Blogs and Stories
Which One's the Dictator?
Jeff Zelevansky / Getty Images; Phil Sandlin / AP Photo
After watching the media treat the dramatic Iranian protests and the Letterman/Palin squabble with equal weight, Lee Siegel’s brain began to equate the two.
Item: Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin appeared on NBC’s Today show this morning and insisted that David Letterman apologize to the young women of America for his joke about her daughter being impregnated by Yankee slugger Alex Rodriguez at a Yankee game. Mr. Letterman had already apologized first for saying that Gov. Palin had been seen at Bloomingdale’s buying makeup to “update her slutty flight-attendant look,” and second for his remarks about her daughter, claiming that during 30 years as a comedian he had never made a sexual joke about a 14-year-old, and never would.
Item: Riots erupted in Tehran today as thousands of people took to the streets to protest the results of the Iranian presidential election, which declared the incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad the winner by millions of votes.
Sarah Palin, who had called David Letterman’s joke about her daughter “sexually perverted” and “pathetic” yesterday turned down Mr. Letterman’s invitation to appear on his show.
Mir Hossein Mousavi, the top challenger to incumbent President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, tonight declared himself the winner of the election by a margin of two to one as violent clashes between demonstrators and police continued in the country’s capital.
David Letterman issued a second apology for a joke he made about Yankee star Alex Rodriguez “knocking up” Alaska Gov. Palin’s daughter during a Yankee game. In his first apology, Letterman had not specified which daughter he was referring to, but in the apology he made on his show Monday night, Letterman claimed that he was referring to Gov. Palin’s 18-year-old daughter Bristol, who was not at the game, and not Gov. Palin’s 14-year-old daughter, Willow, who was at the game.
Iranian opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi continued to defy the government’s ban on peaceful demonstrations and led tens of thousands of supporters in a demand that the government order a recount in last Saturday’s election.
The National Organization for Women condemned David Letterman for remarks he made on his show that seemed to endorse the idea of raping either Alaska Governor Sarah Palin’s 18-year-old daughter, Bristol, or her 14-year-old daughter, Willow, who attended a Yankee game last week. Bristol Palin was not at the game.
Iranian opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi today insisted that the young women of Iran condemn President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for manipulating the election last Saturday, which President Ahmadinejad insisted that he won by a wide margin.
Sarah Palin led thousands of women in a peaceful demonstration yesterday in front of New York City’s Ed Sullivan Theater, where CBS records Late Show with David Letterman.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei offered a limited apology to the tens of thousands of Iranians currently rioting in the streets of Iran.
CBS executives refused to accede to the demands of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin’s supporters, who have been rioting in the streets outside New York City’s legendary Ed Sullivan Theater, that David Letterman retract his joke about Yankee mega-slugger Alex Rodriguez knocking up at least one of Governor Palin’s daughters “out of the park.”
John Talks Joe
Lloyd Grove is editor at large for The Daily Beast. He is also a frequent contributor to New York magazine and was a contributing editor for Condé Nast Portfolio. He wrote a gossip column for the New York Daily News from 2003 to 2006. Prior to that, he wrote the Reliable Source column for the Washington Post, where he spent 23 years covering politics, the media, and other subjects.
Why America Must Learn to Bow
Martin Jacques is the cofounder of the UK think tank Demos, writes a regular column for The Guardian, and is a visiting research fellow at the London School of Economics Asia Research Centre. His new book, When China Rules the World, is available now.
Going Rogue: The Index
Christopher Buckley's books include Supreme Courtship, The White House Mess, Thank You for Smoking, Little Green Men, and Florence of Arabia. He was chief speechwriter for Vice President George H.W. Bush, and is editor-at-large of ForbesLife magazine. His new book is Losing Mum and Pup, a memoir. Buckley's Daily Beast column is the winner of an Online Journalism Award in the category of Online Commentary.
Obama, the Un-decider
Lee Siegel has written about culture and politics and is the author of three books: Falling Upwards: Essays in Defense of the Imagination; Not Remotely Controlled: Notes on Television; and, most recently, Against the Machine: Being Human in the Age of the Electronic Mob. In 2002, he received a National Magazine Award for reviews and criticism.
Leave Palin Alone
Lee Siegel has written about culture and politics and is the author of three books: Falling Upwards: Essays in Defense of the Imagination; Not Remotely Controlled: Notes on Television; and, most recently, Against the Machine: Being Human in the Age of the Electronic Mob. In 2002, he received a National Magazine Award for reviews and criticism.
