Letterman's offensive remarks about Sarah and Willow Palin

[Darcey]

Actually the proposal in this thread is nothing like the Fairness Doctrine. No one is calling for a government ban on Letterman or CBS. The Fairness Doctrine is government deciding what folks may say. Writing a letter to to CBS is, well, a customer complaining about a bad product. This is one of the exact ways you should respond to offensive speech.

Well said. Thank you. That's what I was about to say but since you said it so well, I'll just copy it here.

Government restriction of someone's speech is unconstitutional. Boycotting a movie or someone's television program........or letting sponsors know you won't be buying........that's the American way. When The Last Temptation of Christ was scheduled at a local movie theater years ago, a number of us let the theater know we were not happy about it. They decided not to show the film rather than lose customers.

The comment about Willow was despicable. And imagine if the comment made about Sarah had been made about Michelle Obama.

[Phototiger]

She is a celebrity at this point. They get made fun of. She is also an 18 year old with a daughter. She is not a child.

I am not uncaring. I'm just not oversensitive...

Besides continuing to miss the point about free speech, you also deliberately hang onto the erroneous excuse by Letterman that the daughter to which he referred in the "joke" was Bristol, who is 18-years old. However, is was WILLOW, who is 14-years old who accompanied Sarah to the baseball game and BRISTOL wasn't even in town. Anyone who knew enough to write the alleged joke about Sarah Palin going to the game knew that her daughter Willow went with her. Stop trying to avoid the issue that Letterman knowingly referred to a 14-year old in his joke about Rodriguez getting her pregnant.

[TxBrewer]

See the definition I gave in regard to what this statement is.

Ok, if you want to get technical, see the response I gave to said post. I agreed that the definition was accurate though the source questionable. Crap I get tired of pointing out the obvious.

[TxBrewer]

Lithuim:



and



Letterman did it to be mean and you care less about it because you are dead inside,with absolutely no idea what empathy is.No idea why what David did was absolutely unecessary.

Your excuses are profoundly stupid because the children are innocent victims from scums like Letterman who was being ugly towards a child.

What beef does he have with the 18 year old anyway? Why make such crude "jokes" at her expense?

Dont let "dead inside" liberals get to you. They have a right to make asses of themselves like anyone else. I say get out of the way and let them do it.

[Lithium]

Lithium: Letterman did it to be mean and you care less about it because you are dead inside,with absolutely no idea what empathy is. No idea why what David did was absolutely unnecessary.

No I just dont take stupid things, too seriously. I guess I overestimate peoples willingness to take a joke. Poor taste or not.

What beef does he have with the 18 year old anyway? Why make such crude "jokes" at her expense?

She is a celebrity, and an adult. Late night talk show hosts...no, just about everyone has been making jokes about celebrities for years and years. Im sure Sarah Palin discussed it with her family that by becoming part of the Presidential Race that they would subject to scrutiny and jokes from the public. If Sarah and Bristol didnt know that a major politicians daughter getting pregnant at 17 would be joked about all across the media, then they are as stupid as the media portrays Sarah to be. They should have been prepared, and help eachother realize that jokes like this have been on TV for years years, that its just a joke, and means nothing.

Now if it can be proven that David Letterman was talking about the 14 year old, I'll apologize and take back what was said here...

[njc17]

may I reiterate something I said before; Mrs Palin was in New York with her YOUNGER daughter and not bristol. The Barbs were AIMED at the 14 year old and not the 18 year old.
Now letterman, as well as other topical comedians such as Bill Maher And Jay Leno, will use personalities for their material. It can get abusive and Letterman is as abusive as Maher, Leno at least did use a bit of disgression. They do it, and in this case, as in many, it was over the top and in very poor taste, but Letterman sees where it will get laughs, and has no conscience about it. It's business.

[Dark1]

Listen everyone very carefully. Attacks on politicians, people who are involved in politics, people that live in public life have always been fair game HOWEVER their families have not. Very few people talked about Bill Clinton's daughter and the only time I remember that President Bush's daughter were talked about was after they made speeches or political remarks. Gov. Palin's kids (ALL OF THEM) are not involved in the political scene at all therefore, the Letterman remarks were out of line. Case closed.

[Susanna]

No I just dont take stupid things, too seriously. I guess I overestimate peoples willingness to take a joke. Poor taste or not.



She is a celebrity, and an adult. Late night talk show hosts...no, just about everyone has been making jokes about celebrities for years and years. Im sure Sarah Palin discussed it with her family that by becoming part of the Presidential Race that they would subject to scrutiny and jokes from the public. If Sarah and Bristol didnt know that a major politicians daughter getting pregnant at 17 would be joked about all across the media, then they are as stupid as the media portrays Sarah to be. They should have been prepared, and help eachother realize that jokes like this have been on TV for years years, that its just a joke, and means nothing.

Now if it can be proven that David Letterman was talking about the 14 year old, I'll apologize and take back what was said here...

It has already been established that Letterman was talking about the 14-year-old.

[whiterabbit]

It has already been established that Letterman was talking about the 14-year-old.

True. But Letterman issued a non-apology saying he would never do what he already did...not in a thousand years. I guess those thousand years start now. Sly devil.

[the enfusiator]

Actually the proposal in this thread is nothing like the Fairness Doctrine. No one is calling for a government ban on Letterman or CBS. The Fairness Doctrine is government deciding what folks may say. Writing a letter to to CBS is, well, a customer complaining about a bad product. This is one of the exact ways you should respond to offensive speech.

That's actually a good point. I concede to your argument.

I still think the joke would have been funny had Sarah Palin's of-age, promiscuous daughter been at the game and not the 14 year old. That's unfortunate.