After a week of controversy, David Letterman apologized for last week's Late Show joke about one of Sarah Palin's daughters getting "knocked up" by A-Rod during a New York Yankees game.In Monday night's apology (click here), Letterman said, "I told a joke that was beyond flawed, and my intent is completely meaningless compared to the perception" of the joke by viewers. He maintains that his intended target was 18-year-old Bristol Palin, claiming he went so far as to make sure she was of legal age before making the joke, without realizing that it was 14-year-old Willow Palin who had accompanied her mother to the game instead.
According to last week's EntertainmentBlogger poll (results below), most thought Palin was over-reacting. And many others, including me, thought no apology was necessary. But some question whether Letterman was pressured to apologize due to dropped advertising. Embassy Suites, part of the Hilton Hotels Corp., pulled advertising on CBS' Web site because of complaints, company spokeswoman Kendra Walker told TVGuide.com. The company was not an advertiser on Letterman's show. And with Letterman's 2-year contract renewal thisclose, others believed this situation had to be rectified first.
Was the apology enough? In a statement this morning, Sarah Palin accepted the apology "on behalf of young women, like my daughters, who hope men who 'joke' about public displays of sexual exploitation of girls will soon evolve."
But others are not being so forgiving. A protest calling for Letterman's firing is planned today outside the Ed Sullivan Theatre where Letterman tapes his show. Parallels are being drawn to Don Imus' comments, which ultimately got him fired.
I say let it go. He apologized. She accepted. And for what it's worth, I'm still waiting for an apology from Palin on her lack of preparedness in last year's political campaign. Here is a great YouTube refresher of Palin's "greatest campaign interview hits." I think it's time she start tackling some more crucial issues if she expects to be taken seriously in a presumed 2012 campaign run.
Poll Results:
Which side are you on in the David Letterman / Sarah Palin feud?
- David Letterman -- comedians should be allowed to joke about anything 73 (63%)
- Sarah Palin -- kids of "celebrities" should be off limits 34 (29%)
- Neither -- they're both acting ridiculous 8 (6%)
