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Meghan McCain: David Letterman's Double Standard
The Daily Beast ^ | 6/12/09

Posted on 06/12/2009 5:16:12 PM PDT by lewisglad

The shocking thing about the late-night comic’s “joke” about Willow Palin isn’t just that he told it, but that he would never have considered doing the same about the daughter of a Democrat.

When I first read about David Letterman’s comments about Sarah Palin and her 14-year-old daughter, Willow, I twittered that his remarks were “disgusting and sexist.” That is still how I feel, and I thought his rebuttal was borderline insulting. After claiming to never have made a joke about raping a 14 year old, which he essentially had, he then invited Sarah to come on his show, which of course she will not. Why would Sarah Palin go on David Letterman as a response to his jokes about her and her daughter? The invitation seems contrived and like the rest of this controversy—wrapped in political motivation on his part.

Sexist attitudes toward women are nothing new and sadly still commonplace, including on late-night television.

“I am certain that David Letterman would never make a joke about Malia being raped by Eliot Spitzer or refer to the first lady as looking “slutty.”

However, there seems to be such an aggressive double standard for Republican women as opposed to Democrat women. Would David Letterman ever make such a joke about President Obama’s daughters (or for that matter Al Gore’s, or substitute another high-profile Democratic politician)? President Obama’s daughter Malia is not much younger than Willow, and I am certain that David Letterman would never make a joke about Malia being raped by Eliot Spitzer or refer to the first lady as looking “slutty.” Why is it funny to make fun of a 14-year-old girl, no matter who her mother is, let alone that of one of the most prominent female politicians in the country?

During the election, one of the things I never got over being shocked by was the sexism the media held toward my mother and Sarah. I recently read an interview in GQ magazine with Jay Leno where he credited some of his success to never letting the public know where his politics lay. I have always respected that about Jay Leno. I have absolutely no idea how he feels about Sarah Palin or President Obama personally, and at the end of the day I don’t care. He was always respectful toward me and my family even in the jokes (and he has in the past directed some at me personally during his monologue).

Neither I, nor the rest of the country, go to our late-night comics to hear about their personal politics. That is what Sean Hannity and Rachel Maddow are for. If that was the desired career of these comics, they should have gone into a different field of work. I think the Sarah Palin-David Letterman controversy is just another example of media bias. There seems to be little effort to shield the political leanings of many journalists and comedians anymore. At the end of the day, David Letterman’s show is David Letterman’s show, but as Jay Leno recently pointed out, by being overtly political either way, you alienate half of the country. As someone who has always been a fan of David Letterman, I have become more and more disappointed and yes, dare I say disgusted about his attitude toward Sarah Palin and her daughters. Is it too much to ask to leave a 14-year-old girl out of a late-night joke? Apparently in today’s media, yes it is, especially when it is the daughter of a Republican politician.

Meghan McCain is originally from Phoenix. She graduated from Columbia University in 2007. She previously wrote for Newsweek magazine


TOPICS: Editorial; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: New York
KEYWORDS: cellulite; fatchick; mccain; meghanmccain; nomanwilllayher; palin; rinoette; stillarino; waronsarah
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To: maggief
"I recently read an interview in GQ magazine with Jay Leno where he credited some of his success to never letting the public know where his politics lay."

Smart. He makes too good a living skewering all of them!

41 posted on 06/12/2009 6:18:12 PM PDT by pray4liberty (http://www.foundersvalues.com/)
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To: maggief

Mayan calendar, end of the world. Dec 21st. I’ll ping you on Dec 22 2012. ;^)


42 posted on 06/12/2009 6:40:52 PM PDT by saganite (What would Sully do?)
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To: lewisglad

Meghan, this could be the end of your 15 minutes. In fact, this may cost you the presidency!


43 posted on 06/12/2009 6:52:14 PM PDT by Right Wing Assault ( Obama, you're off the island!)
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To: Glenn

No worries, she doesn’t write anything worthwhile.


44 posted on 06/12/2009 7:17:12 PM PDT by TheFourthMagi
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To: lewisglad

About darn time she got back behind the line of scrimmage and play on the right team.

Welcome back McCain.

Now. Block.


45 posted on 06/12/2009 7:23:37 PM PDT by Cringing Negativism Network (This message so far uneventfully brought to you by, Windows 7 Beta)
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To: lewisglad
Allow me to have a contrary opinion to the popular one in this thread...

Hey, Meghan McCain, I don't give a rat's ass if you're correct on this issue. Go away forever and take your idiot dad with you. Please never let the world have to ponder the utterances of a McCain for as long as people walk the face of the Earth. Love, SeafoodGumbo.

46 posted on 06/12/2009 7:39:39 PM PDT by SeafoodGumbo
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To: lewisglad
“I am certain that David Letterman would never make a joke about Malia being raped by Eliot Spitzer or refer to the first lady as looking “slutty.”

CBS and Letterman are creepy old men... pervs.

47 posted on 06/12/2009 7:43:11 PM PDT by GOPJ ("Any 'jokes' about raping my 14-year-old are despicable." - Todd Palin)
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To: lewisglad

She deserves credit when she says the right thing and this time she nailed the moron Letterman.


48 posted on 06/12/2009 8:07:17 PM PDT by PhiKapMom (Mary Fallin for OK Governor/Coburn for Senate 2010 ! Mark Rubio for FL Senate 2010!)
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To: jamese777
RE: "Just because there’s no audio doesn’t invalidate the editorial comment on the joke from that time."

Thank you for the information. I am not surprised that McCain actually said it but it does not however change my opinion that leftists lie more often than not, lots more.

49 posted on 06/12/2009 8:09:28 PM PDT by WilliamofCarmichael (If modern America's Man on Horseback is out there, Get on the damn horse already!)
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To: Cordio
RE: "I do remember that he made a joke about Chelsea’s ugliness-just when she was in her awkward years. He did profusely apologize,as he should have"

Thank you for adding that Senator McCain apologized for the "joke." If he had said Hubble was the father there might have been the element of truth that's required to make a joke funny -- but then there's the important consideration of Chelsea's "awkward years."

50 posted on 06/12/2009 8:13:51 PM PDT by WilliamofCarmichael (If modern America's Man on Horseback is out there, Get on the damn horse already!)
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To: lewisglad
DROOL
51 posted on 06/12/2009 9:46:30 PM PDT by odin2008 (Everything in the universe is subject to change.)
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To: lewisglad

Letterman needs to tone down his bigotry and be an equal opportunity sexist.


52 posted on 06/12/2009 10:18:59 PM PDT by Post Toasties (Conservatives allow the guilty to be executed but Lefties insist that the innocent be executed.)
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To: WilliamofCarmichael

I would never endorse such a comment from a Republican politician, but I notice that, there is no accusation made of McCain jokingly referring to the criminal sexual assault of a minor. I’d say that makes all the difference.


53 posted on 06/12/2009 10:26:56 PM PDT by Post Toasties (Conservatives allow the guilty to be executed but Lefties insist that the innocent be executed.)
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To: lewisglad

Just STFU idiot no one asked you


54 posted on 06/13/2009 6:39:57 AM PDT by ballplayer
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