David Letterman responds to flap over Sarah Palin jokes

EW ^

[thewarden]

Taping tonight's episode of The Late Show, David Letterman took a few minutes to respond to Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, who called him "pathetic" in a radio interview after he made her and her family the butt of a recent Top 10 list. The late-night host had drawn particular fire from Palin and some pundits for a joke about one of Palin's daughters being impregnated by New York Yankees star Alex Rodriguez during a trip to Yankee Stadium. Camp Palin apparently took the joke to be a crack against Palin's 14-year-old daughter Willow, who had recently attended a Yankees game, but Letterman insisted today that the real target was 18-year-old daughter Bristol.

“We were, as we often do, making jokes about people in the news and we made some jokes about Sarah Palin and her daughter [Bristol]... and now they’re upset with me…” Letterman says on tonight's show. "These are not jokes made about her 14-year-old daughter. I would never, never make jokes about raping or having sex of any description with a 14-year-old girl.... Am I guilty of poor taste? Yes. Did I suggest that it was okay for her 14-year-old daughter to be having promiscuous sex? No." Saying he hopes he's "cleared part of this up," Letterman extended an invitation to Palin to come on the show as a guest.

[Travis McGee]

I like that one. Todd walking on the set “Hey Letterman!, ya got something to say, say it to MY face”.

Damn right! I'm sure all Dave would be able to squeak back would be "...security...help me..."

[Shelayne]

What a pathetic liar.

I would love to see her slap him across the face. And then walk off. That would be required viewing.

[TXnMA]

"Todd should be the one to go on the show."

Yes, and, beyond a doubt, snow machine racing has helped Todd develop a ferociously strong grip.

So... when Todd shakes Letterman's hand on camera, he should clamp down on his scrawny paw -- and not let up until the scum is on his knees, crying and begging for forgiveness.

A knee in his face while he's down there is optional -- but Letterman deserves it.

[TXnMA]

I saw it in real time. To be fair, he said Sarah was shooting rats from the helicopter...

My guess is that the joke writer is in the unemployment line now...

No way is the scumbag "star" going to take the rap for this -- even though the filth spewed from his own mouth!

[Eagles6]

If he did say rats then that's a different story. I watched the clip and may have missed that and have no desire to watch it again.

Other than that the a$$hole is not funny. Sarah and Todd should invite him for a Alaskan sightseeing tour.

[Niteflyr]

Gov. Palin should invite Letterman to go hunting.

Yeah and have him take point position ...har..:o)

[ExSoldier]

That sounds like a legitimate apology. I hope the Palin family is helped by this.

Crap. Letterman never made a legitimate "apology" in his life especially when it comes to targeting conservatives. I hope Sara shows up on the show and brings the AR given her by the NRA. Okay, that's a little harsh. I hope that Letterman goes to Alaska so Sara can feed him to a Polar Bear.

[DoughtyOne]

I went to the CBS’ complaint board earlier today and stated something along these lines...

I am a Conservative. That being said, I expect late night talk show hosts to make crude comments about political figures, especially if they hate someone like Governor Palin the way Dave obviously does. I don’t like it one bit, but that’s the way it goes.

What I don’t expect is these hosts to stoop to the level of trashing political figure’s children. Those kids have a right to grow up without being trashed nationwide in a vile manner. Even kids in their early twenties should not have to deal with being the focus of late night talk show hosts. And if that child is 14 years old, it’s not only obnoxious, it’s just plain abusive.

David owes the Palins and their daughter an apology. I can’t believe he had the poor taste to target the Palin’s younger daughter in that manner.

Ron Doughty

[bustinchops]

Sarah should walk on, throw a huge cream pie at him, tell him off and then walk off stage.

[bustinchops]

Yeah, or send him on the Iditarod with a dash cam trained on his sniveling face. When he steps off 500 miles later, be sure to train the camera on the seat of his pants closely so that the photos contain ALL of the brown stains seeping through.

[bustinchops]

You can’t be serious. What scumbag in essence said is, “Oh, I didn’t mean to insult one child; I meant the other child.”

Besides, it’s a lie. Bristol didn’t go to NY; Willow did and she is the one who attended the Yankees game.

Effing scumbucket liar.

[LibLieSlayer]

I pray that obamanomics puts old dave the fag out of work and I hope he loses everything that he ever earned... or more than likely stole.

LLS

[EngineDad]

I’m old school. A comment like that about my wife or daughter would send me crazy. I’d be meeting Letterman outside the studio doors and beat the crap out of him. I know Todd Palin can’t do that due to circumstances, but that is exactly what Letterman deserves - a good old fashion a$$ whooping. Politics and comedy (if you call it that) are no excuse to to allow common decency to be thrown to the gutter.

Actually, my wife would probably beat me to it and wipe the street with that girly man herself.

[chainsaw]

Letterman must know. He is the father of an illegitimate child himself. He has a lot of guts talking about anyone else’s indiscretions.

[PLD]

To bad this isn't a great country any more with all the trash that has come up from the garbage dumps pretending to be funny..

I don't know anything he said about Satomayor, because I never watch his stupid show..I never thought this old nut was funny..The Palins should sue him and his network for slandering their daughters..Disgusting pigs the lot of them..

[ConservativeMind]

For David Letterman, this is the most backtracking he's ever done in public, especially on his show.

As Christians, we would not accept what he has said or done as sufficient; however, for the (non-)man he is, this is it.

As for intending to use an 18-year-old as the recipient of such a joke (I'll grant his writers leeway on which daughter because they didn't mention the daughter by name (as they have in the past) and I thought it was Bristol with Sarah, as well), it was definitely wrong, but public figures and their families have to deal with this.

It doesn't mean we have to watch or support the advertisers of such a show. I haven't been able to stand a complete show of his for over a decade for his liberal bent, alone.

[GOPJ]

LOL

[Do Not Make Fun Of His Ears]

thanks for the email addresses.

Sent this:

“Hey all,

Since when is it funny to take about young women getting raped? It’s just sick.

Dave has really lost it.

I remember when he used to be SOOO funny. He was my hero, and I would record the show every single night.

But he just seems like he’s bitter, angry, and now...yuck.

Thanks,

(me)”

[Caipirabob]

Since “Rapejoke” Letterman is only endurable by the frontal lobotomy crowd, I'm amazed that so many people heard about this!

[NewLand]

You should have avoided making that statement. But since you did make it, I think you are being viewed as 'apologizing' for Letterman. I would agree with that. It appears you have let your past (or present) bias towards liking his "humor" cloud your judgment in this obvious attack.

My recommendation is that you apologize to your fellow FReepers and The Palin's, then exit the discussion.