Obama's Dangerous Obsession
Lee Siegel has written about culture and politics and is the author of three books: Falling Upwards: Essays in Defense of the Imagination; Not Remotely Controlled: Notes on Television; and, most recently, Against the Machine: Being Human in the Age of the Electronic Mob. In 2002, he received a National Magazine Award for reviews and criticism.
Oh Good GAWD what a stretch. A woman gets pissed about an ugly attack on her daughter and men are writing about dictatorships. I'm surprised you didn't photoshop Palin on a broom. Sexism is running rampant right now. Making gender-based and sexualized jokes about teenage girls is UNACCEPTABLE. I don't care if the mother IS a wing nut.
That might be true, if said teenager hadn't made herself national poster child for teen pregnancy. If she's going to be on national TV telling teenagers to just abstain, which she clearly didn't, she's going to have to expect people to joke about it. If she can't handle that, she should stay home and take care of her baby and/or trying to get out from under her mother's thumb, instead of wasting her time telling teens not to have sex, which she, more than most, should know is not realistic.
Unfortunately for said teenager, she was dragged out into the spotlight by her madwoman mother. In her first interview of the Mom's Pandering to the Right Wing Holy Roller Tour Bristol came out and said abstinence was completely unrealistic. She practically came out for sex ed and free birth control in the high schools too; then she got straightened out about toeing the other line. I feel for the girl- saying she should get away from her harpy mother is very easy for other people to say but she's probably so manipulated...
I saw the Letterman jokes. They weren't that bad! Every body assumed he was referring to the older girl- who is of legal age. And given A Rod's reputation, it was actually pretty funny! Nobody said anything about rape until Sarah Palin started that STATUTORY thing. But who knew she had another girl? Nobody cares enough to distinguish... And the assumption, from what Bristol and Levi have both said, is that Bristol thoroughly enjoys herself.
Linking Bristol to a studly ladies man is kind of tacky given her current situation- but Sarah made her whole family public figures and it goes with the territory. Palin needs to keep her feet out of her mouth. Letterman never said rape- plenty of sex is enjoyable you know. Like the slutty stewardess has, I'm sure. And flight attendants I know are still laughing.
The editorial is hilarious- the take on things is not such a stretch of the imagination heh heh...
The 18 year old daughter is not a "Girl" anylonger. She gave that up when she had sex and gave birth to a bastard child. Palin dragiing her kids around and attempting to get the public to see them as Poster children for something or the other is what wound them up on letterman's show.
Satire. Remember the definition of Satire?
This is not an article about Palin and Letterman but about Americans. This is one of the reasons so many other countries hate us. Comedians make bad jokes about celebrities and their families all the time, get over it. People in other countries right now (Iran esp) are showing an uncommon bravery we don't understand. They are pouring out in the streets risking their lives for their voice. Priorities people.
technically and legally Dave is ok......1st amendment and all.
There is a double standard here. Palin went all over the country getting people like you riled up about Barack Obama "Palin' around with Terrorists". If you ask me Sarah Palin owes our president an apology for that just as John McCain does for reviving this hate movement that is totally devoid of any truth or fact. When they apologize for riling up people who love to hate, and taking some responsibility for spurring hate crimes int his country of late, THEN I'll feel sorry for her. Till then, she should apologize for renewing domestic terrorism in this country. Who knows what they'll do next and who they'll harm.
This comment has been removed by The Daily Beast's editors.
okay, is this a statement about how the news media prioritizes stories? if so... you buried the lede... under a mile of bedrock.
if you're dumb enough to *actually* equate sarah palin with a ahmadinejad... i really don't know what to say, other than to marvel that you're employed.
I think his point is actually that the US has gotten its collective panties in a wad over something that didn't deserve nearly the upset it got. He seems to be saying that anyone as upset over a comedian's joke as other people in the world are over a dictator stealing an election might need to get a grip.
In other words, he is not equating so much as asking why so many people in the US seem to be doing that.
Exactly. But you have to read the article to get it, not just react to the headline.
Connie's right. No one is equating Palin to Ahmadinejad.
As Letterman says- It's a joke.
So lighten up, OK?
Right because they have the video of Sarah Palin being prayed over, with thouching of hands, on UTUBE by a witch doctor.......both are enough to make a normal person sickened.
I agree that the article isn't very well written. Half the article told the same joke over and over.
