Sarah Palin and David Letterman Joke Controversy
Sarah Palin is pissed at David Letterman, calling for the comedian to apologize to “young women across the country” for a joke he made about Sarah Palin’s daughter.
Seems Sarah Palin and one of her daughters visited New York city and attended a Yankees baseball game. Sarah’s daughter Bristol Palin is an unwed teen mother (now eighteen, she was seventeen when she got pregnant). Levi Johnston, the father of Bristol’s child, first vowed to marry her, then broke off their engagement because he felt he needed to mature before getting married. This all became public during the 2008 election because it tarnished Palin’s conservative image.
On his Late Show June 9, 2009, Letterman joked about Palin’s daughter by tying her to some famous New York men who have led sexually promiscuous lives. The audience howled in laughter.
Only problem – it was not Bristol Palin traveling with her mother to New York. It was her sister, fourteen-year-old Willow Palin.
Here are Letterman’s Palin jokes from that June 9 monologue.
- “The toughest part of [Sarah Palin’s] visit was keeping Eliot Spitzer away from her daughter.”
- Things got awkward when “during the seventh inning, her daughter was knocked up by Alex Rodriguez.”
Spitzer, of course, was the New York governor and married man involved in a prostitution scandal. Alex Rodriguez is the Yankees slugger who has had his share of extra-marital flings.
Applying these jokes to Bristol Palin, I chuckled at first. Not that anyone should be making fun of unwed mothers, teen pregnancy, or fathers who choose not to be part of the family.
I just understood that David Letterman was taking square aim at the righteousness of Sarah Palin and the right wing. Sarah Palin is anti-abortion and pro-abstinence, so it was more than a little awkward when Palin was the Vice Presidential candidate and her then seventeen-year-old daughter got pregnant. Talk about hypocrisy. Letterman’s humor in that context, now that Bristol is an adult, is sort of funny.
That said, as a father to a teen girl, I would not want any comedian making fun of my daughter. So I understand Sarah Palin being just plain old mad. More than that, the daughter in question was not eighteen-year-old Bristol Palin but fourteen-year-old Willow Palin. That Letterman didn’t research this fact and took aim at the Palin family anyway shows poor judgment and taste on his part. No minor should be the butt of a joke. That’s just cruel.
Sarah Palin’s reaction was over the top for me. She accused David Letterman of promoting a culture where it is “accepted and funny to talk about statutory rape.” She says Letterman claiming he thought it was Bristol visiting NYC, not Willow, is a “convenient excuse.”
At this point, I think the whole thing got out of hand. Palin could have asked for a personal apology for her family. But to claim Letterman is promoting statutory rape is absurd. Letterman didn’t say a thing about rape, or about underage children. He’s referred to Bristol Palin before. He made a joke about some very famous Americans who have been in the news for their sexual behavior.
Was it in poor taste to refer to Bristol Palin’s pregnancy? Probably. Teen pregnancy and babies born out of wedlock are no laughing matter. Was it fair to take aim at Sarah Palin’s hypocrisy? Absolutely.
Letterman admits his jokes were in questionable taste. He is a late night talk show host, and his humor is supposed to be on the edge. I believe him when he said he was referring to Bristol, not Willow, and that he would never joke about rape, or having sex with a young teen.
Now then, can we get back to jokes about the Octomom and Jon and Kate’s divorce?
- Larry King and Levi Johnston on Bristol Palin – Humor
- How to Talk to Your Daughter About Sex
- My Teen Daughter is Dating
- Sex, Love, Marriage, Birth – Quick! Pick a Baby Name
- What a Dad Needs to Know About his Daughter
- Hey Ann Coulter – It’s Evolution, Baby!
Sarah Palin photo uploaded to flickr by geerlingguy, some rights reserved
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Comment by Sandy
| June 15th, 2009
Like so many other ‘news’ stories today, this got totally out of hand. The comment was in poor taste and he should have apologized but, as you said, her ’statutory rape’ reference was also over the top. They should both shut up about it.
