The problem with telling jokes about the people you mention is that they are all public figures---largely by choice. There is a big difference between them and someone's child---even when that child is the progeny of a public figure (cf, Chelsea Clinton).
Let's assume that, instead of going to a London pub for fish & chips this week, Michelle Obama and her daughters went to a Yankees game instead. Imagine hearing Letterman saying the following: "You know, the First Lady took Sasha and Malia to a Yankees game this week...[audience cheers, applauds]...uh huh...that's really great because now that school's out, they can do stuff like that in the middle of a weekday. But they'd better be careful hanging around the Yankees---they're liable to get a summer school lesson in sex ed, with A-Rod on the team---he could give them another meaning to "home run!" Equally unfunny, but it also drags in innocent individuals as well as makes implications about their character. The firestorm would be swift and immediate, and rightly so. There's also another issue, which NOW is being mocked for. None of the male figures you mention is generally mocked for a generally male trait. (The possible exception to that is erectile dysfunction & Bob Dole, which he alone is responsible for bringing to the forefront of the general public.) But using any phrase containing the word "slut" or its derivatives automatically conveys a gender-specific reference, almost exclusively female. To extrapolate the above example, if a similar personality had made a 'joke' that went something like "Michelle Obama took Sasha and Malia to a typical pub while in London this week. The girls had fish & chips, the First Lady had a steak; good thing, too---if Mrs Obama had the fish & chips instead, the Secret Service would need to put a "WIDE LOAD" sign on her behind!", the outrage would also be well-placed, since an 'ample derrière' is almost exclusively ascribed to women. It's obvious that Dave L. doesn't care for Governor Palin (and obviously, some of his followers as well); that's fair enough---to a point---but when you make jokes at the expense of some innate trait, that's where it crosses the line. Similar to some on the right who used to say that Hillary Clinton was "so ugly, not even a lesbian would date her". The vast majority of the studio audience here is well versed on most of the "-isms" in popular use today, except when it comes to sexism, to which I've noticed a distinct tone deafness. That's where the "it's a joke" defense just doesn't fly, especially when you substitute another inherent quality for the gender aspect and it still reeks. _____ On Jun 12, 7:15 pm, PGage <[email protected]> wrote: > On Fri, Jun 12, 2009 at 3:53 PM, televisiongirl > <[email protected]>wrote: > > > So if a person calls a woman "slutty," as long as that person doesn't > > honestly believe the woman he/she called "slutty" sleeps around, it is OK. > > I don't really agree. If that person doesn't believe the woman is > > "slutty," why mention it at all? > > Dave also implied that Former NY Gov Elliot Spitzer would sexually attack an > 18 year old girl. I don't think that Dave really thinks that Spitzer is a > potential rapist. I suppose you might ask why Dave would say that if he > didn't believe it - but I don't think you would, because the answer is > obvious - as Kevin noted, it is a joke. I doubt Dave really believes all > the things he has said over the years about Bill and Hillary Clinton, George > W Bush, Dan Quayle, Al Gore or Bob Dole. THEY ARE JOKES. > > Now, they may be unfunny jokes. I saw each of the Palin bits in question as > they were aired, without any warning or filter; I thought the slutty flight > attendant bit (which I think was a Top 10 item) was hilarious, the thing > about the daughter not really. I see almost all of Dave's shows, and he > tells a dozen lame, unfunny jokes a week. > > I don't think there is anything more offensive in Dave's Palin bits than > there was in the SNL Patterson bits this year. > > Kevin wonders why Pallin reacts like this, but we know - this is how they > raise money. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ TV or Not TV .... Smart (TV) People on Ice! You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TV or Not TV" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/tvornottv?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
