David Letterman Addresses Sarah Palin Controversy
David Letterman has apologized for his jokes about Gov. Sarah Palin and her family that sparked angry replies from the former V.P. nominee earlier this week.
Sort of.
Tuesday night on The Late Show, Letterman quipped that Palin's daughter was knocked up Alex Rodriguez during a Yankees game, and that the hardest part of the Palins' New York City trip was keeping Eliot Spitzer away from their daughter.
This prompted the governor and her husband, Todd Palin, to slam Letterman for his "sexually perverted comments" about their 14-year-old daughter, Willow.
Todd fumed on Facebook: "Any 'jokes' about raping my 14-year-old are despicable. Alaskans know it and I believe the rest of the world knows it, too."
A familiar David Letterman expression, certainly applicable to this story.
Last night, Dave said he was referring to Bristol Palin, 18, not Willow. He admitted his jokes were in "questionable taste" and that he regrets telling them.
But, he added, he did nothing to advocate sexual relations with a minor, nor would he ever. As far as being guilty of anything but making jokes in bad taste, of which he has told thousands over the years, the talk show host pleaded innocent.
That about sums it up if you ask us. An acknowledgment that he crossed the line was warranted, as was clarification on what he meant by the aforementioned jokes. But, by the same token, the Palins could chill the eff out a little.
Letterman even invited Sarah to come on the show as a gesture of good faith. Here's his explanation of, and commentary on, the recent controversy:
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December 31st, 2009 5:08 AM
Dave has a show to uplift through making jokes by public figures and if the sarah is the target so be it. She should deal with it and stop wanting to be a brat this is the 20th century. You go DAVE.
November 7th, 2009 4:16 PM
I am not a fan of Sarah Palin, but he kept making cracks about her daughter, and that just goes beyond comedy etiquette. It was vicious and mean. Bristol or Willow Palin should be considered separate entities from their mother, and therefore should be considered hands-off: same goes for Chelsea Clinton and Sasha and Malia Obama. He kept attacking her children, and not Sarah Palin's politics or actions. Last time I checked, Bristol Palin wasn’t running for VP.
If he has a problem with Sarah Palin, he should make vicious jokes about Sarah Palin! Keep children out of it.
When you unnecessarily attack kids because of their parents actions or political views, then I have no respect for that person. I’m sure David Letterman would not like it if people made cracks about his son because of his personal extortion scandal. I know it will happen, because what comes around goes around. I don’t believe its right, whether its David Letterman’s son or Sarah Palin’s daughter.
If you
June 17th, 2009 12:08 AM
I am so tired of hearing how Letterman is a dirty old man. Letterman is a comedian. Letterman is NOT a Pervert!Palin is using this to stay in the lime light. To all of you women who are so offended, get a life. There are more important things to worry about. If you really are soo concerned with what he said. Take your energies and volunteer to help a young rape victim or someone in need. I do it, and it's the best thing in the world.
June 13th, 2009 2:55 PM
Your opening paragraph says it all. David apologizes SORT OF. If he had apologized and meant what he said then the Palins would have nothing else to comment on. But, Dave had to try and milk this for all the publicity he can. Dave was wrong and he knows it.
June 13th, 2009 4:37 AM
News Release: Letterman is nothing but a low-brow, cheap-shot HACK.
Any questions?
June 13th, 2009 4:35 AM
OH 0 PUH-LEEZE! I've always thought that Bristol Palin jokes were distasteful, and he apologized, but WHO has been exploiting Bristol? Which one of them put Bristol and the unwilling boyfriend on TV at the Republican convention, and has continued to post that abstinence is an effective way to prevent teenage pregnancy? Not to mention using her position to violate a court order and lambast her niece and nephew's children?
When people first made jokes at Bristol Palin's expense during the campaign, I thought they were off limits and they probably should be. But Bristol just did an interview for People, and Palin used the two of them as a campaign poster in 2008. SHE put them in the spotlight. Letterman has apologized. In order for Palin to stop making this an issue, she need only shut up and have her kids top doing interviews. I don't defend the joke, but it's laughable to suggest that she hasn't put her kids in the spotlight.
June 13th, 2009 4:01 AM
Letterman got caught and is now trying to backtrack. Of course he was talking about Willow and not Bristol. Willow was the daughter at the game. The joke had to do with them being at the game and the Palin daughter getting knocked up by A-Rod. How can anyone possibly think he was talking about a Palin daughter who was NOT at the game. He intention was to make a joke about the Palin daughter who WAS at the game, and that daughter was Willow. I've never thought Letterman was funny anyways, but he really did cross the line on this one.
June 13th, 2009 2:43 AM
Boycotting his show, saying he's a pervert. LOL
There are so many bigger issues in the world....
The joke was in poor taste & Palins choice to further bring attention to the matter Is NO different.
A simple statement would have been fine...no?
Anyways....it's non news. Pathetic.
June 13th, 2009 1:01 AM
Letterman use to be a class act but he has started going for cheap laughs with trashy below the belt jokes with the absolute worst being the trashy comments about Palin's 14 year old daughter or if you believe him (which I don't) her 18 yr old daughter .I can't imagine Jay Leno ever doing a joke that trashy.Its sad to see Letterman who use to be a class a comedian to fall so low that he has to get his cheap laughs by making crude jokes about 14 yr olds or if you believe his alledged apology an 18 year old girl. I saw a man who use to be a king of comedy now stooping to sewer comedy. Maybe he should study and see how Bob Hope got laughs yet never stooped to the sewer to get laughs. Palin's daughters were the clincher for me I will never watch him again
June 12th, 2009 10:01 PM
Its time to pull the plug on David Letterman. A 62 year old talking about a 14 or even an 18 year old being sexually assulted by a member of the NY Yankees is way over the line. If ABC does nothing then the public needs to react and boycott the advertisers of the Letterman Show. Ever wonder why NBC didn't try harder to hold onto Letterman.