Posted on 06/15/2009 5:21:01 PM PDT by kellynla
David Letterman re-addressed the controversy surrounding his jokes about Sarah Palin's family during the taping of CBS' "Late Show" on Monday.
Letterman said he had no idea Palin was at the game with her 14-year-old daughter, Willow, and apologized to the governor.
"I had, honestly, no idea that the 14-year-old girl, I had no idea that anybody was at the ball game except the governor, and I was told at the time she was there with Rudy Giuliani," Letterman said. "It’s not your fault that it was misunderstood, it’s my fault. ... So I would like to apologize, especially to the two daughters involved, Bristol and Willow, and also to the governor and her family and everybody else who was outraged by the joke."
The comedian's jokes about Palin's family last week caused an uproar. One CBS advertiser has reportedly pulled its ads in response to the subsequent protests, which have demanded CBS fire Letterman.
Here's the full text of Letterman's comments, which will be telecast tonight.
“All right, here – I’ve been thinking about this situation with Governor Palin and her family now for about a week – it was a week ago tonight, and maybe you know about it, maybe you don’t know about it. But there was a joke that I told, and I thought I was telling it about the older daughter being at Yankee Stadium. And it was kind of a coarse joke. There’s no getting around it, but I never thought it was anybody other than the older daughter, and before the show, I checked to make sure in fact that she is of legal age, 18. Yeah. But the joke really, in and of itself, can’t be defended. The next day, people are outraged. They’re angry at me because they said, ‘How could you make a lousy joke like that about the 14-year-old girl who was at the ball game?’ And I had, honestly, no idea that the 14-year-old girl, I had no idea that anybody was at the ball game except the governor and I was told at the time she was there with Rudy Giuliani … and I really should have made the joke about Rudy …” (audience applauds) “But I didn’t, and now people are getting angry and they’re saying, ‘Well, how can you say something like that about a 14-year-old girl, and does that make you feel good to make those horrible jokes about a kid who’s completely innocent, minding her own business,’ and, turns out, she was at the ball game. I had no idea she was there. So she’s now at the ball game, and people think that I made the joke about her. And, but still, I’m wondering, ‘Well, what can I do to help people understand that I would never make a joke like this?’ I’ve never made jokes like this as long as we’ve been on the air, 30 long years, and you can’t really be doing jokes like that. And I understand, of course, why people are upset. I would be upset myself.
“And then I was watching the Jim Lehrer ‘Newshour’ – this commentator, the columnist Mark Shields, was talking about how I had made this indefensible joke about the 14-year-old girl, and I thought, ‘Oh, boy, now I’m beginning to understand what the problem is here. It’s the perception rather than the intent.’ It doesn’t make any difference what my intent was, it’s the perception. And, as they say about jokes, if you have to explain the joke, it’s not a very good joke. And I’m certainly – ” (audience applause) “– thank you. Well, my responsibility – I take full blame for that. I told a bad joke. I told a joke that was beyond flawed, and my intent is completely meaningless compared to the perception. And since it was a joke I told, I feel that I need to do the right thing here and apologize for having told that joke. It’s not your fault that it was misunderstood, it’s my fault. That it was misunderstood.” (audience applauds) “Thank you. So I would like to apologize, especially to the two daughters involved, Bristol and Willow, and also to the governor and her family and everybody else who was outraged by the joke. I’m sorry about it and I’ll try to do better in the future. Thank you very much.” (audience applause)
I love it....he’s on the ropes and Sarahcuda is raining blows on him..
“I’ve never made jokes like this as long as we’ve been on the air, 30 long years, and you can’t really be doing jokes like that. And I understand, of course, why people are upset. I would be upset myself.”
So Dave, what was all that talk just a few days ago about how you thought Palin’s couldn’t take a joke? Huh?
If he had no idea Palin's 14 year old daughter was at the game why was she the subject of the joke? Furthermore, it really doesn't matter if he knew she was there or not. All that matters is what he said. Can't un-ring the bell, as the saying goes. I think the man is a perv and suspect many other people do too. I mean, what grown man thinks like that....unless he's a perv.
Sure does sound like he is contradicting himself. Not buying it.
His writers did. Why doesn’t he fire the one responsible for the ugly joke about child molestation/rape?
...love how the “audience applauds” notes are inserted. How ignorant do they think we are?
Palin should accept the apology graciously and move on and I imagine that’s what she will do. No need to belabor the point now that Letterman has been shamed into making an apology.
“Sorry if it was misunderstood” is not a cool apology at all.
He’ll never recover from this.
“Diddler Dave, let us accept your apology with this retort: ‘F.Y., your writers and your network.’”
The least he could have done is tell the truth...
“I hate Sara Palin, and want to do everything I can to destroy her, her political career and aspirations, and her family. So I told a joke making her daughter, who’d gotten knocked up previously, the butt of the joke. I had heard that Palin was taking her daughter to a Yankees game, and thought it would be funny if the ‘little ho’ seduced A-Rod and got knocked up again! I mean, come on! Here’s this “white bread” whore, doing a minority athelete! Come on now... THAT’S COMEDY!!!! But look, she’s got what 16 kids? Oh, no, I’m thinking of ‘Octomom.’ Anyway, little did I know that she went to the game with the one daughter who hasn’t gotten knocked up yet! I mean, how can I be expected to keep track of all those damned kids of hers?!?!”
I’d accept that statement as an “apology” from Dave far more readily than I did either of his statements...
That is what Palin should do.
And everyone else should keep the pressure on Letterman to be fired.
Don’t you mean the “slutty flight attendant”?......
Let’s not get greedy here. Dave went much further with this than I expected. I’m done with the issue. The Palins can decide for themselves.
More lies from this rotten, third rate scumbag. (Sorry, third rate scumbags).
I am sure that Sara Palin is relieved to learn that Letterman thinks the
“rape joke’ was about her 18 year old daughter and not her 14 year old daughter...
It might be time for Governor Palin to graciously accept his apology and move forward. She’s demonstrated her power; folks will now hesitate before ridiculing her family, IMO.
That’s a major accomplishment.
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