Did David Letterman go too far with Willow Palin joke?

David Letterman has never been shy about airing his contempt for former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin. During the run-up to the 2008 election, Palin's foibles were the subject of countless jokes on Letterman's late-night talk show. Even with the election over, Letterman shows little sign of letting up on Palin, who still makes an occasional appearance in his opening monologue.  

However, Monday's show has drawn criticism from both sides of the aisle for a joke made about Sarah Palin's 14-year-old daughter, Willow. During his opening monologue, Letterman poked fun at Sarah and Willow's recent weekend outing to a Yankees game, joking that, "during the seventh inning, her daughter was knocked up by Alex Rodriguez."

The joke is a reference to Sarah Palin's other daughter, Bristol, whose unwed pregnancy was made a focal point of the 2008 presidential elections. Despite the numerous jokes made about Sarah Palin during her campaign, comedians generally avoided making jokes about her children. Public figures may be fair game, but children of politicians are usually considered off-limits. 

As such, reader response to the joke has been generally negative.

"David has been a crass has-been for years who's only so quick to kiss the collective behinds of the liberal Hollywood elite who are desperate to hock their latest tripe on TV and film. What he did was dead on wrong, and it's time we stop placating these arbiters of cool and shut them down. This vitriol has got to stop, and Dave didn't just cross the line, but he gleefully bolted past it," remarked writestuffla.

"Public figures are one thing, but trying to derive humor at the expense of someone's kids is deplorable. I don't recall a "comedian" poking fun of former Senator Edwards', former VP Gore's, or President Obama's children," wrote Jumpin' Jellybeans.

(Read more comments after the jump.)

Some readers defended Letterman, arguing that Palin's decision to expose Bristol's pregnancy to the media opened her children to the public spotlight.

"Sarah made her daughter and her out of wedlock pregnancy part of her political persona. Sure it's a cheap shot, but Sarah Palin is the one who put her daughter and her daughter's sexuality in the spotlight," said Peggy Pendleton.

"If the Palin are going to parade her kids on stage in front of the world, making them public figures, then they need to accept that they'll be subject to jokes, even off-color ones. As far as I'm concerned, they all got what they deserved, and maybe the Palin's will now buy a clue and realize if THEY want to protect their kids, they will keep them out of site in Alaska---and leave us alone," EyesWideOpen wrote.

"What is with the nonsense I hear that Sarah Palin "parade[s] her kids on stage in front of the world, making them public figures"? When have they done that? Where? At the Republican convention? How is Palin's children appearing with her and her husband *any* different than any other politician's family appearing at public events? It does not make *children* fair game for perverted jokes!" Pete Nelson responded.

"Any lowlife who feels that attacking kids is OK because they appeared with their parent is begging for bad attention," added melty.

So what's the verdict?  Did Letterman's joke cross the line?  Should the children of politicians be off-limits to comedians and political pundits? 

-- Brendan Bigelow

Photo: CBS 

Comments

[USARULES]

Letterman was rude. This was completely uncalled for.....Now.......what would happen if something like this was said about the Obama girls? Oh MY...........
Leave Sarah Palin alone. Regarless if you support her or not, doesnt give anyone the right to attack the children like this.

[GfromNassauCounty]

While it is deplorable that this child is the subject to sexual discussions, she is not the first underage child of a national politician to be sexualized. Doesn't anyone one remember the horrible comments made by SNL cast about Chelsea Clintion. This type of humor should be expected and we the people should ignore it. Just as we ignore comments made by immature people in our daily lives.

[James Johnson]

Just think what would have happened if Imus had said what Letterman said - he's be canned AGAIN. There's no excusing for ANYONE to talk about children in that way! Why did Letterman think he had that right.

[susan]

Lord knows I hate to agree with Sarah Palin on anything, but this time I have no choice. It doesn't matter which teenage daughter was the butt of this joke, it was in extremely poor taste.

[Bob Colburn]

I'm a 43 year old independant, who in the past had always voted democratic, as did the rest of my family. However, in 2008 my concience wouldn't let me. I first voted in the primary for Mike Huckabee, and then because of Ms. Palin, for McCain/Palin in the general election. I also used to be a fan of David Letterman, but I guess one of us grew up. I find it interesting that a man of his success, due to free speech and other liberties which he seems to want to destroy, would so openly attack not only Sarah Palin, but her daughter, demonstrates how desperate he is for either ratings, or approval from other moral degenerates. The Palins are very graciouse people and should be extremely proud. There are many of us out there who feel this way, and our voices are getting louder.

[ken]

Letterman is a comedian talkshow host. That's what he does. If you dont like it, dont watch. All this polically correct stuff by the right is a joke. Have you people ever listened to Rush Limbaugh? If your going to Letterman a hard time for what he said then you should be putting all your efforts to get Rush off the airwaves all together because that guy is the biggest biggot,drug addict crack pot there is.

