Has America become such a sex-crazed, debauched nation that telling disgusting rape jokes about a political figure's daughter could make you more popular?
Such was posed Saturday by the Associated Press's David Bauder in a piece titled "Could Palin flap be Letterman's Hugh Grant?"
Strap yourselves in tightly before proceeding, and please do so with caution:
Sarah Palin would no doubt be horrified by the idea, but there's a chance she could become the same boon to David Letterman's career that Hugh Grant was to Jay Leno's.
Grant's 1995 appearance on NBC's "Tonight" show after a prostitution arrest, where Leno famously asked "what were you thinking?," was seen in retrospect as a turning point in the late-night race. It drew a huge audience and propelled Leno to the top of the ratings, a spot he would not relinquish.
Letterman did not court last week's battle with Palin, who called him "perverted" for making a joke about her daughter getting "knocked up" by New York Yankee Alex Rodriguez, and he said in retrospect the remark was in poor taste.
Palin rebuffed his invitations to appear on the show, but that might not matter. The story had the effect of turning the attention to Letterman at a critical time, during the second week of his new competition with Leno's replacement, Conan O'Brien.
"It will be interesting to see if that can be maintained or whether it is one of those temporary things," said Robert Thompson, director of the Center for the Study of Popular Television at Syracuse University.
The final numbers won't be out until later in the week, but there's a strong chance that Letterman could average more viewers than the "Tonight" show in the second week of O'Brien's new 11:35 p.m. job.
Wouldn't that be quite an exclamation point on this sordid affair: a man tells a disgusting joke about a political official's daughter and ends up benefiting from it?
Excuse me, but I suddenly feel the need to wash my hands.
—Noel Sheppard is the Associate Editor of NewsBusters. Follow him at Facebook and Twitter.
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I've heard these statements by liberal pundits and on these
June 13, 2009 - 14:32 ET by pahuberthreads make this same comment. Even though it may be true for a few nights (just to see what dave says), it will be short lived.
Dave has basically lost his talent and ability to be funny w/o scathing some conservative guest. Nobody really enjoys watching this type of program when trying to laugh or relax at night.
Absolutely right
June 14, 2009 - 00:41 ET by danebramageI totally agree, pahuber. This may benefit Lettercarrier over the next couple of days, but it hurts him in the long run. Let all the geniuses declare victory, believing that their bravado will save the day. Lettercarrier's done for.
Not just because of this, mind you. Liberal "humor" in general has overstayed its welcome.
These are 2 libs to listen to
June 14, 2009 - 03:08 ET by well99http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpIGfR2jTs8&feature=channel
Kirsten Powers makes a good point.You always hear how Sara is parading her family around.Other politicians have their families at events yet the left doesnt say anything.
Thank you for the link Well99. I recommend it heartily.
June 14, 2009 - 19:43 ET by pahuberThe liberals like Kirsten can be rational once in awhile... just wish they would do this more often ; )
Kirsten is one of the more articulate liberals, no doubt about that!
pahuber
June 14, 2009 - 19:51 ET by well99When the left was attacking Sara during the elections she was standing up for Sara.I dont agree with her alot but I respect her opinion because it isnt just talking points.
Well come on, this is no
June 13, 2009 - 14:30 ET by bigtimerWell come on, this is no shocking news, some of us have already said this will do nothing but increase his ratings....and he knows it too.
Hence his pathetic so-called apology....which was replayed ad nauseum everywhere...more and more people will be wanting to watch the rest of this train wreck...sad but true.
I've never watched this POS forever and won't, but unfortunately, tons will...and they all know it that work there.
Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea. ~Andrew Breitbart
This is one dirty old man
June 13, 2009 - 14:35 ET by DelsaWasn't his own child 5 years old or something before he married the mother?
His mind is sick and twisted even to come up with crap like this.
May he and his mouth be flushed!
Dave's A Perv.
June 13, 2009 - 15:44 ET by flyingmonkeyI don't think he was allowed to marry her until she became of age.
