N.O.W. takes Letterman to the woodshed

[masuki bance]

Letterman "Jokes" About Palin's Daughter

Offender: David Letterman on "Late Show with David Letterman"

Media Outlet: CBS, aired 6/8/09

The Offense: Late night TV host David Letterman "joked" that during their recent trip to New York, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's daughter "was knocked up by Alex Rodriguez" during a Yankees baseball game. The next night Letterman said that the hardest part of Palin's trip was "keeping Eliot Spitzer away from her daughter."

NOW Analysis: After two nights of "jokes" at the expense of Palin and her family, Letterman tried to explain himself and offer something of an apology. On his June 10 show, Letterman said he was referring to Palin's 18-year-old daughter, Bristol -- not the 14-year-old daughter who actually accompanied Palin on her New York trip. Letterman said "I recognize that these are ugly" jokes. NOW agrees. Comedians in search of a laugh should really know better than to snicker about men having sex with teenage girls (or young women) less than half their age.

The sexualization of girls and women in the media is reaching new lows these days -- it is exploitative and has a negative effect on how all women and girls are perceived and how they view themselves. Letterman also joked about what he called Palin's "slutty flight attendant look" -- yet another example of how the media love to focus on a woman politician's appearance, especially as it relates to her sexual appeal to men. Someone of Letterman's stature, who appears on what used to be known as "the Tiffany Network" (CBS), should be above wallowing in the juvenile, sexist mud that other comedians and broadcasters seem to prefer.

On that point, it's important to note that when Chelsea Clinton was 13 years old she was the target of numerous insults based on her appearance. Rush Limbaugh even referred to her as the "White House dog." NOW hopes that all the conservatives who are fired up about sexism in the media lately will join us in calling out sexism when it is directed at women who aren't professed conservatives.

Take Action: Write to CBS and tell them what you think.

Lisa Bennett, NOW Communications Director, June 11, 2009

http://www.now.org/issues/media/hall-of-shame/

[MadBadger]

1. What does the Barrymore (edit: actually Courtney Love) picture have to do with anything?

[masuki bance]

6. ...

Appearing on the David Letterman show on Wednesday, December 17, Jennifer Aniston gifted him the tie she wore for the GQ magazine current issue cover shoot. In the photo Letterman is seen embarrassing Jennifer Aniston with her nude GQ photo. Photo Credit: Video Grab

[MadBadger]

13. You didnt answer my question....What does the barrymore thing have to do with anything?

Stop evading.

[masuki bance]

15. ...

David Letterman left Paris Hilton near tears during the heiress’ appearance on ‘The Late Show with David Letterman’ on Friday night. The former ‘Century Regional Correctional Facility’ inmate has vowed to never return to the Big Apple’s late night staple.

An audience member shouted, “I love you Paris!”

Letterman said, “Is that somebody you met in prison?”

The crowd went wild with laughter and applause.

Paris replied with a pout on her face and nearly a tear in her eye, “I didn’t come here to talk about this. That was a long time ago...

[MadBadger]

16. STill didnt answer the question, and this time you evaded with something that wasnt "sexism."

[ClusterFreak]

19. That wasn't Barrymore, btw...it was Courtney Love. n/t

[MadBadger]

21. lol, I knew Drew didnt look that run down

[masuki bance]

35. Wow. Just wow.

Her body not up to snuff for you?

[MadBadger]

37. Its fuckin Courtney Love. She's a mess.

[OneGrassRoot]

138. I thought it was Garth. Geesh. n/t

[MADem]

70. That woman on the desk, whoever she is, is trim of figure.

She's also bruised and appears unwashed. She looks PATHETIC.

I don't see that photo as "sexy" in any way, though apparently, that's what the woman was going for--is she taking off her top, or what? She should take out her checkbook, and write a check for her rehab visit.

[CreekDog]

64. You've made Paris Hilton a sympathetic character

:eyes:

[Princess Turandot]

116. This was from last week?..

Pouty? Teary? (She has a 'little girl' sort of affect all of the time, which I guess one could confuse with being pouty if one was determined to do so.) Most of the time, he was busting her chops about her self-described 'love of her life' who was waiting for her in the Green Room, since he wasn't the same guy who she described to him the same way just a few months back. The guy was laughing when they showed him on camera and she certainly didn't look upset. The rest of the time she was talking how her last 'BBF' from some reality show she does turned out to be an opportunist.

I think I've seen Paris on Letterman's show more than just about any other individual. Most memorable was the episode when she told him that she and he had something in common in that both were dissed by McCain. 'Well, I was already planning to vote for Barack Obama anyway,' said she.'

[gmudem]

163. Paris Hilton?

Paris Hilton deserves to be treated like that. Just because she's not used to it doesn't mean Dave shouldn't have done it, she does not live in reality.

