Sexism and Free Market Comedy.
15 06 2009The following press release was issued today. Read it first, and we’ll all join up afterward for a big helping of irony.
Sen. Menard and Rep. Fairclough angered by Letterman joke, encourage apology to all women.
Wasilla, AK, June 15, 2009 – Alaska Senator Linda Menard and Alaska Representative Anna Fairclough today expressed their concerns regarding CBS comedian David Letterman’s sexually exploitative comments regarding Governor Sarah Palin’s young daughter, and his refusal to apologize not only to the Palin family, but to a nation of women he offended.
“I have been watching this progress for nearly a week and still no apology from Letterman, only excuses,” Menard said. “Apparently, Mr. Letterman has forgotten what constitutes a minor, but I can assure you Americans have not. I encourage CBS stockholders to hold Mr. Letterman accountable for the degrading remarks he made on his June 8 show. As a wife, mother and a female Alaska state senator, I’m disheartened at this low-level, gutter-like ‘comedy.’”
Rep. Fairclough added: “As the former executive director of Standing Together Against Rape – STAR – I am acutely aware of the devastating effects that sexual violence has in our nation. The sex jokes scripted and repeated by Mr. Letterman reflect a lack of respect for all women and perpetuate and encourage sexism and violence against women. While some may laugh and think his joke is harmless, it was made at the expense of a young girl in an effort to slap her mother. Every parent should imagine this joke directed at their own child. Mr. Letterman’s further attempt to make light of a serious situation shows his lack of understanding of the issue surrounding sexual violence in this country.”
OK, so you get the general idea. They’re outraged. They’re offended. They cite the fact that they are women, that they are opposed to things like rape and violence against women, as we all are. They are offended that anyone would make light of sexual assault. They are angry.
And now, the irony. Remember these comments from Alaska Attorney General nominee, Wayne Anthony Ross?
“If a guy can’t rape his wife, who’s he gonna rape?”
“There wouldn’t be an issue with domestic violence if women would learn to keep their mouths shut.”
Those lovely little gems came from detailed transcribed notes by a wintess who was listening to a meeting of DADs (Dads Against Discrimination), where Mr. Ross was discussing a Marital Consent Law that had been introduced by then Representative Rick Halford. Yes, Wayne Anthony Ross was on the side that said there doesn’t need to be a law saying that a man can’t rape his wife.
In addition to his blatantly anti-gay, anti-subsistence views which alienated the LGBT community and the Alaska Native community, the rape jokes didn’t go over so well with women. Neither did other public testimony that called Ross out for making sexist comments in another meeting.
The women I know were outraged. They were offended. They don’t think rape jokes are funny. They couldn’t believe that this man, with this reputation, who was this divisive, could have been nominated to the office of Attorney General by a woman - a woman, incidentally that this AG nominee said looked ‘provocative’ in her Arctic Cat ‘leathers’ during his own hearings.
What did Fairclough and Menard have to say about this? Here’s the official statement from Rep. Anna Fairclough that came not in the form of a press release, but in the form of a vote:
“Yes.”
And here’s the statement from Sen. Linda Menard:
“Yes.”
That’s right, they both voted to approve the nomination of Wayne Anthony Ross to be the Attorney General of the State of Alaska.
We should be as tired of inconsistent politically advantageous outrage as we are about the jokes themselves. Alaskans of all stripes were genuinely outraged when a joke was made on Saturday Night Live about Todd Palin committing incest with his underage daughters. I don’t agree with the Palins’ politics most of the time. I also don’t think incest jokes are funny. It went beyond tasteless. What was the comment from Sarah Palin?
Yes, I’d love to appear on Saturday Night Live. And she did.
Sarah Palin was absolutely right about one thing. She said in her interview with Wolf Blitzer that people need to learn to boo when comedians cross the line. Yes they do. But when David Letterman told that joke the other night, the laughter wasn’t all joyful and frivolous. There was an audible sound of “you’ve crossed the line.” If comedians crossed the line all the time, they’d lose their audience. They learn to push it to the edge, and when they go too far, the audience tells them so and they self-correct. Free market comedy. The thing we need to do as a society is redraw the line.
