her father is Janet Reno." John McCain, Palin's running mate. Should McCain apologize to every young woman in America?

oh man, that's harsh :S at least chelsea turned from ugly duckling to a pretty hot swan, imo.

[Zanchief]

I think it was crass in the context Letterman stated he meant, but not worth getting worked up over.

Yet you are.

You’re just a Republican flocking to protect another of their moronic politicians.

[Ginzburgh]

oh man, that's harsh :S at least chelsea turned from ugly duckling to a pretty hot swan, imo.

[Drem]

good lord

[Ginzburgh]

Yes, hot swan indeed.

[Jay]

Clearly got mostly Hilary's genes.

[brinstar]

bah she looks like a human

any human photographed in unflattering light won't look very attractive

[Lueyen]

When you consider that, that's probably the worst relatively current picture of her you can find I don't think you could call her ugly.

[Gidan]

[Darcler]

Doesnt look like she changed too much, other than use a flat iron and learn to smile with less gums.

[Narrock]

I'm dying to see Mindia's take on all of this.

I think that the jokes are slightly, very slightly, too much. It was an oversight on Dave's part to joke about Bristol when it was Willow who was actually at the game. As a result, the Palins are upset that that sort of raunchy joke was possibly directed at their 14 year old and they were pissed about it. I felt bad for them because as parents I think initially their intent was to protect their child. Even if it was clear that the joke was about Bristol I still think that naturally as parents they have a right to condemn Dave Letterman for his tasteless humor. Even Dave says the jokes were tasteless (doesn't mean they aren't funny). My only thing is that if the issue is to keep their daughters away from public scrutiny and satire, then they fail as parents. Parading their daughters around in the public eye is what draws attention. Attention is what comedians use to create jokes. So long as Bristol appears on the news and keeps speaking publicly, she will continue to get treated the same as other public figures. Her parents' constant yammering about the whole Dave situation and the repeated "kicking of the dead horse" effectively makes both her kids more targetable.

I've always liked Letterman, despite his retarded stance on politics. The joke was in very poor taste, plain and simple. But he apologized for it (the first apology was pathetic) but his second apology seemed sincere. He realized himself that the joke backfired severely because it was in poor taste. Sarah Palin accepted his apology. She was never being "retarded" or "overreactive" to it. What she felt is what hundreds of thousands of parents who have daughters felt. Famous people need to realize though, that when they are in the limelight, they are more subjected to being ridiculed. Perhaps Palin should have just rolled her eyes and considered the source, and moved on.

[Drem]

yes, she should've