And on Jennifer Aniston, that picture was all over the place when it came out so I don't see how he was "embarassing" her. It was a publicity stunt for Aniston and that's really the only reason she was on the show most likely.

[mitchum]

20. Wow, Letterman forced her to take those phtographs? Who knew?

An evil man

[CreekDog]

66. Letterman's not allowed to poke fun at nearly nude photos actresses have taken

everything else is on the table though. :eyes:

[Blue_Tires]

134. how exactly did Letterman embarrass Aniston?

i didn't watch that show

[mkultra]

145. by showing the partially nude photo that is in the magazine.

[Blue_Tires]

154. ????

i don't get it...all Dave was showing was a photo that at the time was in every bookstore, supermarket and newspaper stand, right??

unless it was a stolen or super-secret, private, never-intended-for-publication photo, then I don't understand the gripe...

[mkultra]

157. they are just grinding an axe

[mkultra]

144. God Aniston is hot.

[marshall]

124. I guess it highlights the sexualization of women

Letterman leers on as Courtney Love does her lap dance. The only thing missing is a pole.

[tblue37]

168. Um, do they use poles for lap dances? Wouldn't that hurt? nt

[hlthe2b]

2. NOW has stood silent or enabled anti-choice candidates to be

elected.... Where have they been on these issues, rather than some high profile stupid stunt joke which Letterman has already apologized for? This progressive woman, at least, thinks NOW has lost their high ground and ought to spend some time/money supporting critically important issues affecting women.

[proud2BlibKansan]

31. They most certainly have not stood silent

or enabled any anti-choice candidates to be elected.

Where are you getting your information?

I am a member of NOW and can assure you they still promote pro-choice candidates and are far from silent.

[hlthe2b]

119. Remember their support of Lieberman in CT over Lamont

despite (remember this?):

Lieberman said he believes hospitals that refuse to give contraceptives to rape victims for "principled reasons" shouldn't be forced to do so.

"In Connecticut, it shouldn't take more than a short ride to get to another hospital," he said.

--------------------


There were several examples of NOW supporting DEM candidates that were minimally supportive of women's issues or in some cases overtly ANTI-choice.. While Lieberman supposedly remains pro-choice :eyes:, this example came readily to mind... I can't remember the others without researching which I don't have time before work to do.

Sorry to say this, proud2BlibKansan.... I've worked with planned parenthood and supported our own Colorado version of Dr. Tiller and the women's clinic in Boulder for years. It saddens me to say that on a national level, NOW has NOT always been our best advocate. Perhaps there is a "bigger objective" in what appears to be opportunistic moves to support some of these candidates, but to me, it is simply disheartening.

[proud2BlibKansan]

120. It's Tiller, not Tilley

NOW is admittedly not as strong as it used to be. But I have no complaints about them here.

[hlthe2b]

121. Yes... sorry... lots of typos in that post that I didn't catch.

and I do really love your sigline in memory to Tiller.

[Captain Hilts]

132. And the Clintons. And Obama's. nt

[MADem]

73. I have to concur with your analysis. And NOW missed the real point, which could

be summed up by saying to the Palins: "It's the HYPOCRISY, stupid!"

[Reterr]

101. Thank you-I agree.eom

[Name removed]

3. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

25. Probably one of the most disgustingly sexist posts I've seen on DU.

Congrats.

:puke:

[emilyg]

42. I agree.

[Reterr]

102. I am SO stunned that all the blatant PUMAs and secret Palin supporters on this site agree

:eyes:
FTR I have lots of problems with Obama and his admin. He seems like Repuke-Lite often to me. But, I pick him over disgusting disasters like Palin, even though she has a vagina and as a woman I should be crudely following identity politics to the extent that I should support a female, any female, right emilyg?

FUCK SARAH PALIN.

[marshall]

126. it's not about Palin

It's about women as a group--N.O.W.

[emilyg]

160. Too bad you can't see

this has nothing to do with Palin.

[jobycom]

56. Yeah, and alerting hasn't had much effect, either. nt

[DURHAM D]

65. Yep - DU is a boy's club.

Has been for some time.

[jobycom]

80. A lot of us boys don't like it, either.

We saw it during the primary, and during the general, and it's still here. DU is blind when it comes to sexism. Make racist jokes and you're rightfully banned. Make sexist jokes of the worst kind and it's all in good fun.

Did you see the tampon joke down below? It's a riot.

[Reterr]

106. Except the message is deleted

Oh it wasn't deleted the second you alerted? Wow! The mods have actual lives?
Don't let that get in the way of you faux outrage over just about every fucking thing in the world. :eyes:

[LostinVA]

128. Being against sexism isn't "faux outrage"

[LostinVA]

127. Missed this -- thanks for alerting

[CreekDog]

67. And it's still here

:wtf: :eyes:

[jobycom]

90. Calling Sarah Palin a slut is not the same as calling other women sluts, I guess.

It's been a disappointing night. I think I'm going to bed, or at least to another site for a while.

