Updated below the video...
Some conservative bloggers were needlessly offended by David Letterman's Top Ten List last night, "Highlight's of Sarah Palin's Trip to New York." Rush Limbaugh has a rule that I try to live by, which is not to be offended by anything. Sometimes it's difficult, but allowing someone to offend you gives that person a power over your emotions that one should only grant to loved ones.
Letterman's list didn't even make me think of that rule - it was nothing. Typically Letterman: arrogant and condescending, occasionally funny, rarely accurate. Self-righteous moral indignation from people like Conservatives4Palin is to be expected (David Letterman is a Sexist Pervert; UPDATE: Gov. Palin Responds). Now, I am a conservative, and in many respects I am "4" Palin. But I would never align myself with a group called Conservatives4Palin, because I know exactly what type of person makes up much of its ranks. Not exactly a barrel of laughs, most of these people.
What I don't expect is people like Allahpundit of Hot Air to let Letterman get to him.
I guess if you can’t make ‘em laugh anymore, you might as well make ‘em wince. You missed your calling as a writer for Playboy, Dave.
We poke fun at a certain type of hyper-serious feminist on the left, the one for whom nothing is simply a joke and everything is an affront to all women. And yet we have on our side a similar group of laid-back, down-home women for whom nothing is simply a joke and everything is an affront to all women. I like our ladies a heckuva lot more, but the act is tired on both sides.
Letterman did what he does. He ridicules everything except liberalism and its practitioners. That's his job, and he's made a good, long career off it. And this was Letterman at his tamest. Only one line, the "slutty flight attendant" quip, would likely be considered offensive to Palin herself. Now I love Palin, I think she's exactly what the Republican Party needs, and I laughed most at that line.
I don't agree with Letterman's point of view, but I agree wholeheartedly with what he does. I wish we had more people mocking government leaders. I wish we had even more people mocking government. The result of government intervention in civil society is hilarious, as long as it is mostly theoretical.
When people get the idea that politicians are something other than a mockery to real human beings, and that politicians can really help them, we get screwed. When people aren't reminded that government is nothing more than a perpetual failure to be avoided whenever possible, we get things like Medicare, the National Endowment for the Arts, and Barack Obama. We need less mocking of government and its leaders like we need more self-righteous moral indignation. Enough already.
I laughed at most of his list. Laughing beats the hell out of self-righteousness, is more productive, and makes you look less like a weenie.
What comes closest to offending me is that no comedian with an audience worth talking about has found anything funny about Barack Obama. Except for his ears. I have an idea for SNL that they would love in sane, politically-incorrect times. I'd have two actors playing Obama in every sketch: one white, one black. It would be hilarious, and it would be their biggest hit since the Church Lady. You know it, I know it, they know it. And it will never happen.
Oh, here's the Letterman clip:
UPDATE: Things got a little frisky in the comments, thanks to an update to the post I linked to above at Conservtives4Palin. RA Mansour objected to my criticism of her site as she should have, by tearing me a new one. I just had an amail conversation with her, and am convinced she is a fine lady. I read her site when I'm looking for Palin news. I enjoy the site. As I noted, it is not the type of site that I would be a member of, because its focus on one person means that they must react to almost every piece of news. I believe that leads to some of the attitude I mentioned in this piece.
In hindsight, I think I was a little too strong here. I right in real time, and my beliefs are my beliefs - I make no apology for them. But I love my conservative brothers and sisters, and as Mansour just noted in the same post following our conversation:
I don't like it when conservatives smack each other around. It ain't right.
So I do apologize for the harshness of my attack. And I look forward to the opportunity to deal with C4P in a more agreeable circumstance. Seeing as I agree with the folks there on nearly everything, that shouldn't be too difficult.
Comments
What does making a crude reference towards a minor has to do with making fun of Palin?
Tyrone, the post was made before I saw the disgusting remark about raping Palin's kid. When I linked to Allahpundit at HotAir, he was only talking about the Top Ten List, which is all I commented on as well.
So, nothing.
If you actually bothered to look at the Conservatives4Palin website you would have seen the clip of Littleman making a joke of the rape of a minor, in this case Palin's 14 year old daughter Willow.
Not true, Greg. That video was also Update II at C4P, and did not exist there when I wrote my post. The C's4P were already in a lather over the "slutty flight attendant comment."
She's already developed a thick skin, so she can take it. But to go after the daughter... there's no justification for that.
Joking about Palin's daughter getting knocked up isn't funny or political- it's over the line and malicious.