So when are we all going to start getting outraged with other late night comedians? Hip hop artists? With radio talk show hosts? With movies and TV? With nominees for Attorney General? With our husbands or fathers or grandfathers? With our sons and brothers and coworkers? With our bosses?
Palin supporters can make a stink with David Letterman. And he can apologize, and they can feel like they’ve done something, and then it goes away. Or we can all decide that we’re going to redraw our own line, and then do it.
The problem is wider than the Palin family. This Sunday, for instance, longtime South Carolina Republican activist Rusty DePass seemed was caught making a racist joke on his Facebook page about First Lady Michelle Obama.
Over the weekend, a gorilla escaped from a zoo in Columbia, and according to the New York Daily News, DePass just couldn’t resist what he saw as the perfect opportunity for humor, updating his status message to read,
“I’m sure it’s just one of Michelle’s ancestors – probably harmless.”
Apparently, not only is DePass fond of racist humor, he also doesn’t think too highly of evolution, either. One can tell a lot about a person from the apology he or she issues following an off-color joke, and on this score DePass seemed intent digging his hole a bit deeper.
…DePass told WIS-TV in Columbia, “I am as sorry as I can be if I offended anyone. The comment was clearly in jest.”
Not funny. I wonder which of the newly activated Palin feminists will be starting the letter writing campaign, or picketing the office of Rusty DePass? I wonder how much coverage this will get? The world seems to be listening pretty closely to what Governor Palin thinks about tasteless jokes aimed at women.
I hope she speaks up.
June 16th, 2009 at 11:42 AM
Martha Says:
June 16th, 2009 at 11:26 AM
184 sauerkraut Says:
June 16th, 2009 at 11:01 AM
______________
Think of it this way…
Is there a clear photo of Willow at the parade? Yes
Is there a clear photo of Willow at the autism walk? Yes
Is there any clear photo of Willow at the game? NO! Is there anything at all written by anyone anywhere that indicates Willow as at the game? Nope.
When her kids are with here are there photos to prove it? Yep. She has those kids in front of the camera all the time, every-time she takes them anywhere.
No photo evidence of Willow at B-Ball game. No written evidence of Willow at the game. Hmmmmmmmmm, and we are supposed to believe that Palin expected everyone to just KNOW that Willow was there? Why? If no one mentions it in the writing they did of the game, and no photos are taken of Willow at the game, how would anyone know? Giuliani hasn’t come out and confirmed she was at the game has he? Nope.
No one got photos of Palin’s sister or nephew or Willow at the game. Why? Would they be relegated off to some obscure seats so they wouldn’t be near the Palins themselves? That seems rather unlikely wouldn’t it? They weren’t near Palin from all the photo evidence so what would any reasonable person conclude? That they weren’t there at all.
June 16th, 2009 at 11:45 AM
I am disgusted with this entire thing! I am a 56 year old woman, who worked hard my entire life. I was the first female exec. director of an alcohol and drug treatment centre that had a reputation for being “rough” . I used my brains and my knowledge and a huge dose of humour to get the position, and I remained in it for 11 years and proved myself. The centre became one of the very best in the province.
I have worked with men almost all my life. Have I liked the jokes…the innuendo..no. Has it got better…yes.
Currently, I am working as the only female in a company that has tradesmen. These are great guys, and they treat me with great respect. I demand it….I have earned it. Not just because I am a woman, but because I say what I mean and mean what I say.
Often, I have gone back into the shop for something, and overhear things that some may not like. My theory is, if I cant stand the heat…stay out of kitchen, and I can give as good as I get.
I have raised a daughter and a son. My son is respectful and loving to his spouse…and I have always been told how wonderfully polite and kind he is…yet I know he has had his moments with tasteless jokes. He has played all sports all his life…locker room crap. He knows where to draw the line.
My daughter married the same type of guy…and she like me, is not easily offended.
I believe in political correctness, however…Letterman and the rest are comedians. Americans are always espousing “free speech”. Its ok for the likes of WAR to say what he wants….its ok for Palin to laugh at a cancer victim and refer to Hillarys loss to Obama as…”sambo beat the bitch”. Its ok for her to out her daughter to millions of people and to call your president a terrorist. She is a vile ugly woman. She is cunning…manipulative …but she is also very stupid.