Sandy´s last blog post..It’s a Small World After All
Comment by Michael
| June 15th, 2009
Letterman is a rude and sick person who cracks jokes on raping of other’s daughter and all the liberal idiots who support him have no morals / ethics
Comment by Kori
| June 15th, 2009
I am a liberal idiot, I suppose, because he makes jokes like that all of the time, so why should Ms. Holier-than-thou Palin be any different? Sure, they might have been in poor taste;so is 90% of his show, which is why people keep coming back. This woman just needs to get over herslef, in my oh-so-liberal-and-humble opinion. This is part of living in the public eye, something she could avoid by slinking back to Alaska and fading into obscurity once again.
Kori´s last blog post..Welcome To My Home
Comment by Cathouse Teri
| June 15th, 2009
Sarah Palin is a whiny bitch. The less we hear from her on anything, the better.
Cathouse Teri´s last blog post..The Perfect Gift
Comment by Alicia
| June 15th, 2009
Well, Sarah – you can’t have your cake and eat it too, bitch! She is a public figure, and she forced Bristol into being one as well – a hypocrite one at that! Anything is fair game. So, Letterman got the daughter wrong – oh well. Its still a funny joke. And Palin should just can go diddle herself.
Alicia´s last blog post..ISO Fabulous Title
Comment by *Juliette*
| June 15th, 2009
Well put, DH. I’m the mom of a 19 year old daughter and I would also NOT want anyone joking about her in that context. But when you are a public figure and a hypocrite, all bets are off. BTW I believe Letterman, too,
*Juliette*´s last blog post..Cutting The Cheese
Comment by MindyMom
| June 15th, 2009
I agree with you David, and Kori and Teri. The attention this whole thing is getting (has gotten) is what’s disturbing. We really need to keep our attention focused on the imporatant issues like John and Kate’s marriage – as you pointed out. ;)
MindyMom´s last blog post..Flashback Friday #4 – His Ex
Comment by Tyler - Building Camelot
| June 15th, 2009
I’ve never been a big fan over Letterman and this kind of story is why I don’t like him. Why is he even talking about them to begin with? Can’t he come up with some better material than poking fun at Sara and her family? I mean come on…
Tyler – Building Camelot´s last blog post..A Tale Of Two Very Different Marriages
Comment by Danielle
| June 15th, 2009
I have to agree with most of the comments. My daughter is only two and I would rip the heads off of anyone that brought her pain, but I also hope to teach her that life is not fair and people say mean things. Now in light of this situation, Sarah did mind bringing her family into the lime light, so she had better prepare them for some of the bad, it is bound to happen.
As for Letterman, he is doing his job and even though his comments were not appropriate, they are late night humor worthy. Rock on Letterman!!!!!!
Danielle´s last blog post..When does the truth come out?
Comment by vinomom
| June 15th, 2009
What kind of conservative has two kids named Willow and Bristol anyways??
Anyone in the lime lite is fair game for the media. It’s a conscious choice (or it should be) anyone in movies, television, music and politics makes. Sarah Palin needs to get over it already!
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Comment by Eathan
| June 15th, 2009
Well I have to laugh at the idea that Sarah Palin can be taken seriously by anyone who wants to preach conservative family values. I’m not a conservative or even close to it, but she can’t have it both ways.
ok.. I have to admit.. i’m confused who I should be laughing at .. A-Rod or the Palins..lol
Great topic
Eathan´s last blog post..Speak Up Single Dad Contest
Comment by Sandra
| June 15th, 2009
I am not a fan of Palin, but this issue isn’t really liberal or conservative to me at all.
I think Letterman was out of line, especially for joking about the wrong Palin daughter. That was just stupid.
Yeah, Palin overinflated the situation, but most politicians or public figures do that. I guarantee that if someone made fun of your child like that most parents wouldn’t be calm and thing “Gee, this is not that bad, I should just get over myself.” You would want to protect your child.
Make fun of the politicians all you want, but leave the children, especially a 14 year old out of it.
Just my .02
Sandra´s last blog post..At least he’s honest
Comment by Cindi
| June 15th, 2009
Well, I missed the original show, but did catch one a night or two later where Letterman did own up to the jokes being in poor taste (aren’t most late night jokes???) and unless I’m mistaken did give a public apology to the family. It was in a round about way and he did basically say “that’s what you get” and garner a few more laughs at the Palin’s expense, but he did attempt to diffuse the situation, which is more than a lot of late night talkers would probably own up to. While I don’t think people in the lime light “deserve” to be exploited and made the butt of jokes, I do think that they have to be prepared for it and accept that it is part and parcel of being a public figure. If they weren’t willing to take that risk, maybe they shouldn’t have put themselves in the line of fire.
