Letterman protesters: these people just don't get it

[Sandman]

Disclaimer: I didn't know whether to put this thread in P&R or SP&S so it goes here.

Wow....these people are just beyond ignorant.

'Fire Dave!': Crowd lines up to protest Letterman's 'Late Show' Palin joke

BY Irving Dejohn
DAILY NEWS WRITER
Tuesday, June 16th 2009, 3:58 PM

An apology from David Letterman was good enough for Sarah Palin - but not for protesters who demanded the late night host's dismissal Tuesday at a Broadway demonstration.

"Fire Dave! Fire Dave!" the crowd of about 50 protesters chanted as Letterman fans filtered into the Ed Sullivan Theater for the show's taping.

"I hope to have him see the light," said demonstrator Josephine Sarnok, 59, of Newark. "I think it was over the line."

BettyJean Kling, 61, accused Letterman of using the Alaska governor's family to boost his ratings. She stood by a large plywood sign with the words "Fire the pervert" spray-painted across the front.

The demonstration came hours after Palin accepted Letterman's Monday night apology for what he described as "a bad joke ... a joke that was beyond flawed."

The governor released a statement saying she accepted the mea culpa "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."

Letterman sparked the controversy with a crack about Palin's visit to Yankee Stadium last week. The one-time GOP vice-presidential candidate attended the game with her 14-year-old daughter, Willow.

Letterman - who initially said he was referring to 18-year-old Bristol Palin - said the teen "was knocked up by Alex Rodriguez" during the seventh inning.

Bristol Palin became a single mom in December when she delivered son Tripp.The real kicker is this sign.

http://assets.nydailynews.com/img/2009/06/17/alg_letterman_protest.jpg

Fire the pervert? Sex offender? Letterman admitted it was a bad joke and he didn't have his facts straight in the first place. In a time when people are actually protesting for something that means something on the other side of the world these people are just being idiots.

[Wasson_]

mentally retarded people shouldn't be allowed to fend for themselves! Where is the department of social services?

[Hawkzombie]

Wow...It was a joke in poor taste, but seriously? Get a life people.

[Sandman]

I believe the other lines on the sign read : "14 year old girls are illegal David!" and "Dirty Old Man".

Wow. Just wow.

and Dave fires back tonight (http://watching-tv.ew.com/2009/06/david-letterman-sarah-palin-cbs-jokes.html)...wish I could have seen it.


The theme of the nightly Top 10 List was the "Top 10 Things Overheard at the Fire David Letterman Rally." It included "When does Cheney arrive with the waterboarding gear?" "Well, it was nice of CBS to provide the catering," and "Isn't there always a crowd demanding Letterman be fired?"


Letterman said that Palin had accepted his apology, but that "she's also accepted a $500 gift certificate from Lenscrafters."

[Hawkzombie]

The man doesn't miss a beat, I'll give him that much XD

[Jackel]

While some of the signs and protesters are pretty dumb and senseless.

I would be pretty angry if someone ever insinuated in public that my daughter slept around (kinda like a whore). Regardless of which age she was.

As for him getting fired take some perspective, while it may not be to the same level, Don Imus was fired for his "nappy headed ho" comment even though he apologized as well.

edit: And this should probably be in the P&R section

[BLeeP]

I came in here expecting to see the joke, but did not. 8-(

[Alatheia]

To counteract the idiots a good "protest" story.

Background: I work in the Pre-College department at a community college, the department does the ESL and GED classes. The majority of our students are refugees.

What happened: A group of about 20 students came into the office the other day and demanded a summer pronunciation class and that the class be taught by a specific teacher. Each and every student said the sentence individually. They are getting the class :D

If these students would have done this in their home countries quite a few of them would have been killed.

Sometimes I really love my job.

[Ink Asylum]

Yeah. They're going to fire Letterman over one joke. Good luck with that.

[Heretic Machine]

...They're supporters of Sarah Palin, what do you expect?

[Savok]

The real story here is about who isn't protesting, like the strangely quiet feminists who will hold a rally if a guy opens a door for a woman.

Imagine if he'd joked about Obama's (hypothetically) 14 year old daughter, he'd of been killed by now.

Still, shows how much the left still fear Palin, always nice to see.

[Smoof]

The real story here is about who isn't protesting, like the strangely quiet feminists who will hold a rally if a guy opens a door for a woman.


Pretty sure that's a fantasy you've created in your own head.