→ monkey
June 13, 2009 - 16:04 ET by Cool ArrowLetterman's already trying to make sex hook-ups on the air.
His wife knows exactly why she's married to him. I think she was safer collecting child support.
The only reason Clarence Thomas is on the Court is because he is black - Joe Biden
No, it wasn't an age thing
June 13, 2009 - 17:29 ET by SickofLibsAt some animal shelters, the wait list can be years for housebroken dogs.
That's a joke, Dave.
How do we know that the
June 13, 2009 - 14:48 ET by snaggletoothieHow do we know that the father of that kid Letterman thinks is his is not some Yankee to be named later?
Ever seen his wife?
June 13, 2009 - 17:26 ET by SickofLibsThere's not enough booze in all NYC.
(That's a joke, Dave)
I know that was a disgusting
June 13, 2009 - 14:51 ET by snaggletoothieI know that was a disgusting and tasteless joke. But everybody knows I've been doing that for years just out of a sick need for attention.
Pity for Letterman it's not sweeps week
June 13, 2009 - 14:51 ET by Kat Outta the BagSuch a shame...all this free publicity and it won't even count in the Nielsons.
Help Letterman's ratings?
June 13, 2009 - 15:01 ET by jefflebowskiHeck, at this point, Letterman's own mother watching him would probably double his audience. I think he's using ACORN to drag the homeless from under bridges to sit in his audience!
Angry White Dude
www.angrywhitedude.c...
Probably both Letterman
June 13, 2009 - 15:04 ET by MidAmericaProbably both Letterman and Sarah Palin will benefit. Letterman is benefitting short term but Palin will long term because there is no excusing what Letterman said and it exposes the hypocrisy and political venom that is unfairly dumped on her. Right now Letterman is just getting extra attention from people who are watching to see if he is going to say something more. So if he doesn't become a late night version of olbermann and he goes back to doing his tired old shtick he's been losing viewers with, everybody will soon forget about him again.
Dave has Carson Envy
June 13, 2009 - 15:36 ET by ClericalGalLetterman has never gotten over being passed over for Johnny Carson's job. When Jay Leno overtook him in the ratings, the game was over. He became embittered and started being unfunny. By lashing out at conservatives he is trying to be "current" but he comes off as a mean old man. I am one of the few who watched Letterman's daytime show on NBC in the early 80s, and he was genuinely funny then. But not now.
I See No Bump.
June 13, 2009 - 15:51 ET by flyingmonkeyI don't believe the gapped-toothed pervert will experience any kind of ratings bump what-so-ever. Watch for his ratings to go south immediately ala Anderson Cooper.
Count me in as one of the few. That's why my bro & me were
June 13, 2009 - 16:47 ET by pahuberexcited when he went to late night. He had some very unusual guests in the early days when the 'dignified' would not grace his show.
BTW... remember that druid looking guy that was really weird & muttered bizzar things... dave had him on quite a few times then poof... never saw him on dl anymore.
agreed
June 13, 2009 - 17:10 ET by ZuccoZoidTotally agree - CARSON would never stoop to that; these are quips deliberately meant to draw the very attention we're giving to them now, at the expense of another person who dared enter the "right" side of the field.
Next step: ELIMINATE ALL SPORTS, ESPECIALLY FOOTBALL, because one team is WRONG and YOUR TEAM is good one - why fight? Just hand 'em the trophy and send the other team to a gulag for re-training.
Carson envy
June 13, 2009 - 18:39 ET by Kat Outta the BagYou're right...I stopped watching him shortly after he lost the Tonight Show gig to Leno because his bitterness started to show too much. And I watched his daytime show in the early '80s, too. Now he's just a shell of his former self.
When you said "Carson envy"
June 13, 2009 - 19:39 ET by OxyConI thought you meant "Carson Daly", who probably has a bigger audience than Letterman right now. Lol
Carson Daly?
June 13, 2009 - 20:07 ET by Kat Outta the BagIs he still around?
