Michelle Malkin: Letterman’s Yuks about Statutory Rape Is Just Yuck

» Question on 06.15.09 @ 07:13 AM

What’s the difference between what Letterman said and what Don Imus said about the Rutgers womens basketball team? Oh, yeah, Imus was canned right away.

Also, what does A-rod think about being called a statutory rapist?

» Get a life on 06.15.09 @ 07:41 AM

The world seems to have forgotten something, there is this thing called humor.  Dave’s usually pretty funny.  This was a little out of line, but Palin is blowing this completely out of proportion and making herself look more and more foolish everyday.

» sluggo on 06.15.09 @ 07:42 AM

is`nt there a war somewhere , aren`t children starving somewhere….

» Brett Clark on 06.15.09 @ 07:43 AM

His remarks were certainly in poor taste - and his apology was not entirely satisfactory.  However, it is clear from this “controversy” that conservatives, led by Palin who have nothing to offer to the country politcally, are using this as a sideshow to garner media attention and sympathy.  Guess what: none of this is helping your “tanking” party.  You have bigger problems.

» Galen Nicks on 06.15.09 @ 07:46 AM

Maybe Mr Letterman would get the feeling if we all started talking about people playing with his son in inappropiate ways so we could get a laugh.  I bet that would raise the hair on his back.

» Lou on 06.15.09 @ 07:47 AM

“Face it: David Letterman, late-night entertainer turned partisan hack and hit man, has a deranged obsession with Palin and her family that has crossed into rank bigotry and hatred.”

——————————-
This piece reminds me of how the Right rose up in righteous fury at the cruel, perverted taunts from among their ranks aimed at young Chelsea Clinton.

Maybe, after this, Michelle will march on to straighten out the Great White Whales at Fox News, followed by a big smackdown of the Gorillas Own Party (GOP) in South Carolina…

Or not.  Maybe she’s just a partisan hack.

» Richard Ruhling, MD on 06.15.09 @ 07:48 AM

Play it again, Michelle. This country needs to hear from women like you and men who have the moral backbone to stand up for values that are higher than low life or we will be doing Exodus2. http://www.Exodus2.info

» La'shaun in NYC on 06.15.09 @ 07:48 AM

The difference between Imus and Dave is that Dave is funny and Imus isn’t. Dave has made thousands of jokes sometimes they hit and sometimes they miss. This was a miss so let it go and move on. There really is no story here, Sarah Palin is just trying to stay relevant and play the victim as usual.

» dutch weismann on 06.15.09 @ 07:48 AM

Michelle - that’s the pot calling the kettle “yuck”...Letterman is such a total pig he should be working for FOX, too.

» Ralphie on 06.15.09 @ 07:49 AM

If you dont like him, don’t watch him. It’s as easy as that. I find it funny that most of these people who insult Dave are probably not late night watchers. They have to get up early and do important things at 5am. Sarah palin raised at least one daughter with ‘loose morals’ and its not unthinkable for it to happen again.

» jared on 06.15.09 @ 07:53 AM

Michelle - get a grip. It helps you look less hypocritical if you don’t attack your targets in the same way that you accuse them of attacking others. It is particularly crude of you to cause him a lecher and imply that he’s a pedophile. Also wrong: Sarah Palin implying that Letterman can’t be trusted around young girls. Isn’t that the sort of language and innuendo you would condemn if someone else said it?

» AJ on 06.15.09 @ 07:54 AM

overly sensitive. taking what a professional comedian says seriously may indicate irrationality or basic ignorance at best, attention seeking or lunacy at worst. nobody looks to letterman for facts or opinions, just laughs for laughs’ sake. this article makes its author look like a fool…

» bobeeto on 06.15.09 @ 07:55 AM

Go back to your country!!!

» Response on 06.15.09 @ 07:57 AM

I can’t see a justification for this degree of backlash on what could easily be a (perhaps tasteless) joke on a media figure. If Ms. Palin was not a political icon of the current GOP we would never have heard one thing about this. Move on Malkin, and stop splashing more attention than is necessary on something that makes my political party look petty.