[Vigil80]

If the protestors wanted to hurt Letterman, the best thing they could have done is stayed home. Since this thing started, it's been a ratings boost for the show. When it comes to people in showbusiness, it's almost impossible to punish them by drawing attention to them.


Imagine if he'd joked about Obama's (hypothetically) 14 year old daughter, he'd of been killed by now.
QFT, sir. QFT.

[Disgustipated]

Pretty sure that's a fantasy you've created in your own head.

Savok doesn't actually talk to many women, let alone feminists... what do you expect? He only reads about them on the internet.

[Nura]

A person on TV using bad jokes to boost his ratings? What has this world come to!

And he apologized, and she accepted it, i wouldn't care much about the protesters if i were him, they don't really have anything to do with.. well, anything.

[Xerxes]

Imagine if he'd joked about Obama's (hypothetically) 14 year old daughter, he'd of been killed by now.

But that would never happen. :)

[muddi900]

The real story here is about who isn't protesting, like the strangely quiet feminists who will hold a rally if a guy opens a door for a woman.

Care to mention any.

And Letterman has always been an asshole. Youtube it!

[BigJonno]

The real story here is about who isn't protesting, like the strangely quiet feminists who will hold a rally if a guy opens a door for a woman.

Of course they won't. That's the point. They'll happily walk through the door, never think about holding it open for a man, but still claim they want equal treatment.

"You want equality, you buy the next round."

I hate feminists.

[RandoM51]

Yeah. They're going to fire Letterman over one joke. Good luck with that.

It has happened before. ;)

[Narradisall]

I love the people that think if they protest the loudest they get everything they want.

Unfortunately it has become more true recently in many cases...

[Wilkz07]

do they still have free speech in america? sure the joke was in poor taste and he appologized, but why is this still news?

[CappinCanuck]

50 person protest... in NY? That's not even the crazies within a one block radius...

Oh, and Bristol, Bristle, Brighton, whatever her name be, is fair game. Any teenage mama is... just because Palin has been in the spotlight and some people feel like they know her, doesn't mean she or her family should get any breaks. Most late night shows take a lot of "creative" licenses... that joke didn't go too far in my opinion. People are just overreacting. Guess what, any semblance or even a minutia, of hypocrisy in the public sphere will bring you a lot of press and bad jokes from Letterman, Leno, Conan, Maher, Stewart and the rest of the nightly lineups. Get over it.

[ClannerDelta]

do they still have free speech in america? sure the joke was in poor taste and he appologized, but why is this still news?

Free speech protects you from the government. It doesn't mean someone can't fire you for being a tool.

He said he meant the joke for Bristol and not Willow and that he got them mixed up. I'm fine with it. Bristol was fair game, she got teen pregnant, had a shotgun wedding for the election, and now her and her baby daddy are having serious issues. Since he was mistaken, he apologized.

Also, Letterman isn't funny. Stop watching his show.

[menage]

I'm surprised they had the intelligence to even find the place.

[cppcrusader]

He never should have apologized for the joke.

[Bingley Joe]

I'm speechless:

The governor released a statement saying she accepted the mea culpa "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."

I had no idea she believed in evolution.

[National Kato]

...They're supporters of Sarah Palin, what do you expect?

This is the truth.

[Badger]

I'm speechless:

The governor released a statement saying she accepted the mea culpa "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."

I had no idea she believed in evolution.

I laughed. Well played, sir :D

[Superman's Dead]

That is the largest, darkest-skinned, most-cornrowed Republican I have ever seen.

David Letterman, in my opinion, isn't funny. I think these people should protest that. And maybe we could have counter-protests from people who think he is funny. And then New York could be plunged into gang violence.

...wait, what?

[Spacetronaut]

Protesting is stupid no matter what it's about.

[LordDon]

Protesting is stupid no matter what it's about.

Stupid Iranians.

[National Kato]

Protesting is stupid no matter what it's about.

Stupid 1960s Blacks.

[Spacetronaut]

I'm just saying violence is always a better solution.

[Lance Uppercut]

I'm just saying violence is always a better solution.

Ghandi and MLK had it wrong all this time.

[Xerxes]

I'm just saying violence is always a better solution.

... In Soviet Alaska. :D

[johnperkins21]

Imagine if he'd joked about Obama's (hypothetically) 14 year old daughter, he'd of been killed by now.