If she wants to be involved in politics at the Federal level she better get a thicker skin. Perhaps Lettermans joke was tasteless…but it was about A-Rod…and he has since apologized. If any of the pee-ers think that they will scare Bill Maher..lol…look out! He will be out after her as a much bigger pit bull than she could ever be.
I am so angry…I know I am rambling, but I think you sensible men and women know what I mean. Of course I want the self esteem of our young woman to be healthy. Its not the job of late night comedians to do that. Its up to the parents…and I dont see anything to show that Palin has done anything to help her daughters grow up to be healthy young women emotionally.
She is a media whore, who will go nowhere. History will remember her as a blip…or a nothing, or worse.
Just a few months folks…then she is done.
June 16th, 2009 at 12:02 PM
I sincerely hope that Gov. Palin gives the same response regarding the insult to the first lady that the first lady and Hillary (they are women right and have daughters right??)
gave to Gov. Palin. Now that is change you can believe…equal treatment for and about all women
June 16th, 2009 at 12:06 PM
injuneau
I’ve looked at that picture several times now, I really just see an older Asian woman, not Willow.
June 16th, 2009 at 12:16 PM
199 EyeOnYou Says:
June 16th, 2009 at 11:42 AM
Martha Says:
June 16th, 2009 at 11:26 AM
184 sauerkraut Says:
June 16th, 2009 at 11:01 AM
______________
I think you’ve summed it up nicely, if there WERE pics, she’d “sure as shootin’”be show them! Besides, there are only a limited number of seats in a box. Giuliani wouldn’t have room for her entire crew.
When she was making the talk show circuit, she would be showing pics if she had them. Palin was all too prepared with her blackberry for Matt wasn’t she?
June 16th, 2009 at 12:28 PM
A funny column of Lee Strahan on HuffPo entitled “Sarah Palin Named Nation’s First Humor Czar” contained the following typo (?) [Palin/Pain]:
The announcement of Pain’s new position was made by Governor Palin’s husband, Todd. It’s not clear if the Obama administration is aware of the appointment.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lee-stranahan/sarah-palin-named-as-nati_b_215982.html
June 16th, 2009 at 12:48 PM
Go to Andrew Halcro’s site, he has a post regarding Exxon that is worth reading.
June 16th, 2009 at 12:51 PM
Let’s see if this works. I put a side by side comparison of two photos. One is a known side view image of Willow and the other is the “asian” looking pic from the game.
paste link into browser:
http://yfrog.com/5gwillowcomparisonp
You decide. My 17 year old son says they are two different people.
June 16th, 2009 at 1:01 PM
What Palin’s phony outrage is REALLY all about;
Supporters Raising Funds For Palin Legal Defense
June 16, 2009 03:58 PM ES
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin’s supporters are holding a Web-a-thon to raise money for her legal defense fund.
Organizers of Conservatives4Palin said they hope to raise more than $500,000 in a week for Palin’s Alaska Fund Trust.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/06/16/supporters-raising-funds_n_216212.html
June 16th, 2009 at 1:30 PM
EyeOnYou, PLEASE keep pounding away on that point. Willow was NOT at the game, unless she was in different seats which will still be more than $150 and have to be reported as a gift. I suspect she was shopping as any normal 14/15 year old girl on a first or 2nd trip to NYC would LOVE to do! Baseball? Yuck! Shopping in the Big Apple? Awesome!
June 16th, 2009 at 1:55 PM
NY Daily News reports there were only 50 people at the Letterman protest today. Not very many considering there are about 6 million people within a half hour.
June 16th, 2009 at 2:03 PM
Eye on you, I think your son is right. It’s two different people. And something no one has mentioned yet, is that the unknown female has her hair parted high on the side, as if the top is tied back, with the rest falling free. I’ve *only* seen the hair loose on the elder Palin girls. Never held with a barrette or anything else. Just a thought.
Clyde – only 50? (Wow, that many? lol)
June 16th, 2009 at 2:04 PM
Eye on you
Well done, not the same person, would love to prove Willow wasn’t at the game, there must be a way.