David, a grown man was not married to the mother of his son for years, made a mistake and got his girlfriend pregant and he should know better, is making fun of a young girl who made a mistake and making the best of it, shows me that she is a much more of adult than David is, he acts like a over grownboy than a real man, a man would not act like that if he had a soul.
I am often reminded that many people who post comments never read what they are commenting on. Thanks, Melissa.
Poor, poor Sarah, she should be President just because everyone picks on her (and she's white).
Let's see how funny it is when someone jokes about Letterman's bastard son.
What an absolute ass David Letterman is! Making comments about someone's child is completely out of bounds even for an idiot like Letterman. How would he like someone to call his son a bastard on national TV when he is old enough to understand the term? I am absolutely stunned why anyone would think that remark is funny.
Pompous recluse talks big and nasty when the lights are on, and when off, is choppered to his CT Mansion, far removed from anyone resembling a human being...same thing at the MT ranch---hiding out, never appearing anywhere, not even for charity events. How about we make jokes about his Mom in Indiana, or little Harry? Or that "thing" called Lasko he finally married. Set up a whole Site dedicated to off color Letterman jokes. He was kind of funny and relevant once---now he's just old, dirty, bitter, and cruel--and still a Recluse. He's been a recluse long before the kidnapping attempt and stalking. Long before that---freaking Tears of A Clown is all he is. If he took some shots at Obama and Biden and their kids I guess it would be balanced out...but it isnt...his show is no longer humor..he's got Lenny Bruce disease now--thinking we all want to be enlightened with his wisdom instead of humor...just how Lenny became.
The daughter is unfortunately fair game. When you take 6-digit checks to "tell your story", you are no longer shielded. You cannot have it both ways. Sorry Charlie, that's just how it is.
Scott you are missing the point. Taken alone, Letterman's comments are not terribly offensive, that's true. What's offensive is the fact that he only goes after conservatives, never liberals. I know, you make that point in your last paragraph, but in a generic way. Who cares what SNL should do? The issue is Letterman and his offensive political agenda.
These comments are hilarious. Letterman never makes fun of liberals? I guess you missed all the Top 10 lists about Hillary Clinton, for example. And Carlene, your ignorant comment about Letterman being in the same boat as a teenage mother is so stupid it's beyond belief. A 60-something-year-old man in a relationship that's older than Palin's daughter is not even comparable. By the way, Palin herself is the one who put her daughter out there in the public square, so crying foul afterward is ridiculous. Let's use some critical thinking skills, people.
As I recall, letterman was pretty merciless to clinton back in the day...still is actually
Tim, the daughter is not fair game. The daughter who was with Palin was not Bristol, who is a bit of a public figure, but the 14 year old Willow. Sexual innuendo about a 14 year old girl on national television is pretty low.
Letterman & schafer should both be retired.
CBS needs better writers.
Latly, if they are funny, its just luck.
I don't understand the part about the two actors playing Obama...could someone explain that?
You neglected Letterman's statutory tryst innuendo. When did attacking children for the sake of a ha-ha become acceptable?
We actually have a great sense of humor at Conservatives4Palin. We just don't think jokes about 14-year-old girls getting sexually assaulted are funny. Maybe you do. That says more about you than about us. But it's more likely that you didn't even know about Letterman's joke about Palin's young daughter
(I least I hope you didn't). If that's the case, then you didn't research the situation properly before writing about it -- otherwise you would have known that it was the reference to Palin's 14-year-old daughter that really caused the outrage.
By the way, you might try reading our website before making blanket statements about us. I don't make blanket statements about you -- like, say, you're an overpaid nancyboy who writes derivative drivel and knows jack about conservatism and isn't even witty or amusing. It would be premature and unfair of me to make such statements -- even though my personal biases have led me to conclude that most local newspaper columnists are second or third rate Maureen Dowd wannabes. You might prove the exception to the rule. And my website might prove the exception to your "rule" about sites with a "4" in the title being dry and boring and self-righteously humorless.
Palin is fair game. She put herself out there and has to take her hits like the rest of them. Hillary was batted around the late night comic circuit like a tether ball and she didn't go into a rant at every turn. "Slutty flight attendant" was a bit rude but she's a big girl who can take care of herself.
However! A 14 year old child cannot be fair game. When we do that we are going to the depths of folks like the hate radio jocks who hide behind the phrase "freedom of speech" while spewing their sickening "commentary".
Let's call a spade a spade and say that Dave went over the line on this one. She's a child for goodness sake.