He joked about Palin's 18 year old daughter, who has been known to play hide the pickle. And is a gigantic hypocrite. If Obama had a daughter who got knocked up at 17, went around saying abstinence-only education is a good method for controlling teen pregnancy, then married the dude who knocked her up just to make her idiot parent with grand political aspirations look good, then I wouldn't see an issue with Letterman making a joke about it.

And it was an incredibly tame joke. "Palin's daughter got knocked up by random baseball player?" This is an outrage? Seriously? What in the fuck is wrong with people?

He never should have apologized for the joke.

I agree with this 100%. What little respect I had for the man is completely gone with his apology.

[National Kato]

What little respect I had for the man is completely gone with his apology.

Sponsors pay the bills. Sometimes you have to concede on some points to make sure you remain one of the top late night hosts. This isn't basic cable.

[johnperkins21]

Sponsors pay the bills. Sometimes you have to concede on some points to make sure you remain one of the top late night hosts. This isn't basic cable.

This is true. But the only sponsor I heard of doing anything was Hilton, who doesn't sponsor his show anyway, just cbs.com and a few other CBS programs. And come on, Hilton? Really? That's just ironic.

[Generation ABXY]

He joked about Palin's 18 year old daughter, who has been known to play hide the pickle. And is a gigantic hypocrite. If Obama had a daughter who got knocked up at 17, went around saying abstinence-only education is a good method for controlling teen pregnancy, then married the dude who knocked her up just to make her idiot parent with grand political aspirations look good, then I wouldn't see an issue with Letterman making a joke about it.

To be fair, it was something of an ambiguous joke. He never actually clarified which daughter until after the initial uproar - he could have just as easily meant the daughter Palin was actually at the game with as he did the one who already got knocked up - so there's no way to know for sure.

Also, Palin doesn't support abstinence-only education: "I’m pro-contraception," Palin said in 2006. "And I think kids who may not hear about it at home should hear about it in other avenues. So I am not anti-contraception. But, yeah, abstinence is another alternative that should be discussed with kids. I don’t have a problem with that."

And it was an incredibly tame joke. "Palin's daughter got knocked up by random baseball player?" This is an outrage? Seriously? What in the fuck is wrong with people?

I suppose it all depends on what angle you look at it from. I'm more outraged at the idea that our humor has become so low brow, but to each their own.

[National Kato]

I'm more outraged at the idea that our humor has become so low brow, but to each their own.

Well, there's only so many Knock-Knock jokes one can tell before you have to dig deeper into the well. ;)

[cppcrusader]

To be fair, it was something of an ambiguous joke. He never actually clarified which daughter until after the initial uproar - he could have just as easily meant the daughter Palin was actually at the game with as he did the one who already got knocked up - so there's no way to know for sure.

I don't think it was ambiguous at all. She only has one daughter in the news because of being pregnant. Hell, until this happened I didn't even know she had a second daughter. When I heard about the joke I assumed it was about the pregnant one.

[Generation ABXY]

I don't think it was ambiguous at all. She only has one daughter in the news because of being pregnant. Hell, until this happened I didn't even know she had a second daughter. When I heard about the joke I assumed it was about the pregnant one.

If the rest of America is as oblivious as you, then I stand corrected. :p

[cppcrusader]

What really gets me, is the hypocritical nature of a lot of the people crying foul. You didn't see this kind "outrage" when Britney Spears' sister got teen pregnant, and the late night shows were merciless on her. There was no "outrage" at all the jokes on the late night shows when her daughter who is pregnant got pregnant. Though since Palin seems to have decided she's tired of her and her family being the butt of jokes she chose to take that joke as being about her other daughter so she can think she can drum up some legitimate outrage and make crazy accusations that some people will blindly follow.

If the rest of America is as oblivious as you, then I stand corrected. :p

Normally I'd say that's true, but people followed the last election a lot more closely so I may actually be in the minority now.

[Generation ABXY]

I think a lot of the outrage occurred before Palin ever made a statement about it, but whatever. (I've seen the story on various political blogs.) I don't know anyone (personally, that is) who is outraged about it and it appears to be a fairly small movement, though I think the joke was unclear enough that I can see why some people might at least question it. I know I wouldn't bother with it, but there are few things I would. If people have so much free time that they want to protest something so completely ridiculous (sort of like people getting their hackles up about people getting their hackles up), who am I to stand in their way?

Oh, and I have no idea if you're in the minority. I just remember constantly hearing about how odd her children's names were during the election...another insignificant point that makes some people seethe.

[Bingley Joe]

I'm more outraged at the idea that our humor has become so low brow, but to each their own.