(insert “Response-175.jpg” here - a dolled up picture of myself in a poor attempt to create legitimacy for my words via physical appearance)

» Gary Rosenfeld on 06.15.09 @ 07:57 AM

This is interesting how someone who claims to be exposing liberals stands up for the phoniest of republicans.  Sarah Palin has strategically chosen to involve her children in her campaigns.  She talks the talk about conservative values but fails to back it up with walking the walk.  Not only in her lack of protecting her own children but in the way she governs her state.  Alaska is number one in Federal Government spending per capita, yet she claims to want less government.  Oh I guess thats for everyone else but she is happy taking money from the rest of us.  We have a glut of Natural Gas in the lower 48 but she thinks we should spend an additional 14 billion dollars on a pipeline.  I am confused.  Like I said, she talks but doesn’t even crawl. 

As for Letterman, yeah Dave, poor taste but I have never agreed with everything you said but I know how to change the channel.

» John on 06.15.09 @ 07:58 AM

Letterman lost it a long time ago.  Michelle may blast away a people she deems liberal but that has nothing to do with this article.  Letterman was and is out of line.  I stopped watching him years before he left NBC.  I forget he is even still on the air,till I channel surf by him.
 
I saw him jogging once (I didn’t live that far from him, for a while).  He looks a lot creepier in real life than he does on TV.  He looks way older, they must use a trowel to smooth out the wrinkles on him. By the way Dave, look where your jogging, you almost ran into my car (the Silver Mercedes 450SLC, to jog your memory, and the band-aid across your nose is a poor disguise).

» Gene Daniels on 06.15.09 @ 07:59 AM

Yeah! Someone that knows how to call a spade a spade, and David letterman the lech that he is. It is time to get sick, dirty old men off the national media. Haven’t we had enough of his type?

» Ned Entwisle on 06.15.09 @ 08:00 AM

At one time I admired Letterman’s sharp wit, but it now appears that he has lost his edge and now is a dottering old fool.  I don’t remember any one liners when he “knocked up” the girl half his age.  As an Alaskan I am proud of our governor, it appears that she is one of the few people around today willing to take a stand.

» c. lathrop on 06.15.09 @ 08:01 AM

Your comments were well written, clear and nicely expressed. HE IS SUCH A POOR EXCUSE FOR HUMOR…ONLY THOSE WHO HAVE NONE ATTACK AS HE DOES!!!!! A sad lack of moral judgment, and professional ethics! Carsen would have never stooped so low to get a laugh.
Best regards,

» Answer on 06.15.09 @ 08:03 AM

A Rod probably realized it was a joke and moved on with his life like we all should.  If you don’t like it, don’t watch. Simple solution.  Just know you won’t be watching for 3 more years cause he just signed a contract extension for 3 years.

» Dim Lit Bulb on 06.15.09 @ 08:05 AM

I agree Michelle, regardless of a person’s political leanings, what bothers me is that ANYBODY could say something akin to this about ANYONE’s children.  Granted Bristol is now 18, but still, classless is still classless.

I was appalled and ashamed that the rest of the world who get news of this thinks that this is what America is all about.  In other countries he would have been either figuratively or actually executed the very next day - very publicly so.

» RMR on 06.15.09 @ 08:06 AM

Dave doesn’t need to be the self-appointed hatchet man to take Gov. Palen down to protect all the rest of us rubes, she is quite capable of doing that herself. Why give her the spotlight to be very well justified in her anger?  Good commedians can be funny without being cruel.  Smearing the Governor or the hard working, everyday people he said she looked like won’t reverse his slide in the ratings.

» Huh? on 06.15.09 @ 08:06 AM

But a cartoon about the terrorists on the second plane to hit the towers joking about getting their miranda rights is funny?

Someone should ask Malkin why jokey jokes about the worst act of terrorism in the US are ok just because they’re making fun of Obama….

http://perspectives.com/forums/view_topic.php?id=206325&forum_id=91

» the bible on 06.15.09 @ 08:08 AM

judge not or be ye judged…

yes I’m a bleeding heart liberal who is appalled that a Mother would use her children any way that she can in order to further her political ambush of america.  a comedian apologized a civilized person would accept and move on… Even go on the show - but no she wants to milk this like the uncivilized person she’s proven to be.  by the way - the right used the words statutory rapist to make it sound worse - the term was knocked up and that usually means consenual sex like Bristol and so many other teens participate in.  This is hilarious because next thing you know a neglectful Mother will be rewarded with another teen out of wedlock pregnancy…

» bouhouhou on 06.15.09 @ 08:09 AM

wow, your article is so full of…. Really, if this shocks you maybe you should change channel?

when someone choose to be in the puiblic eye, he/she has to live with the fact he/she will be the target of jokes. Was the joke of poor taste? yes. So what, no one cna be good everytime. And this statement includes you. This article is poorly written and has no content. I hope you dont call yourself a journalist