Cindi´s last blog post..Eye candy for the ladies….
Comment by Cathouse Teri
| June 15th, 2009
He who rides around on a high horse is easy to shoot at. Old Swedish Proverb
Cathouse Teri´s last blog post..The Perfect Gift
Comment by Just Me...
| June 15th, 2009
I’m not sure why people have such a fit because someone who touts abstinence for minors has a child who gets knocked up.. It’s like people want enjoy the misery of others.. I think teens shouldn’t have sex, leads to too many problems.. Would the same people who laughed at Palin laugh at me as well? It’s almost like a childish ‘goody-goody-ha-ha’ towards her.. Personally, I think she handled it with dignity and grace..
And of course she got ticked off when she heard the joke. He heard it from the perspective of a parent of a 14 year old. I’ve have been ticked off too!
Letterman told a tasteless joke. Not the first time that’s ever happened.. But, he should have known about whom he was joking.. He has quite the staff.. You’d have thought one person would have checked to see which daughter she took to the ball game..
It just seems that we’ve become a nation who revels in the misery of others.. And that doesn’t say much for our compassion, does it?
Just Me…´s last blog post..Shopping!!
Comment by Cathy
| June 15th, 2009
The thing that I found humorous in all this is the way Palin responded to Letterman’s jokes.
Sure, they were tasteless and out of line but her response only brought her down to his level.
If she had responded by saying something like, “consider the source” when asked about the jokes I would have so much more respect for her. That would have shown a degree of common sense on her part. The woman wants to further her caree as a politician for goodness sake. Who the hell can take her seriously if she is always going toe to toe with comedians and the news media?
It pays to know when to keep your mouth shut and as for as Palin is concerned she has yet to learn “the less said, the better.”
Cathy´s last blog post..Faith Within – Getting to Know Maya
Comment by woodhouse auto
| June 15th, 2009
The jokes poking fun at the pro abstinence having pregnant teen are fine. Jokes making that teen out to be a slut are not. Jokes about the wrong sister, and it was a 14 year old instead is revolting.
Comment by notasoccermom
| June 15th, 2009
My opinion is that conservatives seem to take things like this a little more personally and as attacks than more open-minded liberals for that very fact. Liberals can laugh at jokes because most of the time they are defending the brunts of the jokes. Minorities of all types, children included.
I would bet that 99% of the viewers who heard the joke, had no idea WHICH daughter was with her and because Bristol’s name was in the news so much because of her own mothers publicity….I would imagine that the assumption was made that the joke was about Bristol…
Also, young teen or not, as soon as she chose NOT to abstain, she became a sexually promiscuous woman herself!
(and I can say that as I too was a teen mother)
notasoccermom´s last blog post..
Comment by dadshouse
| June 15th, 2009
I agree Sarah Palin’s response was ridiculous. She basically accused Letterman of promoting statutory rape, and that’s just silly. He’s a late night talk show host trying to get cheap laughs (those are his words, btw)
Teri – I couldn’t agree more with your Swedish proverb. Wouldn’t you know, I’m part Swedish!!
Eathan – I totally agree! Who can take Sarah Palin seriously? I find it amusing that she preaches abstinence, then her daughter gets pregnant. Um, isn’t the whole point of abstinence to not have sex? That’s why I had “the talk” with my daughter, and I have informed her about safe sex. If she chooses to abstain, that’s her choice. If not, she has the knowledge to protect herself.
Great comments, all!
Comment by Canadian Bald Guy
| June 15th, 2009
This whole situation is laughable. So they messed up the wrong daughter. Letterman said it was a mistake…so anybody thinking this was an attack or a purposeful joke at the expense of a 14-year old are idiots.
Would I like somebody making fun of my daughter in the same situation? No. But these were simple off-handed comments meant to be funny. You don’t like it? Don’t watch.
The fact that anybody is genuinely upset over this just leaves me shaking my head.