Uh huh..



#45. An intellectual during the night ravished his grandmother and for this got a beating from his father. He complained: "You've been mounting my mother for a long time, without suffering any consequences from me. And now you're mad that you found me screwing your mother for the first time ever!"

#123. An Abderite followed custom and cremated his dead father. He ran home and said to his ailing mother: "There are a few fire-logs still left. If you want to stop suffering, get yourself cremated on them."

#145. When a jokester who was a shopkeeper found a policeman screwing his wife, he said: "I got something I wasn't bargaining for."

#151 (bis) B & #260. When a jokester saw an ophthalmologist busy rubbing away on a girl in her prime, he said: "Don't, in healing her sight, ruin her depths."

#159. A Kymean constructed a huge threshing-floor and stationed his wife on the opposite end. He asked her if she could see him. When she replied that it was hard for her to see him, he snapped: "The time will come when I'll build a threshing-floor so big that I won't be able to see you and you won't be able to see me."

#244A. A young man said to his libido-driven wife: "What should we do, darling? Eat or have sex?" And she replied: "You can choose. But there's not a crumb in the house."

#246. A misogynist stood in the marketplace and announced: "I'm putting my wife up for sale, tax-free!" When people asked him why, he said: "So the authorities will impound her."

#251. The lady of a house had a simple-minded slave. But when she got a peek at just how thick his other head was also, she lusted after him. She put a mask over her face so that he wouldn't recognize her, and played around with him. Joining her game, he had sex with her. Then, grinning as he usually did, he reported to his master: "Sir, sir, I fucked the dancer and the mistress was inside!"

#263. Someone needled a jokester: "I had your wife, without paying a dime." He replied: "It's my duty as a husband to couple with such a monstrosity. What made you do it?'

:p

source (http://www.stoa.org/diotima/anthology/quinn_jokes.shtml)

[Generation ABXY]

I think that list only goes on to further my point. I'd always assumed we were a more civilized...um, civilization. :)

Still, I don't mind a good joke, but it has to be that: good. I suppose that differs from person to person, though.

[TheEpicOfTyler]

And she aspires to be a national political figure. It's a part of you job to be made fun of constantly on a national stage!

[Spacetronaut]

Still, I don't mind a good joke, but it has to be that: good. I suppose that differs from person to person, though.

It is tragic that all this ridiculous nonsense was started over such a terribly mediocre joke.

[Ox]

And she aspires to be a national political figure. It's a part of you job to be made fun of constantly on a national stage!
Sure, but look. Was it okay in 1993 to joke about how ugly Chelsea Clinton was? (She and I are the same age, and I can confirm: she was definitely a three-bagger when we were in middle school.) Or was it a little insensitive to mock a child who is well-known purely because she has the misfortune to be related to a controversial public figure?

It reminds me of former Senator Rick Santorum's daughter. She was pretty young (I think around 8 at the time), and when her father conceded defeat, she cried. A lot (http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2940882) of people (http://digg.com/politics/HILARIOUS_pic_of_Santorum_s_daughter_bawling_durin g_concession_speech) mocked (http://www.plunderbund.com/2006/11/09/cry-little-santorum-cry/) her pretty mercilessly for it, particularly ascribing to her the father's less popular political views. The sound of her crying was briefly a popular ringtone (http://blogcritics.org/politics/article/rick-santorum-concession-speech-now-a/). Now, if you'd like to explain to me how an eight-year-old, or a fourteen-year-old, somehow deserves to be mocked because she's related to a famous person, I'm all ears.

But even within that context, I think there's a definite problem with how women are treated in the public. For some reason, it's considered generally okay to make the most outrageous sexual jokes about public women (or women who happen to be related to public figures), in a way that is both disrespectful of them particularly and generally disrespectful of women. It's a low and base behavior, and anyone who fancies himself with a modicum of decency should really think twice before doing so. Yes, even for women with well-known sexual misconduct. It certainly falls below the standard expected of a gentleman. I think women have enough other personality traits that it's possible to make fun of them without suggesting they are whores.

[Sandman]

For those saying Letterman shouldn't have apologized : he apologized because his facts were wrong not because of the content of the joke itself. If the other daughter had actually been at the game there would have been no problem with it and most people wouldn't have given the joke a second thought after the monologue was over.

