Thursday, June 11, 2009
Hmm...
posted at 9:13 AM |
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David Letterman really should get his writers to put their and his verbal acuity and skills to funnier and ultimately more effective use. Bad taste and meanness are such a witless and lazy recourse. When one is ten and on the playground, it's mean but it's part of a social learning process to throw zingers out and laugh in that conspiratorial way at "them." But somewhere around fifteen or twenty or forty or fifty (how old is Letterman now?), most of us realize that nasty flippancies aren't all that funny and might backfire, particularly if, for example, you didn't marry your son's wife until your child was nearly six, stones and glass houses being what they are.
And this isn't about politics, by the way. I completely realize that the Palins are lightning rods and draw ridicule to themselves like flypaper draws flies. All the more reason that it isn't necessary to be tasteless and mean. For one thing it rallies their defenders. For another it overlooks so many others who are worthy of wry remarks. Besides, if Letterman had said anything even remotely like the A-Rod or Spitzer "jokes" about Dick Cheney's daughter or Amy Carter or Chelsea Clinton, for example, not to mention about Sotomayor or Hillary, it would be crystal clear how dreadful the taste and how just plain rude it was. Plus, Dave's trying to slink out of responsibility for the bad taste just added to the stupidity of it all. There's plenty to lambaste Palin (and Letterman) about without dragging either of their young children into it.
Obama's presidency seems to have restored a level of decorum to the public discourse. It would be beyond unfortunate if lazy so-called comedy writers dragged us down again.
And this isn't about politics, by the way. I completely realize that the Palins are lightning rods and draw ridicule to themselves like flypaper draws flies. All the more reason that it isn't necessary to be tasteless and mean. For one thing it rallies their defenders. For another it overlooks so many others who are worthy of wry remarks. Besides, if Letterman had said anything even remotely like the A-Rod or Spitzer "jokes" about Dick Cheney's daughter or Amy Carter or Chelsea Clinton, for example, not to mention about Sotomayor or Hillary, it would be crystal clear how dreadful the taste and how just plain rude it was. Plus, Dave's trying to slink out of responsibility for the bad taste just added to the stupidity of it all. There's plenty to lambaste Palin (and Letterman) about without dragging either of their young children into it.
Obama's presidency seems to have restored a level of decorum to the public discourse. It would be beyond unfortunate if lazy so-called comedy writers dragged us down again.
3 comments
I find it a little hard to believe that your objections aren't politically motivated since Letterman has been making these kinds of jokes for 30ish years, tons of people made tasteless jokes about Chelsea AND at least Letterman's job is to make jokes. Where is your blog post about these jokes made by John McCain?
At a Senate Republican fundraiser: "Why is Chelsea Clinton so ugly?" Answer: "Because her father is Janet Reno."
From Senate race: "Did you hear the one about the woman who is attacked on the street by a gorilla, beaten senseless, raped repeatedly and left to die? When she finally regains consciousness and tries to speak, her doctor leans over to hear her sigh contently and to feebly ask, 'Where is that marvelous ape?'
McCain to Fox News: "The French remind me a little bit of an aging actress of the 1940s who is still trying to dine out on her looks but doesn't have the face for it."
In 2008, McCain responded to a question with the line, "And I stopped beating my wife just a couple of weeks ago."
Letterman's job is to make jokes, including political and provocative ones. I have a much bigger issue with tasteless, misogynistic humor coming from someone in a political role -- esp. one trying to represent me.
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