Letterman, you've got a kid too. You really want this kind of karma coming back at you? Expect it.
For all that make the point that her daughters are fair game b/c of her position, I guess that mean Obama's girls are fiar game also?
Good thing he didn't call her a nappy headed ho!
R.A. Mansour - you are purposely pulling the old bait and switch in regard to what we were discussing here when you say this: "We actually have a great sense of humor at Conservatives4Palin. We just don't think jokes about 14-year-old girls getting sexually assaulted are funny. Maybe you do."
Bull. And you know it. I wrote my post before either you or Allahpundit put up the second video with the comment about Palin'a daughter. If you people would bother to read the freaking comments, you would have noticed that I pointed that out already.
The point is, you were all lathered up at the Top Ten List alone. It is there for all to see. And, in my opinion, it makes you look silly.
Letterman's a moron and always has been nothing more than a liberal punk two bonger go to sleep show
and this piece demonstrates why Jay Leno, an often obnoxious lib himself but didn't hire his writers from the Al Freaken school of jagoffs as does Letterwoman does kicked his a&& for 17 straight years in the ratings. Letterwoman can't even handle Conan.
He's washed up and I hope he saved his millions cause he'll need em on the unemployment line
ScottMartin4KiddiePorn
Joe4ReadingIsFundamental
I totally missed the comments he made about SPs daughter...when did that happen? I googled it but can't find it.
Where were the comments about her kids? Did you get your info from Jason Lewis, Hannity, Gingrich, Limbaugh? Please Please please stop getting your info from the "propaganda Machine". Good Lord you guys have had the presidency since 1980 except 8 years. And those years you didn't, you had control of both house and senate most of the time. Look how you did. Reagan campaigned on how bad the deficit was then tripled it. G sr. added another 2 TRILLION. It shrank a little under "Slick Willy" then Junior brought it up to almost 10 Trillion...Try to help...quit whining...Now shut the heck up
Letterman ridicules everything but liberalism?? I guess you never watched his show during the 8 years of Clinton?? He is a comedian. He bashes everyone & everything.
I can't believe that liberals are trying to rationalize why Letterman's comment was OK. Yes, Letterman hammered (sort of)Clinton but he didn't joke about Chelsea getting Knocked up. He crossed the line. Admit it and move on.
Oh come on people Can't Anyone Take A Joke Anymore? Lighten up fellow Americans, chill out, be happy, laughter is good for ya! A few of those jokes on the top 10 list were funny. Some of ya'll just sound angry about everything, even bringing Obama into some of your statements. Liberals,Conservatives,right,left!? Hey! We should all be united,peaceful and greatful as a whole and not so divided. It makes me want to barf. Somebody tell a joke and cut the #*@$ talk. Political Agenda? It's a comedy talk show! Don't watch it or watch it and Laugh.
J says:
As I recall, letterman was pretty merciless to clinton back in the day...still is actually
Clinton was an adult and a politician “back in the day”.
What does your recollection have anything to do with the rape and whore “jokes” about a 14 year-old girl?
As for Letterman’s excuse that he didn’t realize Willow was at the game and not Bristol
“You and anybody else are extremely naive to believe their convenient excuse,” she told Lauer.
It is an undeniable FACT that Letterman/CBS knew it was 14 year-old Willow at the game.
Alaska Gov. Palin Talks About Special Needs In NY - wcbstv.com
Jun 7, 2009 ... NEW YORK (CBS) ?. Click to enlarge ... an anniversary celebration for the Manorville-based Independent Group Home Living Inc. after attending a Yankees game. She was joined by her husband, daughter Willow and a sister. ...
wcbstv.com/topstories/palin.special.needs.2.1034707.html
CBS in New York made it absolutely clear it was daughter Willow at the game!
It is
Jun 7, 2009 ... NEW YORK (CBS) ?. Click to enlarge ... an anniversary celebration for the Manorville-based Independent Group Home Living Inc. after attending a Yankees game. She was joined by her husband, daughter Willow and a sister. ...
wcbstv.com/topstories/palin.special.needs.2.1034707.html
CBS in New York made it absolutely clear it was daughter Willow at the game!
It is not possible that Letterman/CBS did not know it was Willow at the game as they REPORTED the fact that it was Willow at the game.
Is this the reason you are trying to focus on the non-offensive “slutty flight attendent”
I got ta tell ya that just makes you look stupid or do you think rapping a 14 year-old girl is “funny”?
Please answer
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