[roboninja]

Sure, but look. Was it okay in 1993 to joke about how ugly Chelsea Clinton was? (She and I are the same age, and I can confirm: she was definitely a three-bagger when we were in middle school.) Or was it a little insensitive to mock a child who is well-known purely because she has the misfortune to be related to a controversial public figure?

It reminds me of former Senator Rick Santorum's daughter. She was pretty young (I think around 8 at the time), and when her father conceded defeat, she cried. A lot (http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2940882) of people (http://digg.com/politics/HILARIOUS_pic_of_Santorum_s_daughter_bawling_durin g_concession_speech) mocked (http://www.plunderbund.com/2006/11/09/cry-little-santorum-cry/) her pretty mercilessly for it, particularly ascribing to her the father's less popular political views. The sound of her crying was briefly a popular ringtone (http://blogcritics.org/politics/article/rick-santorum-concession-speech-now-a/). Now, if you'd like to explain to me how an eight-year-old, or a fourteen-year-old, somehow deserves to be mocked because she's related to a famous person, I'm all ears.

But even within that context, I think there's a definite problem with how women are treated in the public. For some reason, it's considered generally okay to make the most outrageous sexual jokes about public women (or women who happen to be related to public figures), in a way that is both disrespectful of them particularly and generally disrespectful of women. It's a low and base behavior, and anyone who fancies himself with a modicum of decency should really think twice before doing so. Yes, even for women with well-known sexual misconduct. It certainly falls below the standard expected of a gentleman. I think women have enough other personality traits that it's possible to make fun of them without suggesting they are whores.

Please remember, folks, that his is a man who also thinks jeans are not to be worn by a gentleman, Judge yourself accordingly ;)

[Bingley Joe]

Sure, but look.

*Many good points*

I don't generally disagree with what you've said -- particularly about the way women are treated in public, but being joked about by late-night talk show hosts is a simple fact of life for people in the public eye.

And Bristol Palin is quite decidedly in the public eye. Whether it's by her own doing, via an edict from her mother's retarded public relations staffers, or some combination thereof, she's out there. It would be unrealistic to expect Letterman and his ilk to just lay off because they don't have something tasteful to say..

http://www.babyosphere.com/pics/bristol_palin_baby.jpg
You stay classy, Palin family.

[CES]

You know, she's not really helping the ones who don't want jokes made about her.

A shame she's not British though, we could have had Frankie Boyle making jokes about her to show people just how crass and tasteless you can really get.

[National Kato]

"If girls realized the consequences of sex, nobody would be having sex," says Bristol. "Trust me. Nobody."

Man, I hate that quote.

[Ox]

It would be unrealistic to expect Letterman and his ilk to just lay off because they don't have something tasteful to say.
It's unrealistic to expect politicians not to lie to us and cheat on their wives, but we still criticize them for it.

You stay classy, Palin family.
You're going to have to explain to me why trying to use her accidental celebrity to prevent teenage pregnancy is classless.

[Ultima Thulian]

Pretty sure that's a fantasy you've created in your own head.

It's not. I always open a door for women and the elderly, and usually most people are thankful or apathetic to it. But I had one woman get really pissed at me.

I'm not saying it's common, or the norm, or even that person in my story is a feminist (I just simply think she was a bitch), but it's no fantasy. It happens, and it's sad as hell. And women have the gaw to bitch about how men never understand them. Women keep changing the rules, and expect us to keep up...IT'S NO FAIR!!!

Ahem...sorry...kinda went on a tangent there. Uh...shit...gotta get back on topic...uh...oh yea. Fuck Sarah Palin, and fuck these dumbass protesters. :D

[Ultima Thulian]

"If girls realized the consequences of sex, nobody would be having sex," says Bristol. "Trust me. Nobody."

http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o110/ultima13/Funny%20Pics/VictorianPostcard.jpg

[Shrinn]

It's not. I always open a door for women and the elderly, and usually most people are thankful or apathetic to it. But I had one woman get really pissed at me.

I'm not saying it's common, or the norm, or even that person in my story is a feminist (I just simply think she was a bitch), but it's no fantasy. It happens, and it's sad as hell. And women have the gaw to bitch about how men never understand them. Women keep changing the rules, and expect us to keep up...IT'S NO FAIR!!!


It's rare, but it happens. I had a friend who was called a chauvinistic pig for holding a door open for a woman on a lunch date.

[Ultima Thulian]

Aye, it is rare, but indeed it happens. Hell, personally speaking, I LOVE it when people open the door for me. That's one less thing I have to do. That person just saved me some time and effort. That's a good thing!