June 16th, 2009 at 2:14 PM
EyeOnYou Says:
June 16th, 2009 at 12:51 PM
Let’s see if this works. I put a side by side comparison of two photos. One is a known side view image of Willow and the other is the “asian” looking pic from the game.
paste link into browser:
http://yfrog.com/5gwillowcomparisonp
You decide. My 17 year old son says they are two different people.
~~~~~~~~~~
Two different people!
June 16th, 2009 at 2:15 PM
Sorry, did’t add the link.
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2009/06/16/2009-06-16_fire_dave_crowd_lines_up_to_protest_lettermans_palin_joke.html
June 16th, 2009 at 2:20 PM
@ clydedog #215: Her sign says “Fire the pervert – David Letterman – sex offender”. This so over the top, a ridiculous overreaction.
June 16th, 2009 at 2:28 PM
The MSM is now ASSUMING that Willow was at the game. MSNBC, CNN, Faux News.
Someone in NYC has to know the truth.
If she was at the game I will go over to see-four-pee,publically admit my mistake, and throw myself at the mercy of RAM’s ridicule until they delete my post 4-5 minutes later..
BUT, I doubt that will be required.
June 16th, 2009 at 2:45 PM
Watch this!
Willow is not mentioned, nor any joke about her.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovhTqSqXLDU
June 16th, 2009 at 3:42 PM
sjk from the belly of the plane Says:
June 16th, 2009 at 1:30 PM
EyeOnYou, PLEASE keep pounding away on that point. Willow was NOT at the game, unless she was in different seats
____________
For the sake of argument, let’s say that Willow and Palin’s sister & nephew were at the game and in different seats that brings up a whole series of questions.
Why were they in different seats not close to the the Palins & Giuliani’s? (if they had been within a couple of rows, they would have been captured in some of those shots that were taken).
Why are there no photo’s of any of them, but most especially not of Willow?
Why is there no mention of them in any of the write ups of this event?
Why did Rudy not confirm Willow was at the game, or even mention her when he was on Eddie Burkes show?
Why are there photos of Willow at the Autism walk & the Parade with her family but none at the Baseball game?
June 16th, 2009 at 3:47 PM
EyeOnYou Says:
June 16th, 2009 at 3:42 PM
sjk from the belly of the plane Says:
June 16th, 2009 at 1:30 PM
EyeOnYou, PLEASE keep pounding away on that point. Willow was NOT at the game, unless she was in different seats
____________
Why did Rudy not confirm Willow was at the game, or even mention her when he was on Eddie Burkes show?
Why are there photos of Willow at the Autism walk & the Parade with her family but none at the Baseball game?
~~~~~~~~~~~~
The parade was in the morning before that game.
Willow was probably with Heather and the nephew, GINO and Dud had to leave by the sixth inning to go to another awards dinner, that’s why no Willow!
June 16th, 2009 at 4:02 PM
crystalwolf aka caligrl ~
I think that it is becoming more and more obvious that Willow may not have been at that game at all. It just doesn’t make any sense whatsoever that there is no mention of her anywhere, no photos and yet she is mentioned at the other events, with photos to prove it.
June 16th, 2009 at 4:42 PM
Eyes,
Playing devils advocate here, “Why were they in different seats not close to the the Palins & Giuliani’s”…Limited space in the box seats. No room for Willow or the rest of the grifters on the trip.
June 16th, 2009 at 4:44 PM
EyeOnYou Says:
June 16th, 2009 at 4:02 PM
crystalwolf aka caligrl ~
I think that it is becoming more and more obvious that Willow may not have been at that game at all. It just doesn’t make any sense whatsoever that there is no mention of her anywhere, no photos and yet she is mentioned at the other events, with photos to prove it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
She wasn’t there. I’m sure of it now after hearing the interview. And there was no mention of the so called “willow joke” that day either. Wasn’t until the echo chamber made it into something. They and her took a BIG hit on the plagurism story…A BIG HIT! This was a way to redeem the queen.
I sent this to cbs/David Letterman. I hope its gets all over.
June 16th, 2009 at 4:49 PM
Unless SOMEONE in the palin cult can PROVE that Willow was at the game, the circum-sensational evdidence does not place Willow at the game. She was shopping or chilling, but she probably had ZERO interest in the game.
