Reggie1971 Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 This just in: Here's the full text of Letterman's comments today, which will be telecast tonight. “All right, here – I’ve been thinking about this situation with Governor Palin and her family now for about a week – it was a week ago tonight, and maybe you know about it, maybe you don’t know about it. But there was a joke that I told, and I thought I was telling it about the older daughter being at Yankee Stadium. And it was kind of a coarse joke. There’s no getting around it, but I never thought it was anybody other than the older daughter, and before the show, I checked to make sure in fact that she is of legal age, 18. Yeah. But the joke really, in and of itself, can’t be defended. The next day, people are outraged. They’re angry at me because they said, ‘How could you make a lousy joke like that about the 14-year-old girl who was at the ball game?’ And I had, honestly, no idea that the 14-year-old girl, I had no idea that anybody was at the ball game except the governor and I was told at the time she was there with Rudy Giuliani … and I really should have made the joke about Rudy …” (audience applauds) “But I didn’t, and now people are getting angry and they’re saying, ‘Well, how can you say something like that about a 14-year-old girl, and does that make you feel good to make those horrible jokes about a kid who’s completely innocent, minding her own business,’ and, turns out, she was at the ball game. I had no idea she was there. So she’s now at the ball game, and people think that I made the joke about her. And, but still, I’m wondering, ‘Well, what can I do to help people understand that I would never make a joke like this?’ I’ve never made jokes like this as long as we’ve been on the air, 30 long years, and you can’t really be doing jokes like that. And I understand, of course, why people are upset. I would be upset myself. “And then I was watching the Jim Lehrer ‘Newshour’ – this commentator, the columnist Mark Shields, was talking about how I had made this indefensible joke about the 14-year-old girl, and I thought, ‘Oh, boy, now I’m beginning to understand what the problem is here. It’s the perception rather than the intent.’ It doesn’t make any difference what my intent was, it’s the perception. And, as they say about jokes, if you have to explain the joke, it’s not a very good joke. And I’m certainly – ” (audience applause) “– thank you. Well, my responsibility – I take full blame for that. I told a bad joke. I told a joke that was beyond flawed, and my intent is completely meaningless compared to the perception. And since it was a joke I told, I feel that I need to do the right thing here and apologize for having told that joke. It’s not your fault that it was misunderstood, it’s my fault. That it was misunderstood.” (audience applauds) “Thank you. So I would like to apologize, especially to the two daughters involved, Bristol and Willow, and also to the governor and her family and everybody else who was outraged by the joke. I’m sorry about it and I’ll try to do better in the future. Thank you very much.” (audience applause) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eternal light Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 That is very sweet of him. I'm happy to accept his apology. You tend to be active, dynamic, mobile and assertive. You know that you're special and enjoy a charmed life. Intuition is your thing and you live by your own code, which is usually positive and life affirming. Competitive and flamboyant, you give people a strong and immediate impression of who you are. Timid and slow folk may find you overwhelming, rash and willful. You are more or less self-motivated. TIP: When dealing with regular people and mere mortals, be patient and polite. adze.com/Celebrities/DavidLetterman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spats Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 (edited) This just in: Here's the full text of Letterman's comments today, which will be telecast tonight. “All right, here – I’ve been thinking about this situation with Governor Palin and her family now for about a week – it was a week ago tonight, and maybe you know about it, maybe you don’t know about it. But there was a joke that I told, and I thought I was telling it about the older daughter being at Yankee Stadium. And it was kind of a coarse joke. There’s no getting around it, but I never thought it was anybody other than the older daughter, and before the show, I checked to make sure in fact that she is of legal age, 18. Yeah. But the joke really, in and of itself, can’t be defended. The next day, people are outraged. They’re angry at me because they said, ‘How could you make a lousy joke like that about the 14-year-old girl who was at the ball game?’ And I had, honestly, no idea that the 14-year-old girl, I had no idea that anybody was at the ball game except the governor and I was told at the time she was there with Rudy Giuliani … and I really should have made the joke about Rudy …” (audience applauds) “But I didn’t, and now people are getting angry and they’re saying, ‘Well, how can you say something like that about a 14-year-old girl, and does that make you feel good to make those horrible jokes about a kid who’s completely innocent, minding her own business,’ and, turns out, she was at the ball game. I had no idea she was there. So she’s now at the ball game, and people think that I made the joke about her. And, but still, I’m wondering, ‘Well, what can I do to help people understand that I would never make a joke like this?’ I’ve never made jokes like this as long as we’ve been on the air, 30 long years, and you can’t really be doing jokes like that. And I understand, of course, why people are upset. I would be upset myself. “And then I was watching the Jim Lehrer ‘Newshour’ – this commentator, the columnist Mark Shields, was talking about how I had made this indefensible joke about the 14-year-old girl, and I thought, ‘Oh, boy, now I’m beginning to understand what the problem is here. It’s the perception rather than the intent.’ It doesn’t make any difference what my intent was, it’s the perception. And, as they say about jokes, if you have to explain the joke, it’s not a very good joke. And I’m certainly – ” (audience applause) “– thank you. Well, my responsibility – I take full blame for that. I told a bad joke. I told a joke that was beyond flawed, and my intent is completely meaningless compared to the perception. And since it was a joke I told, I feel that I need to do the right thing here and apologize for having told that joke. It’s not your fault that it was misunderstood, it’s my fault. That it was misunderstood.” (audience applauds) “Thank you. So I would like to apologize, especially to the two daughters involved, Bristol and Willow, and also to the governor and her family and everybody else who was outraged by the joke. I’m sorry about it and I’ll try to do better in the future. Thank you very much.” (audience applause) It's a shame he even had to apologize. he did nothing wrong. That's how tight assed society is about certain things. If the joke was about a male i don't think there would be the same attention. Edited June 15, 2009 by spats Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eternal light Posted June 15, 2009 Share Posted June 15, 2009 (edited) It's a shame he even had to apologize. he did nothing wrong. That's how tight assed society is about certain things. If the joke was about a male i don't think there would be the same attention. He's trying to be gracious to soothe the upset feelings in a show of good will, very gentlemanly of him and he has my approval. Edited June 16, 2009 by eternal light Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spats Posted June 16, 2009 Share Posted June 16, 2009 He's trying to be gracious to soothe the upset feelings in a show of good will, very gentlemanly of him and he has my approval. He shouldn't have had to do that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eternal light Posted June 16, 2009 Share Posted June 16, 2009 (edited) He shouldn't have had to do that. It's damage control. He has again emphasized that it was a poorly made joke, which could be useful in a defense if one of the Palins were ever to complain about defamation. Edited June 16, 2009 by eternal light Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reggie1971 Posted June 16, 2009 Author Share Posted June 16, 2009 It's a shame he even had to apologize. he did nothing wrong. That's how tight assed society is about certain things. If the joke was about a male i don't think there would be the same attention. Sure he did, and he admitted it, so it's time to move on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spats Posted June 16, 2009 Share Posted June 16, 2009 Sure he did, and he admitted it, so it's time to move on. For him maybe. But we are allowed to talk about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Bill Posted June 16, 2009 Share Posted June 16, 2009 It would have been better if he had come out the following day with these excuses and apology but it's better late than never I guess. At least he can see he screwed up, unlike some of the Palin haters around here. Good for him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirchzep27 Posted June 16, 2009 Share Posted June 16, 2009 to dave's writers- you should have never cut -bill hicks and dont air cheap and harmful jokes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theycallmethehunter Posted June 16, 2009 Share Posted June 16, 2009 ...What was the joke? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeepBlackZeppelin Posted June 16, 2009 Share Posted June 16, 2009 It's a shame he even had to apologize. he did nothing wrong. That's how tight assed society is about certain things. If the joke was about a male i don't think there would be the same attention. I have to agree with you here, Spats. ...What was the joke? It's on another thread concerning David Letterman. It's on YouTube. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ZeppFanForever Posted June 16, 2009 Share Posted June 16, 2009 This just in: Here's the full text of Letterman's comments today, which will be telecast tonight. “All right, here – I’ve been thinking about this situation with Governor Palin and her family now for about a week – it was a week ago tonight, and maybe you know about it, maybe you don’t know about it. But there was a joke that I told, and I thought I was telling it about the older daughter being at Yankee Stadium. And it was kind of a coarse joke. There’s no getting around it, but I never thought it was anybody other than the older daughter, and before the show, I checked to make sure in fact that she is of legal age, 18. Yeah. But the joke really, in and of itself, can’t be defended. The next day, people are outraged. They’re angry at me because they said, ‘How could you make a lousy joke like that about the 14-year-old girl who was at the ball game?’ And I had, honestly, no idea that the 14-year-old girl, I had no idea that anybody was at the ball game except the governor and I was told at the time she was there with Rudy Giuliani … and I really should have made the joke about Rudy …” (audience applauds) “But I didn’t, and now people are getting angry and they’re saying, ‘Well, how can you say something like that about a 14-year-old girl, and does that make you feel good to make those horrible jokes about a kid who’s completely innocent, minding her own business,’ and, turns out, she was at the ball game. I had no idea she was there. So she’s now at the ball game, and people think that I made the joke about her. And, but still, I’m wondering, ‘Well, what can I do to help people understand that I would never make a joke like this?’ I’ve never made jokes like this as long as we’ve been on the air, 30 long years, and you can’t really be doing jokes like that. And I understand, of course, why people are upset. I would be upset myself. “And then I was watching the Jim Lehrer ‘Newshour’ – this commentator, the columnist Mark Shields, was talking about how I had made this indefensible joke about the 14-year-old girl, and I thought, ‘Oh, boy, now I’m beginning to understand what the problem is here. It’s the perception rather than the intent.’ It doesn’t make any difference what my intent was, it’s the perception. And, as they say about jokes, if you have to explain the joke, it’s not a very good joke. And I’m certainly – ” (audience applause) “– thank you. Well, my responsibility – I take full blame for that. I told a bad joke. I told a joke that was beyond flawed, and my intent is completely meaningless compared to the perception. And since it was a joke I told, I feel that I need to do the right thing here and apologize for having told that joke. It’s not your fault that it was misunderstood, it’s my fault. That it was misunderstood.” (audience applauds) “Thank you. So I would like to apologize, especially to the two daughters involved, Bristol and Willow, and also to the governor and her family and everybody else who was outraged by the joke. I’m sorry about it and I’ll try to do better in the future. Thank you very much.” (audience applause) How's it going "Reggie1971?" I'm really surprised that Letterman apologized the way that he did! I'm surprised that Palin didn't go on his show like Hillary Clinton did and shut him up meaning that it would be good for Letterman's ratings. In my opinion, Letterman may have apologized, but he'll deliberately f*c* up again! After all, Letterman has demonstrated this kind of behavior numerous times in the past. ROCK ON! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alinds Posted June 16, 2009 Share Posted June 16, 2009 The old, drunk Dave wouldn't have done this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirchzep27 Posted June 16, 2009 Share Posted June 16, 2009 ratings, ratings, ratings.....just everyone say sorry and make up and dont let it happen again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jahfin Posted June 16, 2009 Share Posted June 16, 2009 I'm curious as to why there's a need for another thread on the same topic when one already exists here? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redrum Posted June 16, 2009 Share Posted June 16, 2009 Palin's been his target ever since she came on the scene. The left can dish it out but they can't take it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eternal light Posted June 16, 2009 Share Posted June 16, 2009 I doubt this issue had much to do with politics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redrum Posted June 16, 2009 Share Posted June 16, 2009 I doubt this issue had much to do with politics. Of course not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Bill Posted June 16, 2009 Share Posted June 16, 2009 I think politics had everything to do with this. It was a politicians daughter who was demeaned and the reaction was largely split along party lines from what I've seen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eternal light Posted June 16, 2009 Share Posted June 16, 2009 It could have been anyone's daughter. David Letterman is just a talk show host who entertains people for a living. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deborah J Posted June 16, 2009 Share Posted June 16, 2009 It could have been anyone's daughter. David Letterman is just a talk show host who entertains people for a living. He should do like Bill Mahar and go to HBO... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eternal light Posted June 16, 2009 Share Posted June 16, 2009 David Letterman is an Aries and Bill Maher is an Aquarius. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jahfin Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 Why do you care? Get a life! I care because there's already one thread devoted to the topic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reggie1971 Posted June 17, 2009 Author Share Posted June 17, 2009 I care because there's already one thread devoted to the topic. Because the original topic concerned Letterman's comment. This one concerned the apology. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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