[CreekDog]

91. not quite as upset that she gets called nasty things

when you consider what she's been dishing out for the past year or so.

[zulchzulu]

139. My apologies to all...

My post was offensive. I apologize.

However, NOW is doing Sarah Palin's work as an absolute disaster for women's rights. Remember that Palin doesn't think women have a right to choose on reproductive choices, including rape, incest and last I checked, even life of the mother. That's some serious, fucked up shit.

For NOW to give Palin ANY publicity is STUPID media relations. They could have sent Letterman a letter of reprimand and have discussed the jokes with him. But no... they had to broadcast their message out and give the Palin family something to nibble on.

That's apparently not as stupid as Letterman's oafish jokes. To some anyway...

[Kaleva]

26. NOW is not defending Sarah Palin

They are getting on Letterman's case for making sexual jokes about her 14 year old daughter Willow. Letterman later did explain that he was talking about Bristol even though it was Willow who actually was with her mother Sarah in New York.

[MadBadger]

78. They released the press release after Letterman clarified his comments

So how exactly are they getting on his case for making a sexual joke about a 14 year old?

[Kaleva]

85. From the article

"NOW Analysis: After two nights of "jokes" at the expense of Palin and her family, Letterman tried to explain himself and offer something of an apology. On his June 10 show, Letterman said he was referring to Palin's 18-year-old daughter, Bristol -- not the 14-year-old daughter who actually accompanied Palin on her New York trip. Letterman said "I recognize that these are ugly" jokes. NOW agrees."

I stand corrected though on the timeline of events and thank you for pointing out my error.

[Beacool]

51. Wow, just wow............

What the HELL is your problem????????

I assume that all women who have more than one man in their lives are whores in your book.......

You definitely have some issues with women that you need to deal with before you stand in judgment of Palin and her teenage daughter.

:wow:

[tularetom]

4. Palin, not Letterman, deserves the scorn of NOW

She's the one who paraded her pregnant daughter in front of the entire country for 6 months.

She's the one who spent the entire campaign dressed in short skirts and "F___ Me" shoes.

Her entire persona could not be anymore at odds with the goals of NOW.

She ain't worthy of their defense.

[Better Believe It]

8. I agree. NOW has been missing in action on the real issues.

[Tumbulu]

10. Boy do I ever agree with you

I want these sorts of women to be ridiculed. I hate them and I am not alone. In my precinct we had 5 middle aged women like myself who have never volunteered before volunteer ONLY because they hated how Palin was selling sex. They sell themselves on their sex and then cry foul when sex is brought up?

[merh]

50. welcome to DU

thank you for volunteering and thank you for your post.

[Cleita]

12. Even stiff lipped Margaret Carlson said the same.

She said once the girl and her boyfriend were politicized and paraded before the country as the Charles and Diana of the Klondike she was fair game.

[Reterr]

103. Yup

I love the strategy of both using your "feminity and womanhood" the way Palin does and the crying foul and whining about sexism about every joke made about her.
FUCK SARAH PALIN and all the morons who get on that nazi's pity train.

[Kaleva]

95. Sarah Palin wears "F*ck Me" shoes?

Do women who wear such shoes place themselves in danger because even though they may say "No!", the "F*ck Me" shoes say otherwise?

[olkaz]

125. It appears dramaqueenery has become high fashion on DU yet again.

Or maybe I haven't been paying attention?

[Blue_In_AK]

109. I agree with you, Tom...

I don't see any of this as sexist at all. Sarah has made herself ripe for ridicule, and in this case is following her usual MO to the T. Nothing is ever her fault, she is always the victim, and you'd better watch your back if you cross her. Any normal politician would have shrugged this off, even if they had been privately pissed off about it. She seems to love these public fights -- she's got battles going on with several people here, bloggers, other politicians, and she is vicious.

[Orsino]

122. Both of them do.

Letterman made a few jokes. Palin has based her entire political career on being pretty, having absolutely nothing else to offer. Her ludicrous flailing-about has set back the cause of civil rights a few years.

[liquid diamond]

171. I'm not sticking up for Palin, but I'm curious to know why most people here would

defend a woman wearing provocative clothing unless it's Palin. Why the hypocrisy? Can you explain?

[Name removed]

5. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Liquorice]

18. Yuck. Just yuck. nt

[jobycom]

60. Oh I get it now. Tampons. Because women with opinions must be on their periods

and that makes them have no sense of humor. That's pretty funny. You missed the chance to ask NOW whether it was their time of the month, and probably a bunch of PMS jokes, too, but no one can be perfect.

[DrToast]

7. Is NOW going to defend Alex Rodriguez?

If not, isn't that sexist?

[mkultra]

146. NOW only protects women, becuase its only sexism when its about a woman.

when its about a man its just karma.