Palin should have just brushed it off saying that Letterman needed to have his staff do their homework next time so that the joke didn’t come off in such bad taste and then everybody could have moved on in a much healthier way.
Canadian Bald Guy´s last blog post..Confessions from a Cubicle: Training Day 1
Comment by ilinap
| June 15th, 2009
Sarah Palin who? Aren’t we done with her?
Comment by Samuel -- Texas deer hunting fanatic
| June 15th, 2009
I don’t understand your accusation of hypocrisy on Sarah Palin’s part. Did her daughter have an abortion that Sarah then condoned? What did I miss?
Comment by supastar
| June 15th, 2009
who cares!!!! sarah and bristol palin are both hypocrites. they dont mind when people talk highly of them in magazines and articles, but when someone cracks a joke about them they take it up the butt… they choose to be in the public eye so they should accept peoples criticizms, opinions, and jokes!
Comment by Tricia
| June 15th, 2009
DAVID LETTERMAN’S HATE, ETC. !
David Letterman’s hate is as old as some ancient Hebrew prophets.
Speaking of anti-Semitism, it’s Jerry Falwell and other fundy leaders who’ve gleefully predicted that in the future EVERY nation will be against Israel (an international first?) and that TWO-THIRDS of all Jews will be killed, right?
Wrong! It’s the ancient Hebrew prophet Zechariah who predicted all this in the 13th and 14th chapters of his book! The last prophet, Malachi, explains the reason for this future Holocaust that’ll outdo even Hitler’s by stating that “Judah hath dealt treacherously” and “the Lord will cut off the man that doeth this” and asks “Why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother?”
Haven’t evangelicals generally been the best friends of Israel and Jewish persons? Then please explain the recent filthy, hate-filled, back-stabbing tirades by David Letterman (and Sandra Bernhard) against a leading evangelical named Sarah Palin, and explain why most Jewish leaders have seemingly condoned Palin’s continuing “crucifixion”!
While David and Sandra are tragically turning comedy into tragedy, they are also helping to speed up and fulfill the Final Holocaust a la Zechariah and Malachi, thus helping to make the Bible even more believable!
(For even more stunning information, visit MSN and type in “Separation of Raunch and State” and “Bible Verses Obama Avoids.”)
Comment by Pete
| June 15th, 2009
Sarah Palin paraded her kids into the limelight like no other politician I can remember. She used them to help her campaign. She forced them into the news. Now, by making a big deal out of this Letterman joke, and stirring the publicity pot every day, she is putting her daughters in an embarrasing public position again, so that she gets to stay in the news. Shame on you, Sarah, for using your children like this! Conservative??? Hah!!
Comment by Cathouse Teri
| June 16th, 2009
I agree with Pete. For instance, I don’t watch Letterman. (But I religiously watch Craig Ferguson.) If Palin had not made such a fuss over Letterman’s levity, I certainly would not have even known about it. She has a history of making insignificant things into big news. And then gets mad because everyone knows about it.
Cathouse Teri´s last blog post..The Perfect Gift
Comment by Kat Wilder
| June 16th, 2009
Anyone in the public eye (and that includes almost anyone, nowadays, thanks to how quickly one can become “famous” in this Twitter-quick world) needs to have thick skin and a witty comeback.
I feel bad for the poor kids of those in the public eye; really, adults can barely handle it let alone kids. Chelsea Clinton got ribbed for being homely and heavy, etc. Bristol? Well, a pregnant teens happen every day. Pregnant teens whose mothers have an agenda like Palin’s …. well ….
Letterman may have been crude and wrong, but Palin handled it incorrectly.
Kat Wilder´s last blog post..She wants to be Grandma, he wants to be Daddy
Comment by T
| June 16th, 2009
There were SO many jokes made during the campaign and NOW she gets pissed?
I mean, its David Letterman, for pete’s sake. Every one knew he was joking.
I guess it seems like some people take things WAY too seriously…
T´s last blog post..Perspective
Comment by QTMama
| June 16th, 2009
Yeah this was ridiculous. I read today that he apologized. *eye roll*
QTMama´s last blog post..Back Home!