» Oh Please... on 06.15.09 @ 08:11 AM

Do the unintelligent masses out there seriously believe that Mr. Letterman (or ANY lat night talk show host for all this matters) actually comes up with his OWN material?  Good God, no.  Does anyone recall or remember the “writer’s strike” a while back?  Late night talk shows were reduced to re-runs of past episodes.  Why?  Because the WRITERS - not Mr. Letterman - were on strike.  They come up with the garbage that spews from his mouth every evening on your television set.  Granted, I do agree the joke was in poor taste, but Letterman isn’t the only one at fault here.  Sarah just wanted her 15 MORE minutes of fame with her backlash.  As a parent who preaches abstinence, and yet couldn’t keep her daughter from ending up as a pregnant teen, his joke - however unsavory it seemed - hit the nail on the head.  It wasn’t a joke about Bristol - it was a direct smack to the face of Sarah’s parenting skills !

» Stunned on 06.15.09 @ 08:12 AM

How can anyone possibly continue to defend Letterman is just beyond me.  I’m just stunned!

Local complains about Michelle then turns right around and does the same thing to her.  Local has no grounds to stand on!  Absurd!

It is always wrong to besmirch the morals and character of these public figures.  Can we have commentary that is not so shallow and mean spirited? 

I am disgusted by the left claiming to be in favor of some new era of civility and then defending, almost exalting this kind of speech.  Sad!

» AmericaRules! on 06.15.09 @ 08:15 AM

I’ll reserve my judgement on Mr. Letterman until he mocks the victims of the 9/11 terrorist attack with a picture of the second plane hitting the tower.

» Matt on 06.15.09 @ 08:16 AM

Seriously? “How tacking on four years to the target daughter makes it funny?” Let me think…. oh yeah, because then it’s not statutory rape, it’s a stupid adult getting “knocked up”. And his point when he says she looks like all these other women is that she’s so generic and clean cut that she can be practically anything to anyone. I mean come on, this rant is just ridiculous. Spare us your holier-than-thou attitude

» annoyed on 06.15.09 @ 08:18 AM

you know Letterman didn’t parade his family out in front of the nation to get votes - Sarah Palin made her children publicly known figures, not Letterman.  Though I agree he can be a bit crass at times, this ridiculous drama about his jokes on late night television about an 18 year old girl who did get pregnant under age and out of wedlock and was shoved in our face at every opportunity during the election seems like an acceptable target for jokes…and for the record he didn’t say Palin IS a slutty flight attendant - just that she looks like one and given all the mistakes she has made, I’d say he is going easy on her!

» jj on 06.15.09 @ 08:20 AM

I think Michelle is simply calling him on his “jokes” which were made in extremely poor taste and by the way Dave - NOT FUNNY EITHER. Who laughed at this anyway?  This pathetic attempt at humor needs to be reigned in by someone sooner or later.  Obviously his CBS(constant Bull ****) bosses condone this type of trashy comedy, it fits their political agenda maybe?  In my opinion, Dave sounds alot like a man who simply has no respect for women. Ask his wife what she thinks of his comments, hmmm.
As far as calling for his job - seems it’s the first thing some people want when they think something is offensive.  Freedom of speech only applies when that “free speech” is not directed at someone specific.
But this is what I say about fools - give’em enough rope, they’ll hang themselves.

» Anne L. Bohlen on 06.15.09 @ 08:23 AM

I think it’s very scary to someone like Letterman to admit that a woman can actually be beautiful and intelligent. It just makes me wonder why she is such a threat to him and others like him? I say, can him..he doesn’t deserve the money he gets paid.  Maybe the liberals will put a cap on his salary…yeah, right.

» Hannity on 06.15.09 @ 08:24 AM

Pallin has it all together.  She is the most qualified person to run our country, bar nun. She manages the biggest state in greatest cuntry God ever put on the face of this hear earth. The liberals trash her because she is an attractive female who reached the peak through hard work and perserverance, not based on looks. She has my vote whenever she needs it, and anything else for that matter ;)

» Rob on 06.15.09 @ 08:25 AM

Michelle Malkin you are no journalist.  You’re just another hypster misquoting people to stir up controversy.

David Letterman did NOT call Sarah Palin a “slutty flight attendant” (those are YOUR quotation marks).  He called her LOOK, that of a a slutty flight attendant.  Huge difference. 