[flvegan]

9. Oh for chrissakes.

:eyes:

[Doctor_J]

11. Did they complain when Sarah used Bristol & her bastard as a campaign prop?

That was sexualization of a young girl

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

27. "and her bastard"

Seriously. :wtf:

You should delete that filth while you can.

[Gormy Cuss]

30. Her "bastard?" Join the 21st century please.

That term is so 17th century.

[chicago legal pro]

39. "bastard" WTF?

I hope you are only on a progressive site as a joke.

[Name removed]

44. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[fishwax]

55. wow.

:puke:

[CreekDog]

69. Oh that's horrible!

Now how do you feel about people who refer to human beings as "bastards"? :eyes:

[Arkansas Granny]

129. In my life, I've met a lot of bastard fathers, but never a bastard baby.

You are the first person I've seen or heard in years who has applied that term to a child. Congrats.

[mkultra]

147. well, the word does mean a child born out of wedlock

It not really fit for public consumption though.

[Drunken Irishman]

14. Maybe all groups out there should make a list of what type of jokes are offensive.

And we can just kill comedy officially. :eyes:

[chicago legal pro]

41. I'll bet you really yuk it up with the N word jokes

[Drunken Irishman]

58. Oh yes, because this is soo comparable.

[chicago legal pro]

71. Sexism is as disgusting and oppressive as racism.

[EFerrari]

114. Get a life. Letterman's two lines were very mild

compared to the horrible example that Palin person sets for young women every time she opens her mouth.

Don't trivialize the real problem of sexism with this bullshit.

[Captain Hilts]

133. No, it's not. Sexism is okay. nt

[AtomicKitten]

17. FFS.

Ms. Frozen Tundra and Todd should have thought long and hard about the repercussions of putting their children up on the national stage.

Offering up their unwed teenage daughter who just delivered her first child as spokesperson for abstinence doesn't lend itself to propriety with a straight face in response.

Dave Letterman admitted his joke was tasteless and apologized. Enough.

[Norrin Radd]

24. Yeah, that's the kicker. The republicans never, NEVER, apologize

for anything, and they are unwilling to ever accept an apology.

[AtomicKitten]

33. Nor do they resign when they're arrested soliciting strange in airport bathrooms.

Strange parallel universe we live in.

[Luminous Animal]

92. Strange? WTF!

[AtomicKitten]

123. Seriously?

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=strange

[mkultra]

149. do you live in a bubble?

[The Wizard]

118. Not only do they not apologize

They make excuses for right wing terrorists or remain silent when they get caught molesting young boys.

[jobycom]

22. I'm having trouble recognizing the website here from some of these responses...

Attacking NOW, supporting sexist jokes aimed at teens (18 or 14), calling children bastards, calling women sluts.

You guys are on the wrong site. You either wandered out of Free Republic or Pricksareus.com. Do you believe in anything, or is it really all just about Party to you? I mean, when McCain's joke about Chelsea Clinton was reported, the outrage was unanimous. When Chris Matthews said that Hillary was only a candidate because her husband cheated on her, most people here were furious.

But because it's Sarah Palin, ideology goes out the window?

What the Hell's the point of DU anymore?

[masuki bance]

23. The bastard one blows my mind. nt

[auntAgonist]

28. +1 and then some.

:thumbsup: jobycom.


aA

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

29. +1

[MadBadger]

34. Who made a joke about a 14 year old?

[jobycom]

36. What?

:shrug:

[MadBadger]

40. "Supporting Sexist jokes aimed at teens (18 or 14)"

Who told a joke about a 14 year old?

[jobycom]

45. Are you deliberately misreading that? And what do you think of "slut," "bastard," and the other crap

in this thread?

Reread the OP. There's a debate over whether Letterman meant the 14 year old or the 18 year old daughter.

[MadBadger]

48. There is no debate. Only people who dislike Letterman think he was talking about the 14 year old.

And I find the bastard and slut talk to be in bad taste.

[jobycom]

54. Well, I agree on both points. Why not put your objection to the offensive slurs in the subject

instead of the body of the message? That would seem to be the bigger issue here.

And I got into a good fight here yesterday arguing that Letterman was referring to the 18 year old. Either way, the joke was tasteless, and his Eliot Spitzer joke the next night was infinitely more tasteless. And I argued that Palin was the one who dragged her 14 year old into the argument, and her husband even introduced rape to the subject, and I blamed them both for using their 14 year old to fake outrage and to get their names in the headlines again.

But none of that changes the fact that the responses in this thread are sickening.

And none of it changes that Letterman was in poor taste, whether he meant the 14 or the 18 year old. Why people are criticizing NOW for pointing this out is beyond me.

[MadBadger]

62. My issue with NOW is the timing of their news release

It happened 2-3 days ago and they are out with their release earlier today? I think by this point it was time to get passed the story, not keep bringing it up.