[Jerry]

Just nasty, not the Letterman I grew old with.

[ken]

Letterman is a comedian talkshow host. That's what he does. If you dont like it, dont watch. All this polically correct stuff by the right is a joke. Have you people ever listened to Rush Limbaugh? If your going to Letterman a hard time for what he said then you should be putting all your efforts to get Rush off the airwaves all together because that guy is the biggest biggot,drug addict crack pot there is.

Besides, if the Palin family cant stand the publisity. Then Sara Palin should of never put herself if the situation. Go stare at Russia from your kitchen window and leave the USA to inteligent people to run the country.

[Mandy]

There was nothing he said that was so horrible or that comedians haven't already said about Bristol. That being said, I didn't hear anybody come to Jamie-Lynn Spears' defense when she got pregnant at 16 and everyone made jokes that were 10 times crueler than Letterman's joke. And I don't wanna hear the B.S. excuse "Oh, well unlike Bristol, she was famous in her own right and chose to do so". Please. Even if Jamie-Lynn wasn't involved in show business, by virtue of being Britney Spears' sister everyone would have known about her and her pregnancy and still make fun of her. And it doesn't matter if she's famous in her own right or by association. Making fun of kids isn't nice. If people were so strict about upholding this rule with Bristol Palin, then they should've done the same for Jamie-Lynn Spears. No double standards. Unless of course you're a conservative. Oh, and by the way, Dave's joke was directed at the hypocrisy of the Palins' pro-abstinence approach. Not toward the daughter. Get a clue, people.

[H Moore]

That was tacky and classless, hit Sarah Palin, but that type of humor is not humor.

[Brad]

"The joke is a reference to Sarah Palin's other daughter, Bristol"

You admit that your headline for this blog post is misleading, I see.

[Bob]

To judge the depth of Letterman's poor taste, ask yourself just one question: would he have made a similar remark about Barrack Obama's daughters? End of story.

[rzan]

I llike David Letterman a lot. I know that he is a decent man. Sarah Palin, in her need to hold the public's attention, is once again exploiting one of her daughters. Dave never mentioned her name, but Gov. Pailn and "Todd" have numerous times. When parents don't respect their own children, it gives the public permission to not respect them. I am sorry for the kids to have such self involved parents. I do hope the good people of Alaska will wise up and see Sarah for who she is, someone who uses her own kids to campaign for major public office. She sickens me.

[Bye Bye Daviepoo]

Bye bye David. Your show has seen it's last on my screen.

[Comedian Lover]

Plenty of other comedians have made jokes about Sarah Palin's daughter. The author of this article doesn't know what they're talking about. On what planet are the children of politicians off-limits to comedians? get real.

[Jamie]

To ask "what would happen if something like this was said about the Obama girls" is just ridiculous; the Obama girls are under 10 years old.

In contrast, the joke (which was about Bristol, not Willow) is not funny and was in bad taste, but when Bristol Palin tours media circuits and becomes a public spokeswoman for abstainence-only education, I think we should be able to accept that she is a person in her own right and not merely the daughter of Sarah Palin.

As an adult, Bristol is fair game for anyone to joke about.

[J]

Here is some perspective:

Palin: "it would be wise to keep Willow away from David Letterman"
Letterman: "her daughter was knocked up by Alex Rodriguez"

What is the difference? Palin took a jab at Letterman, and used her 14 year old daughter to make a lewd reference to Letterman potentially molesting her. Letterman took a jab at ARod, and tied in the 18 yr old pregnancy with the issue.

No difference.

[Maggie Brott]

Funny enough, I think the joke is as much aimed at A-Rod, but no one feels it's inappropriate towards him.

[chris]

it was an unfortunate joke, but I'd agree with Eyes Wide Open.... her parading her kids around puts them out in the spotlight. Look at the Obama kids, who are protected from the media, whereas the Palins have flown their kids around AK on the state's dime, sent Bristol to do interviews, etc. If you seek the spotlight and get it, you have to deal with the consequences.

[Ernie Richardson]

Letterman should be fired no ifs ands of whats about it fired him

[BuffaloGal]

Letterman was making a ( somewhat poor) reference /joke about Palin's 18 year old daughter .

Palin's children should not be in the spotlight but Palin herself has dragged every single one of them into that very spotlight.

[dave andrien]

Hey, It was pretty damned funny. Don't get bent.

[Bush is a Criminal]

boo hiss, Palin is a pig and her daughter is a tramp.

[Meme]

Everything is fair game and everyone is fair game. Don't like it then don't come out in public,

[SteveSanders]

Anyone that has watched Letterman knows that he is a dirty perverted old man and that this type of joke is a regular for him. What he really wanted to say (or fantasizes about) is that he himself knocking up Willow.