Generally speaking, The Line, when it comes to public figures, seems to be their private parts (though that doesn't seem to apply to nightclub comedians at times). That, and perhaps the areas of slander and libel (cf, Carol Burnett and The National Enquirer); at least in the USA. Or put another way, The Line is what people will tolerate hearing about. (In the above examples, few would want to hear jokes about Madonna's genitalia--or that of A-Rod.)
Again, generally speaking, there is greater caution when any public figure is a minor, as well as the child of a public figure. As an example, the jokes made about Miley Cyrus usually have more to do with her father than she herself. As for the recent presidential progeny, I distinctly recall seeing much of Chelsea Clinton as well as Sasha & Malia Obama on the campaign trail, as well as at DNC '92 & '96, and in the case of the latter, DNC '08. It has long been standard practice to display the children of presidential and vice presidential candidates in order to humanize them in the eyes of the public. It is only after the candidates become successful in their respective races that it is suggested that perhaps it is time for the scrutiny to end. I see no real difference in the above examples and in the Palins 'use' (or misuse) of their children. I also don't think, as previously suggested, that taking one's children to a MLB game is "showcasing" them, any more than taking them to a pub in London is. The reason there might be outrage for Mr Letterman's humor is that there is already a precedent for an illicit pregnancy in the target family---Bristol Palin, as well as the fact that the maker of the statements is already on record as not being a fan of the child's mother. It's a little like telling jokes about the Bush daughters' drinking escapades and implying that it must run in the family-- questionable, but still okay if that was the only incidence in the family, but tasteless when a close family member is an admitted substance abuser. _____ On Jun 13, 12:15 am, PGage <[email protected]> wrote: > On Fri, Jun 12, 2009 at 10:39 PM, pedegars <[email protected]> wrote: > > The reason it's okay (to a point) to tell jokes about Madonna and > > various sports figures, et al, is because they are public figures who > > presumably have a choice about their profession, not members of > > groups. Now Governor Palin is also a public figure---but her children > > are not. (Wasn't this all explained by Bill & Hillary Clinton circa > > 1993?!) Now if I have to explain this any further to an educational > > professional, we've got bigger problems than what a late night teevee > > host said about someone. > > I am not sure what point you would use to draw the line in telling jokes > about Madonna. Who would you elect to define and enforce that point? Public > figures are fair game - the only point is the period at the end of the > sentence. > > I grant that reasonable people can disagree over whether or not Bristol > Palin is a public figure. Chelsea Clinton was not trotted out and used by > her father to make political points during the campaign. Bristol was, and > cooperated in that, and so I think she became a public figure herself (and > certainly now she has gone and put herself out there in the public square > herself). The Bush girls were the subject of a hell of a lot more late night > tasteless jokes than Bristol has been - arguably with much less > justification. > > What is not reasonable is the charge that Dave was telling sex jokes about > the 14 year old daughter. That is being trumped up to create a basis for all > the moral indignation, and is not really worth any more response than what > Dave gave it the other night. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ 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 -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