Letterman himself admitted on his show June 10th that his jokes were in poor taste

[jobycom]

75. So they should have waited until 2011?

Read their statement, it isn't just about Letterman. It's pointing out a trend that's been increasingly obvious in mainstream entertainment for a while now. Imus, Matthews, O'Reilly, the whole primaries, etc. Both parties are guilty. Now's a perfect time to point it out, when there is a clear example to point to.

Read the headlines. How many missing "coeds" do you see? Missing or dead wives and girlfriends? Rape victims, murder victims, abuse victims. You've got thugs like James Dobson claiming women should obey their husbands, and you've got husbands beating women to death for not obeying them. We find dead women in fields and ditches, raped and tossed like used up fast food wrappers.

Sexism isn't a serious issue? Objectification of women as sex toys and sex jokes isn't a problem? We don't need to be talking about this every chance we get?

DU has rightfully been all over the murder of abortion doctors, the anti-semitic violence against museums and mosques, the slightest hint of a racial slur from conservative commentators. But when it comes to sexism, DU may as well be Free Republic.

[MadBadger]

77. If they wanted to make a press reelease, they should have done it earlier IMO

Oh, and the response here to NOW, while probably over the top has a lot to do probably with Marcia Papas and her ridiculous attacks on Teddy Kennedy among others during the primaries.

[jobycom]

86. They did it the day after Letterman explained his comments. Should they have jumped the gun?

He apologized last night, they put out their statement today acknowledging his apology. I don't have a problem with their timing. If this were a defense of the Obama kids against Rush Limbaugh, we'd be praising the timing.

[DURHAM D]

96. Agree with you - especially your last sentence.

The really nasty sexism began here soon after Hillary entered the Presidential primary.


That is why, after several years of donating to DU, I no longer care to have a star.

[emilyg]

47. Those are the gentler, kinder Democrats

:puke:

[Name removed]

104. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Kaleva]

52. It's a double standard for sure.

And some people's true colors are really showing thru. A visitor stumbling upon this thread may leave thinking DU is infested with women haters.

[Beacool]

57. You said a mouthful.

It just demonstrates once again the hypocrisy of the left. I saw it during the primaries and doubly saw it during the GE.

Sexism and misogyny should never be acceptable, no matter who is the target.

I'm done with this board for the night. I feel like taking a shower.

x(

[gauguin57]

32. Hey, N.O.W.! Here's Sarah (Heath) Palin flaunting her flesh in the Miss Alaska pageant.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSdFIDygFwM

What more can one say?

[AtomicKitten]

38. An interesting juxtaposition of stories. n/t

[Hanse]

43. Is NOW trying to run its reputation into the ground?

Between this and accusing Obama and Edwards of gang raping Hillary Clinton, I really have to wonder.

[Beacool]

46. Hallelujah!!!!!!!!!!!!

Finally, NOW speaks!!!!!!!

I was in the minority over here pointing out how wrong Letterman's jokes were and how the fact that they were directed at Palin was no excuse. Double ditto when her young daughter was the butt of one of his sexist jokes.

Thank you NOW!!!

:applause:

[fujiyama]

49. I personally think this whole thing is ridiculous

but here's what it comes down to:

Sarah is a grownup and can handle herself, which is why I thought there was absolutely nothing wrong with the "slutty flight attendant look" joke. I actually found that one kind of funny and true in a sense (winking at the audience, omg the starbursts!).

But the one against her daughter was in poor taste. Sure he meant eighteen year old Bristol and I assumed as much (though it really doesn't make it THAT much better, though Bristol is an adult has recently made herself a public figure), but comedians have to check beforehand about who they are joking about. Anytime you make a joke about a minor (or even which can be interpreted as a joke about a minor), it's bound to backfire.

Personally, I just wish Sarah Palin would disappear. BTW, isn't she a governor? And isn't the country in a financial crisis? Is her state doing so well that she can prance on over to NYC to catch a baseball game with a daughter of her's? What an awful woman.

[Blue_In_AK]

110. In answer to your last paragraph....

Yes, yes, no (although she's such an airhead, it really doesn't matter whether she's here or not), and I agree wholeheartedly.

[JamesA1102]

53. I wonder if NOW had a problem with Rich Lowery's column

after the first debate.

[Reterr]

100. I certainly didn't hear them if they did

Or anything about Palin at all. Palin's joke of a candidacy was way more anti-woman than any Letterman joke ever :eyes:.

[dkf]

59. Putting your daughter out there to talk about her sex life or lack of one

isn't the way to keep her de-sexualized.

If you had some girl up on TV talking about how she is a virgin, you are specifically telling everyone the details of that persons sex life, i.e. do they or don't they. And you know many men are one track minded and their hormones will lead them to all that virgin fantasy.

Geez.

[masuki bance]

61. She's asking for it?

[dkf]

63. In a way...yes. Putting her out there to talk about her past sex life

isn't a good idea.