I watched the game. I’m a Rays fan. I recorded and replayed the pan to rudy and scary. Not sure why, but I erased it. Probably to cleanse my DVR!
Again if she was at the game I will go to see-4-pee and grovel. If she wasnt then scarah LIED.
Dear Dave Letterman, FIND OUT IF WILLOW WAS EVEN AT THE GAME!!!
June 16th, 2009 at 4:49 PM
Eye, have you ever used the search feature of twitter?
Check this out…
“haha yo i was at the game yesterday. they showed sarah palin and rudy guiliani and i started booing mad loud”
6:04 PM Jun 8th from web
sh*tbillyheard
billy fischer
June 16th, 2009 at 4:51 PM
caligrl, don’t you suppose that with all the damned hoo-ha of the last week that even one tiny pic of Willow would have been sold all over the world?
Willow Palin was not at the baseball game, and her mother clearly inferred that she was. There was no mistake.
June 16th, 2009 at 5:00 PM
Aussie Blue Sky Says:
June 16th, 2009 at 4:51 PM
caligrl, don’t you suppose that with all the damned hoo-ha of the last week that even one tiny pic of Willow would have been sold all over the world?
Willow Palin was not at the baseball game, and her mother clearly inferred that she was. There was no mistake.
~~~~~~~~~~
You can search twitter, and some people seemed surprised she was there…”What was SHE doing there?” you would think will all the cellphone cams someone would of posted a pic of her w/ willow or Dud with willow.
But no! Willow was not there! This is a huge”snow”job or…whatever…. she’s good at…! snark!
June 16th, 2009 at 5:24 PM
According to CNN, there were only 15 protesters today. The other 35 were from the media. Zeigler spewed, then left in a cab asap.
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/
June 16th, 2009 at 5:35 PM
clydedog Says:
June 16th, 2009 at 5:24 PM
According to CNN, there were only 15 protesters today. The other 35 were from the media. Zeigler spewed, then left in a cab asap.
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Gee, not a peep from the echo chamber…they were going to have live blogging etc.
Do ya think they get that everyone so over GINO, we all have a GINO overdose!!!!
can wait to here how faux news spins this.
June 16th, 2009 at 5:36 PM
Aussie Blue Sky, “her mother clearly inferred that she was.”..
No! Her mother said “my 14 year old was at the game…” to CNN.
No inferrence. Pure Product (Willow) Placement!
http://www.lonelyconservative.com/2009/06/14/forward-looking-sarah-palin-talks-to-wolf-blitzer-about-natural-gas-pipeline/comment-page-1/
approx 10 minutes into the video…
June 16th, 2009 at 5:50 PM
15 protestors? LMFAO!
lets see what faux news and seeee4444peee says about the turnout!
Ummm, uhhh, Axelrod sent out orders to keep the masses away…..
Next up, dairygate, e-mail gate, housegate….iceberg…
June 16th, 2009 at 6:00 PM
there is absolutely no objectively verifiable proof — such as any news story dated before Sarah Palin claimed Willow was at that game, or any photograph or video — establishing that Willow was actually at that game as Sarah Palin (exclusively) claims. In fact, there is absolutely NOTHING other than Sarah Palin’s self-serving word. And honesty is most definitely not Sarah Palin’s strong point.
Remembering that the Palins are such blatant media whores, and exploit their kids at every possible opportunity, if Willow had actually been at that game, the Palins would have made sure to have the press take lots of photos and shoot lots of videos to exploit the situation.
June 16th, 2009 at 6:00 PM
sjk from the belly of the plane Says:
June 16th, 2009 at 5:50 PM
15 protestors? LMFAO!
lets see what faux news and seeee4444peee says about the turnout!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
According to a site, SP did a wonderful, strong, honest blablabla job and Zeigler screwd up. Is there room for his ego under the bus.
June 17th, 2009 at 1:25 AM
Clydedog
Maybe, just maybe Zeigler’s ego could fit under this one
http://www.jonehrc.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/hpiscalelook45.jpg
June 17th, 2009 at 3:08 AM
BTW, the seee4peee web-a-thing to raise $500K in a week is about $420K short after 2 days….AK FAKE TRUST = EPIC FAIL!!!!!!