Letterman was just making a joke.  That’s his job.  He or his writer mistook Willow for Bristol (or the other way around - I don’t follow the Palins close enough to know who is who). 

You on the other hand, pretend to be a reporter.  Getting a quote correct is something 3rd graders that do not pretend to be reporters can get straight.

Please find another job.

» John Anders on 06.15.09 @ 08:26 AM

While Letterman’s quotes were in poor taste, Palin has done her daughters far more harm by naming them “Willow” and “Bristol”...

» Kennth Karraker on 06.15.09 @ 08:27 AM

I find the article to be precisely on target. Letterman is the perfect “elite liberal snob” and makes no pretext to be anything other.

» Roger on 06.15.09 @ 08:27 AM

It’s intersting how MSNBC pundits ran to protect David Letterman from this ‘bully’, Sarah Palin…like the over-protective parent who has the money to pay his child’s way out of trouble, all throughout life.

Sarah Palin can handle it…but her 14 year old daughter was at the NY Yankees game with her mother. She was a visitor in NYC and a millionare “comic” attacked her for cheap laughs.  The daughter should have been left alone.

Letterman, to my knowledge has never had to make a serious decision in his life…he just makes millions of dollars making fun of people who make less money than he does…then runs to the left for protection if he’s pressured. 

And the Left…they will try to stomp anyone who gets in his way.

» Bill O' The Wasp on 06.15.09 @ 08:30 AM

Re: “. . .how tacking on four years to the target daughter makes it funny”

It’s not the four extra years, it’s the fact that she’d already gotten pregnant that makes it funny.  It’s the insinuation that she’s a promiscuous girl with poor judgement.

But that begs the point, at what age is someone eligible to become the target of jokes?

Re: “We unenlightened dim bulbs who live outside of Manhattan’s boundaries don’t get the joke.”

I’m pretty sure you’d be unenlightened and dim no matter where you lived.  I’m not entirely sure, though . . . tell ya what, why don’t you move to Iran for a year and let me know if you get any brighter?

Re: “Letterman reminds me of a lecher at the school bus stop. Or an aging creep lurking in the dirty magazine section at a convenience store.”

You’ve really got to stop trolling for dates at school bus stops and convenience stores.  I’d say you’re better than that, but . . . well, you’re not.  But that doesn’t mean you can’t make an effort.

» CRAIG on 06.15.09 @ 08:33 AM

PALIN…...PURE CLASS,
LETTERMAN…...BIG DUMB ASS.

» cmarsh on 06.15.09 @ 08:35 AM

I love this kind of thing.  This is not a matter of right vs. wrong. This is a matter of Michelle’s *perception* of right vs. wrong.  It’s sadly typical of people like Michelle to misinterpret context. I think my favorite part is “how will you explain this to your son?”.

It’s none of anybody’s business if/how DL explains anything to his son.  Michelle I’m sure you’re quite perfect and never sarcastic.  The rest of us admire and appreciate your moral and ethical code.  It’s pretty obvious you feel the need to impress that upon us every chance you get so- good job!  Impressive.

DL is a comedian and no matter how “right” or “wrong” you think his jokes are, they are jokes.

Michelle, I think a little closer to the mark would be to admit that you secretly love it when someone like DL gives you the opportunity to re-affirm your moral high-ground.  I’m sure there are reasons for that and I’m sure I don’t care.  You need to do that and that’s ok by me.

I’ll still tolerate your opinion.

Best,

Chris

» Jeff In Texas on 06.15.09 @ 08:36 AM

While I don’t agree with David Letterman stepping over the line to joke about Palin’s children, Palin herself has been preaching hate, fear and bigotry unchecked for years.  Which is worse?  Attention, Alaska: Get her help now.