[masuki bance]

74. I think I am starting to understand. Men can't control themselves

so girls and women need to be very careful. Kind of like wearing a hijab and an abaya, modesty is the goal.

If you wear a simsuit you are just asking for trouble.

[dkf]

81. No, but when you focus attention on sex then people think about sex.

Which doesn't mean that anyone thinks rape is ok, but you can't stop people's thoughts.

[masuki bance]

83. ...

/seriously wtf?

[mkultra]

150. your post is sexist

[masuki bance]

153. your sarcasm meter is busted. nt

[mkultra]

156. i dont have a meter, im all digital.

but you should consider being slightly more cautious. Men and women share the responsibility of creating a sexist free world.

[masuki bance]

158. shoo.

[mkultra]

159. read book for god sake

do something to help that head.

[mkultra]

155. .

[Mojambo]

68. Ugly jokes are funny too.

Those jokes were funny.

[Teaser]

131. ugly doesn't have a lobby

.

[wisteria]

72. Letterman has always been known for being biting and insulting-not just to women.

He is an equal opportunity exploiter and insulter. Palin is no feminist and actually, as a former member of NOW, I resent the organization getting in the middle of this situation and defending this woman who has exploited her daughters and her Down Syndrome son. There are so many other more important issues and situations affecting women's lives and to get outraged about, other than a comedian making a joke that was in poor taste. NOW needs to get their priorities straight.

[CreekDog]

76. Spitzer joke not bad

A-Rod joke, tacky, not funny (please check with the Pope if this constituted a mortal sin) :eyes:

Joke #3 well...:hide:

I can't think of any incident with Letterman where this has come up before.

[CreekDog]

79. Am I wrong in thinking the Elliot Spitzer joke was actually about Spitzer?

:shrug:

[mkultra]

151. that was about willow as well.

[CreekDog]

82. this was totally unfair to Palin

why it was almost as bad as inciting people to say "Kill Him" at rallies and saying he was "Pallin around with terrorists".

i'm very sorry her feelings were hurt. couldn't have happened to a nicer person. :eyes:

[Political Tiger]

84. When thinking of female role models

for some reason Sarah Palin never pops in my head......:shrug:

[jobycom]

89. Why not?

She's a successful woman in a man's field. She is one vision of feminism, and an avenue to promote gender equality in a party that has fought it tooth and nail. Her image demonstrates that "feminism" and success for women in male-dominated fields don't have to follow the stereotypes the conservatives draw up as criticisms, but can take many paths and have many images, including images that aren't afraid to portray sexuality. Those are virtues that many can look up to.

Of course, there are negatives involving Palin, too, and as a candidate those negatives far outweigh the positives. And some of her negatives are at odds with what she's accomplished in life. But my daughters can look to Palin and realize that feminism reaches beyond a particular party or image of the feminine, and that despite the fact that Palin's own ideology has retarded the progress that Palin now represents, ultimately the ideal reaches further than those who oppose it.

She's not my favorite role model, but for a young girl growing up in a conservative household, maybe Sarah Palin shows her that she has more than one option. The goal of equality is to reach beyond those who embrace the goal, and include even those who fight against it.

[Political Tiger]

94. I don't think any woman (or man) who uses their children

to score political points should be considered a role model.

After all, if not for Sarah Palin making this a big political controversy by releasing a press statement, then having her husband release one...and then having her spokesperson release one....the vast majority of Americans would have never known about this imagined "attack" on her daughter.

Palin knows damn well Letterman was joking about her 18 year old daughter who did, after all, get "knocked up," and not the 14 year old as Palin is claiming. Knowing this, Palin thrusts her 14 year old daughter into the national spotlight in order to get attention. Was Letterman's joke tasteless? Sure. But it was a tasteless joke about an 18 year old. Palin, knowing she can get more sympathy and mileage out of the joke by spinning it to her advantage, plays the victim card by pretending it was about her 14 year old. That's not only disingenuous, it's disgusting!

A good mother, a "role model," would have let this go instead of jumping on it, making her 14 year daughter the center of attention, and trying to score political points.

[Blue_In_AK]

111. I understand what you're saying, Jobycom,

but Sarah Palin is in no way a good role model. She is a narcissist to the core -- textbook, really -- and has only gotten to where she is today through manipulation and guile. Good Christian families should not want their daughters emulating this person. Trust me.

[bluestateguy]

87. Gov. Palin is fair game. The daughters are not.

nt

[Reterr]

105. Then maybe she shouldn't trot/whore her entire family on the campaingn trail

The fruits that Jeebus offered up?
Oh its ok so long as people give her votes because of that "lovely family" but if a comedian makes jokes...OH NOES!!!! Hell froze over...
Letterman is a comedian...he will go after whatever...

People need to get the fuck over it.

