That the crack about special olympics was bad enough, but it pales in comparison to this “water head” stuff.
I saw by the transcript that Leno started that little ball rolling, and while it may be merely tasteless in a private conversation, its occurring on a nationwide TV show is about as low-class as you can get.
On the upside, it’s the only comment people will remember from the interview.
“That the crack about special olympics was bad enough, but it pales in comparison to this “water head” stuff.”
The Special Olympics crack was intended as self-deprecating humor, but clearly was insensitive.
I think people on this thread are substantially overinterpreting the water head comments. Michelle Obama wants a Portuguese water dog http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/portuguesewaterdog.htm I think Jay Leno made an honest mistake without knowing the negative connotation attached to “water head.” Likewise, I’m not convinced Obama knew the connotation either. I think he did say “dripping” not “tripping” and it was in reaction to his imagining a dog that was a “water head”—i.e., it would be wet and dripping all over the house.
Given the ambiguity in intent (by both Leno and Obama), I don’t see a useful purpose being served by insisting either was making fun of mentally handicapped individuals in this exchange. Unlike the Special Olympics crack, which WH immediately apologized for, you can rest assured that BHO would never own up to having slurred the mentally handicapped, so it’s a debate that essentially goes nowhere.