» ThisIsAllYouHaveToOffer on 06.15.09 @ 08:36 AM

Trite nonsense such as almost every word that comes from Michelle Malkin is why individuals who used to self identify as Republicans are now ashamed to admit any affiliation, much less vote, for the party.  While there is no doubt a conservative base that spends a fair share of their time reading tabloids in the checkout line, there were, once upon a time, intellectual conservatives who simply believed in limited government and personal responsibility.  Now that ideology is a thing of lore and myth and we are only left with these empty headed drones who spend every waking minute looking for a headline to attach themselves to in a desperate attempt to stay relevant rather than presenting parallel solutions to solve the same problems the Democrats are actively going after by increasing government.  Michelle Malkin is a perfect example of why the Republicans can no longer win elections.  Sure, 25% of the population is barely literate and white and just wants a headline to get angry about because every other issue is too complicated for them to grasp, but if the Republicans want to remain a contender for national elections they are going to have to, once again, start appealing to those of us who are patriots, but believe that limited government is the issue, and that includes limiting our governments participation in foreign boondoggles and growing our domestic intelligence capabilities into a police state by spending trillions of our dollars as they have done in the last 8 years.  Freedom comes with inherent risk, but real patriots embrace that danger and would have it no other way.  Instead we have these mind numbingly moronic and cowardly pundits like Michelle fretting over what a 60+ year old late night comedian has to say about the daughter of an empty headed politician who was selected only for her ability to “arouse” that half literate and demographically shrinking base of rejects who still believe the earth was made in 6 days and that everything is as black and white as good vs. evil.  Sarah Palin paraded her children around for months as the only abstract accomplishment in her life trying to garner the “hockey mom” vote and invited the public scrutiny of her children when she sent them around doing interviews as minors.  Whether or not David Letterman’s comments were in good taste or not is irrelevant at that point, comedy isn’t always nice and if you don’t like it, we live in a democracy and you can vote with your remote, but the topic certainly should not be elevated to the level of national discourse that it has been in the last few days by the desperate right, that is unless they simply have nothing else to offer or cling to.  We live in a complicated interconnected world, and if the traditionally conservative values of limited government and personal freedoms are to survive the voice of those values needs to come from someone with more than two active brain cells fighting for dominance.

» Joe Republican on 06.15.09 @ 08:36 AM

Don’t we have more important issues to tackle?

» chuckalug on 06.15.09 @ 08:37 AM

What’s the difference between Bristol getting “knocked up” out of wedlock & David Letterman’s wife? Umm, ...

» cmarsh on 06.15.09 @ 08:38 AM

I love this kind of thing.  This is not a matter of right vs. wrong. This is a matter of Michelle’s *perception* of right vs. wrong.  It’s sadly typical of people like Michelle to misinterpret context. I think my favorite part is “how will you explain this to your son?”.

It’s none of anybody’s business if/how DL explains anything to his son.  Michelle I’m sure you’re quite perfect and never sarcastic.  The rest of us admire and appreciate your moral and ethical code.  It’s pretty obvious you feel the need to impress that upon us every chance you get so- good job!  Impressive.

DL is a comedian and no matter how “right” or “wrong” you think his jokes are, they are jokes.

Michelle, I think a little closer to the mark would be to admit that you secretly love it when someone like DL gives you the opportunity to re-affirm your moral high-ground.  I’m sure there are reasons for that and I’m sure I don’t care.  You need to do that and that’s ok by me.

I’ll still tolerate your opinion.

Best,

Chris

» Dick Starie on 06.15.09 @ 08:39 AM

Fire the letch! H isn’t funny, just sick

» Melissa on 06.15.09 @ 08:40 AM

Right on! Letterman is a creep, and I pity those who waste their time being “entertained” by such a low-life.

» Siggy Freud on 06.15.09 @ 08:41 AM

That space between your eyes is obviously not filled with brain matter.

» knyanor on 06.15.09 @ 08:42 AM

I think the media sre given too much attention to Palin’s daughter saga. It is even shameful to promote that a teenager having a child is a good thing. The media should have seized an opportunity to critize Palin during her run for Vice President.

It is bad model for an American mother, family or a teenager.  America has always spoke against children having babies.  When did it became a style or “cool” to have a baby with another teenager at that age.  The media should not be intimidated by Palin.  It’s bad sample as a family model. Palin herself made her daughter as target by introducing her daughter into the public platform by always bringing her daughter to rallies, etc.

For simply fact that one does not support abortion does not mean one should follow a way that the society do not accept to bring kids to this world.  From what I know a good family will raise their children to finish college, get married before having kids.  If Palin wants to set herself up as an American first lady then I would say she has already failed principle one (1).  Life starts from home, manage your home as you will manage America.

It’s time to put the story to rest because no matter how one defend his/her self it bad way to set example as first family.

» Shawn on 06.15.09 @ 08:43 AM

To Marc in New York - Hey Stupid, the Joke was about the Daughter at the game. That daughter was 14. The joke wouldn’t work if it was about the 18 year old, because she was not there, Stupid. That’s what does not make sense, Stupid.  As much as you wish people would buy that stupid excuse, Stupid, they are not.  It is also not the “end of story” Stupid. Your posting didn’t make sense, Stupid.