[bluestateguy]

107. Do you really want to go down that path?

Obama brought Sasha and Malia out for selected campaign appearances. Would wisecracks about them be acceptable? I think that there would be blood-curdling rage here if Rush Limbaugh went after the Obama girls.

There is plenty to mock and criticize about Sarah Palin and her husband. Stick with them. If her adult children were to get more directly into the political arena, then that would be different.

[EFerrari]

115. LOL. Her fake engaged pregnant adult daughter that she put out

to advocate for ABSTINENCE?

Jesus on a trailer hitch. If I were still writing jokes, that would be my third quarter right there.

lol

[MiniMe]

108. +1

Even if the joke had been about Bristol who at least is 18, it was in poor taste. Unfortunately for Letterman's writers, it was Willow who accompanied Caribou Barbie and the first dude to NY, not Bristol.

I still think it is a losing proposition to pick a fight with a comedian, but that joke was definitely over the line.

[rvablue]

143. Why isn't Bristol fair game?

She has put herself on the cover of People, on "news" shows, and has accepted a spokesperson job with Candies shoes to promote abstinence -- after she had a baby at 17 out of wedlock.

That is pure, unadultered hypocrisy that she is also making coin off of.

If Bristol Palin doesn't want people discussing or criticizing her then she has every freedom to leave the public stage.

Until she does, everything she says and does is open for scrutiny. Sorry!

[masuki bance]

148. ...

"Let me be as clear as possible," Obama said. "I think people's families are off-limits, and people's children are especially off-limits. This shouldn't be part of our politics. It has no relevance to Gov. Palin's performance as governor or her potential performance as a vice president."

Obama said reporters should "back off these kinds of stories" and noted that he was born to an 18-year-old mother.

"How a family deals with issues and teenage children, that shouldn't be the topic of our politics, and I hope that anybody who is supporting me understands that's off-limits."

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/09/01/obama.palin/index.html

[CreekDog]

88. I guess you think "Woodshed" jokes are funny (i.e. child abuse)

good job. :eyes:

[nomorenomore08]

93. Just goes to illustrate the subjectivity of "offensiveness," doesn't it?

But this thread is out of control. I'm stepping back now... :yoiks:

[TheKentuckian]

97. Letterman did what I did and mistaked one girl for the other

Bristol, to my mind is fair game as much as Liz Cheney. She's an adult woman with a child who goes on bullshit abstinence tours and gets her mug front and center whenever possible. The comparisons to Chelsea and the Obama girls is fucktarded. Try Megan McCain or Ron Reagan (poor souls, for different reasons). Grown folks that are in the mix deserve nor need the concern. Fucking Bristol is racking up. Poor baby. She'll make more than me and do a shitload less, I'll wager.

As for the shots, I could give a fuck to be brutally honest. You get hit where you get hit. It is either close to the bone or bullshit.
Letterman's intent was not to debase women, make women property, reduce the rights of women, to lessen the value of women, or in any way make women second class citizens. That's what sexism is. Letterman did nothing beyond making an ill targeted parlor joke.

Equality does not mean deference ladies and I've heard many an off color statement that could only be said about a male from both genders. Inherently, language and descriptors will often divide along those lines, there are two-male and female. At a certain point it is acknowledgment of reality. There is no point in pretending people are neuter. A woman can, pound for pound, do anything a guy can do and a thing or two we can't. Women can be excellent leaders, brilliant, and strong. The last time I was in position to hand pick a right hand man, I took a woman. My best bosses have been women.

But...

The genders aren't the same, just equal. The descriptions and therefore the insults will vary. Some women it seems don't want to be treated equally because they wouldn't know it if they were if, it bit them on the ass. Men don't treat each other with much respect either. Many a son of bitch, bastards, motherfuckers, assholes, and cocksuckers are beloved. Of course dicks aren't generally well liked but of course neither are cunts. On rare occasions I've heard the genders flip/flopped on those but it seems one has to go pretty far beyond the pale to deserve all that, making the speaker so flummoxed that they just are just throwing profanity against the wall and seeing what sticks.

Personally, I'd be worried about that income gap and the needledicks that too many choose that leave women high and dry with children they helped create but yall can try to police language if you like.

I do feel the frustration on the promiscuity double standard. It is fucking beyond stupid and pretty damned primitive, in my opinion.
I think that is an ownership of sexuality and self determination issue. However, you won't eradicate "slut" but it is already becoming more evenly applied. The attaboy attitude for the manwhore is diminishing, I believe. At my old job our 17 year old intern didn't want a girl he was interested in to think he was a slut, I think younger people are less caught up in the mentality that is the real problem.
I think "getting around" is slowly being replaced at present with a 'they nasty' vibe either way, which I don't think is quite right either. People ought to be able to do as they please between consenting sentients. If I wasn't there or in a commitment with someone there, then it isn't any of my bee's wax.