Jumping the gun
June 13, 2009 - 18:32 ET by imau2fanI love how the article says, "the final numbers won't be out until later in the week," yet currently the headline on the Yahoo front page says "Palin flap boosting Letterman."
Ya know, if you're gonna let your wishes jump ahead of your facts, at least be subtle about it. Sheesh.
If Republican teenagers are fair game for the Left to savage
June 13, 2009 - 19:36 ET by OxyCon...then you really do have to wonder why the comedians aren't making any jokes about Biden's 27 year old adult daughter snorting up large quantities of illegal cocaine, don't you?
As Biden has proven without a doubt, he is a goofy ignoramus, and his children at times behave badly, even committing crimes.
Yet the Left and 90% of the media consistently and relentlessly portray Sarah Palin as a stupid ignoramus. According the left and the media, she was the bad choice for Vice President, not Biden, and her children bring the attacks on themselves because they are bad people.
The double standard is sickening and it is a large reason why no one wants to watch CNN, MSBS, CBS, NBC or ABC anymore.
Letterman is a washed-up has-been
June 13, 2009 - 19:50 ET by R D HelmHis show hasn't been remotely funny since the 1980's.
He's yesterday's toast.
-Dave
Obama's health care "reform" plan is to blow up the building in order to fix a leak in the roof-Herman Cain
This is nothing new. People
June 13, 2009 - 20:23 ET by balboaThis is nothing new. People love spectacle. They love controversy. So they'll tune in to see if anything new happens.
→ For a while
June 13, 2009 - 20:33 ET by Cool ArrowThen he has to think about whether to move on with new material or stay mired in his Palin-hate.
Then it gets back to potholes and closing Broadway to traffic.
He just didn't measure up to that "what were you thinking?" moment.
So does he stick with the "women serve one purpose" jokes, or does he move on?
Sanjaya hasn't exactly wowed the crowd.
♣ a seal
AP Fails
June 13, 2009 - 21:15 ET by TN MomOf course the AP fails to mention that many women are offended by Letterman's crude 'joke'.
promote his competitor
June 13, 2009 - 21:27 ET by LorraineConan O'Brien would be smart to ask Palin to be on his show. That would draw the lookie-loos to his show and away from Letterman's. It would also help if he stood for decency and renounced the pervert.
This is yet another thing to make me glad I don't watch TV.
Lorraine....that is a
June 13, 2009 - 21:32 ET by bigtimerLorraine....that is a priceless idea...you've got me laughing with just the thought of it.
Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea. ~Andrew Breitbart
jessieH How can
June 14, 2009 - 09:53 ET by jessieHjessieH How can WE let Letterman say these things about any woman.
All Should Fail
June 14, 2009 - 10:11 ET by slickwillie2001We won't really know if Lecherman benefits from this controversy, because this is happening during the launch of Conan's 'new' show. It appears that Conan hasn't really taken over the Tonight Show, rather he has moved his 12:30am show to 11:30pm. He uses the same stupid schticks that he used in his old show (like 'In the year 2000', etc) and hopefully he will fail.
All of these clowns, -Lecherman, Leno, Ferguson, and O'Brien, are hard-left democratics that use their shows to advance liberal causes. We should hope that they all fail. Since Carson all has been downhill. I don't understand why other networks like Fox or ABC don't come up with something at 11:30 to compete with them.
Letterman is a deranged slob
June 14, 2009 - 11:31 ET by Reaganite Republican- and his stale schtick's about as funny as a train wreck. I say give Todd Palin five minutes alone with this creep- maybe then he'd get the hard education in moral clarity that he so severely lacks.
If Sarah Palin is SO silly and irrelevant, why the obsession? Clearly the Left noted her appeal, and are out to eliminate the threat- it’s not like it’s not obvious.
And she’s been highly successful in life while ignoring the left-wing feminist model… this helps to explain the extra dose of venom in the attacks.
Go get em, Sarah- and don’t mind the press, nobody will be listening to them anymore after the pending Obamamania implosion-
http://reaganiterepublicanresistance.blogspot.com