Comment by Bear
| June 16th, 2009
Palin doesn’t know when to smile and shrug. She was WAY over the top on this one, the second she mentioned sexual pervert, child rape, statatory rape, everyone knew it (except the wingn uts).
And, had Bristol stayed at home and out of the limelight, instead of going on Greta on day saying abstinance is unrealistic and another day becomeing the national savior of virgina everywhere for a company that makes tween slut clothes and then topping it off with a huge People layout… uh, doesn’t that make her in the public by choice and fair game?
I have a feeling the really fun jokes are yet to come!
Comment by BearPaws
| June 16th, 2009
donate today :-)
http://conservativesforsarahpalin.blogspot.com/
Comment by Candace
| June 16th, 2009
If Sarah Palin wanted to live in the public eye then she should expect stuff like this. Dave wasn’t speaking as a 62 year old man, he was doing his job and speaking as a comedian. A LATE show host. He doesn’t even have to apologize for this, it was JUST a joke, and whomever is taking this more seriously than that has waay to much time on his/her hands.
If Bristol Palin wasn’t having sex at God knows what age, and knocked up at the age of 17, and the hypocrisy of Sarah Palin being a governor against the things her OWN CHILDREN are doing, then this joke never would have been made, it wouldn’t have been funny.
Palin wouldn’t have gotten so upset if she knew that this joke wasn’t as farfetched as she would have hoped, she has already one daughter doing things before her time, and the probability of the other one doing the same are high, after all they both grew up in the same home with little or no morals and values. This joke hit home with her only because it hit home to the fact that she dropped the ball when it came to one daughter.
Comment by Extreme John
| June 16th, 2009
Ya know I was watching the show that night and I knew as soon as he made the jokes that there was going to be a problem. Not because I found any problem with the jokes, much like you I knew where he was coming from with them.
The reaction to this just makes me even more tired of Palin, and you can add her daughters and family to that list too.
The guy apologized, move on. Does she realize there’s a porn out there with her name all over it? Is she calling on people to be fired for that? She’s an idiot, I can understand her being pissed but move on already.
Extreme John´s last blog post..Disgusting News
Comment by FJ
| June 17th, 2009
I think “hypocrisy” would have been if the family decided to shush the whole scandal up by pressuring their daughter to abort the baby. She was under the impression she’d be a married – albeit young – mom. Didn’t turn out that way, but at least as a member of a fairly wealthy family, she did the right thing and didn’t end the pregnancy purely for social reasons – like 93 or so % of abortions in this country.
Comment by Barbara
| June 18th, 2009
So, Obama took his daughter to Yankee stadium and things got awkward when during the seventh inning, his daughter was knocked up by Alex Rodriguez.
Is this an okay joke? After all, Obama is a public figure and if he trots his daughters out in public, well, then they are fair game.
Comment by dadshouse
| June 18th, 2009
Letterman apologized again to the Palin family, and he seems to understand he crossed a line with his initial joke: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/06/15/letterman-apologizes-to-p_n_215927.html
Sarah Palin accepted the apology “on behalf of all young women, like my daughters, who hope men who ‘joke’ about public displays of sexual exploitation of girls will soon evolve.” http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31377622/ns/entertainment-television/
Barbara – is joking about Obama’s daughters funny? No. Minors should not be made the butt of jokes. Would it be okay to joke about 18 year-old Bristol Palin? Sure, now that she’s an adult, if she chooses to be in the public spotlight. If she is trying to live a quiet private life outside of her mom’s political career? Then I think no, she should be off limits.
Comment by Laura
| June 18th, 2009
When you reach a certain point in the media – you need to understand that stuff like this happens and you need to deal with it.
I agree joking about this topic may not be in good taste but come one how many of us havent made the exact same jokes? Only difference is we tell our friends and Letterman told the world!
So it was the wrong daughter she was with – I wouldnt have known! And personally I think her daughters may be at risk for worse comments and attacks than this at some point down the line. Its part of living a public life!
But she got her apology!
Laura´s last blog post..Farmer for Laura
Comment by cyndi
| June 20th, 2009
If she doesn’t want people to crack jokes at her she needs to bow out of the public eye. Sadly it’s a fact of life in our culture. She needs to learn to deal.