I've also thought the whole thing was just dumb aside from the wrong factor. If it is somewhere between accepted and awesome for a guy to have a lot of women it would seem important to the formula for there to be some interested women.

[Jennicut]

112. Bristol IS an adult, at 18.

I am torn with this whole thing.
I have loved Letterman for years but as the Mom of two girls would I want them made fun of because of a mistake they made? Letterman should not have gone here. However, if he apologized, its time for the Palins to move on. Sarah and Todd seem to just want to milk it for sympathy when they are such unsympathetic people and seem like pretty poor parents.

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

98. NOW should be issuing press releases daily for Limbaugh, Savage, Levin etc

Why pile on Dave when the rightwing pumps up a controversy?

[Reterr]

99. NOW needs to get something actually important to do something about

Dr.Tiller's clinic is closing. Abortion rights are under attack and they get their panties in a wad over some comedian's jokes? Ok..:eyes:

Oh NOES!!!! I said panties in a wad!!!! I am sexist! Idiots....
This is the stupidest kind of "feminism", the most BRAINDEAD kind I can think of. Palin is the truly anti-woman person between Palin and Letterman. But because she has a vagina we are supposed to get on her faux outrage train? I am a woman and a feminist and I call BULLSHIT on this nonsense.

NOW could use a sense of humor and or a brain.

[EFerrari]

113. LOL

That's funny.

[ErinBerin84]

117. is this really helping Palin's daughters?

I hope that they aren't embarrassed by all of this attention. Yes I know that Bristol has been on People, etc, but this whole thing would be embarrassing to me. Anyway, I could see Palin's point in criticizing Dave for the joke, but at the same time, the way she is continuing to react is not really doing a service to her daughters' privacy IMO. She should have gone on Dave and given him a hard time about it, this has just morphed into a circus act and made her outrage seem disengenuous.

[MadBadger]

130. Today Sarah Palin said that we would be naive to think Dave was talking about Bristol

I hope she burns in hell.

[Phx_Dem]

135. NOW is a pain in the ass and always has been.

Adult females are not exempt from a comedian's barbs, nor should they be.

[Phx_Dem]

136. NOW is a pain in the ass and always has been.

Adult females are not exempt from a comedian's barbs, nor should they be.

[BeyondGeography]

137. NOW hopes that monkeys will fly out of their butts

"NOW hopes that all the conservatives who are fired up about sexism in the media lately will join us..."

[jenmito]

140. "Jokes" shouldn't be in quotes. They're JOKES and everyone should let Letterman do what he does...

and he did NOT condone rape of ANYONE. And HE did not sexualize Palin's daughter-Palin's daughter did-and she's gone on every show and magazine holding her baby while talking about sex. Palin should worry about her own family and groups like NOW should stop taking harmless jokes so seriously.

[TZ]

141. I'm sure everyone would be laughing

so hard if this was a joke about a democratic daughter. You ask me, its a double standard..sexist jokes about Repukes okay..sexist jokes about Democratic women..not okay.

[jenmito]

142. If there was a Dem. who was vociferously against sex before marrige and

then their daughter got pregnant out of wedlock and then that daughter went around holding her baby while preaching abstinence, yes. Dave is a late night comedian and he has made jokes-not "jokes"-about just about every public figure.

[mkultra]

152. jokes about republicans ok, Jokes about democrats..not

Does that help clear it up.

[JimGinPA]

161. I'd Love To See One Post By This OP NOT Complaining About A Progressive, Liberal Or A Democrat

:eyes:

[masuki bance]

162. This is not a complaint against N.O.W.

[musette_sf]

164. thank you for that info

i was wondering

[ChiciB1]

165. What Can One Say??? America Has Become A Country That Can No

longer say ANYTHING about ANYTHING without argument and confrontation!

Ummmmm, Is ROME burning, and who is the FIDDLER??? Methinks the ENEMY is US!!! We keep sliding further and further down some rat's hole and I wonder when we will hit bottom! I could go on, but my point has been made, more evidence isn't really needed.

[Bucky]

166. Bravo, NOW! This isn't about Palin, it's about belittling a teenage girl by a pregnancy joke

And damn Letterman for making me take Palin's side in a culture argument.

[jenmito]

167. An 18 year old who parades her child around cameras while being a vocal advocate for abstinence. n/t

[Bucky]

170. *facepalm*

Yes, in light of her experience as a teenage mother who became a mother too early in life, she's now advocating abstinence. Being a mother is the whole point of her argument. Now, I don't agree with her point of view--abstinence only is not a good approach--but this scarlet letter type scorn for an unwed mother who refuses to go off and hide herself is kinda creepy.

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

169. NOW is a Boomer joke

run by out-of-touch incompetents.

They lost me for good last year when they attacked ted kennedy for endorsing Obama, claiming that he had "betrayed" women.

Apparently, they think they can score points by sucking up to the right.

Did Susan Estrich or Alan Colmes write that press release?