I think you might be taking it a little too seriously though...
I'll equate Sarah Palin with Ahmedinejad: they are both demagogues that do not have the best interests of their people at heart.
They both manipulate facts and are political opportunists, and they both have followers that think emotionally, not rationally.
dang this has got to be the most pathetic excuse for a columnist I have ever seen. this long winded babble saying absolutely NOTHING was the biggest waste of text and reading time that I have seen since Obama gave our sovereignty away to an international court
SHUT UP ALREADY
This has to be some sort of poorly done political satire. It is simply incorrect and absurd.
Just another way to show Palin as the trailer park trash she truly is and always will be.
This user is no longer registered.
Some more Geobbels style propaganda.
Don't you guys think you've overdone the Hitler/Nazi stuff? It's like the F word. After you've heard it enough times, you just shake your head at the stupidity and move on.
Bravo Connie47. Well said and so true!
Godwin's Law - Look it up on Wikipedia.
It is an amazing explanation for this Hitler-baiting diatribe.
AirlessIQ
I did not read anything in Godwin's Law about nazi "baiting". A bit too much editorial license on your part. Your rainbow is showing.
AriqS, since your post is in reply to mine, you seem to think it was I who brought up the Nazi stuff. Does that mean you don't know who Goebbels was? Surely Federalist's misspelling of the name didn't confuse you that much!
Etienne-The adage of Godwin's law can be applied to the situation on TDB's comment sections after stories.
The adage states: "As a Usenet discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches 1."
Meaning that the longer people make comments about any subject in a forum like this, the more likely it is that someone will compare something or someone else to Hitler or the Nazis. That's what Federalist did above.
As always Connie, (takes baseball cap off)
(gives big smooch)
This story was meant to be funny and ya'll need to lighten up. It is about the media and not about the content.
Etienne
You got it good on the Airless IQ.
Bunx
Trust me Etienne got it right. Trust me.
How can you overdo the concept of Adolf Hitler? To say something like that indicates to me that you haven't absorbed the enormity of what he did to the world.
Thank you Bunx-at least you understand
As to the concept of Godwin's Law: The "law" makes no judgement as to the appropriateness of when to bring in a Hitler comparison.
In the case of Sarah it's entirely appropriate, for reasons I posted shortly preceding this one---demagoguery, opportunism, sloganeering, and all the accompanying techniques of political charlatans.
Uhh, think that's supposed to be Goebbels? What's the thing with federalist? Is that sort of like winger with intellectual pretensions?
Yeah, I think he's saying the US media paid too much attention to the Letterman-Palin issue, which is correct. That's fine, but the damn thing is almost dead... and he has to write this article about it, and the Daily Beast (as guilty as anyone for perpetuating this overblown story) has to follow it, and like a fish to the bait I write a comment about it. Yes, his article is accurate and true!
waste of time and thought
and the bizarre obsession with Palin continues....
You just can't look away from a big old train wreck, none of us can!
Put her picture on anything
And you're guaranteed thousands
Of clicks.
Disgusting article from an ignorant writer. Why possible good does such a foolish article such as this do to advance democracy or tolerance? Nothing...absolutely nothing.
That's not the point of the article. He is saying that there are more important things going on than the Palin/Letterman thing; and that we as a society (or I should say our media outlets) pay attention to the wrong things while the important things pass by.
How much have you seen on Palin's gas line project? She should be out talking about that rather than forcing half-hearted apologies or equating David Letterman's free speech to our troops who are fighting and dying in wars we don't need.
It's a joke! Satire on the media's over attention to Sarah Palin making a big ole fool out of herself by over reacting. Sometimes called comedy? This seems somewhat modeled on Abbott and Costello doing Who's On First.
How many of y'all people can't tell satire from reality? It's often a marker of psychosis... Look it up.
jpelhamtn,
You write: "Why [sic] possible good does such a foolish article such [sic] as this do to advance democracy or tolerance?"
What has Sarah Palin done "to advance democracy or tolerance?" When she carelessly linked a presidential candidate to a former domestic terrorist, she did the opposite. Freedom of speech is certainly guaranteed under the First Amendment, but words DO have consequences. Her shrill and petty umbrage and vindictiveness do NOT speak well of any leadership qualities she may claim to possess.
I am looking for a better word than stupid.
Remember, you can't fix stupid. I think it is the correct word.
Fly,
That is the point... the article is about the media. :)
Ask Levi Johnston which one is the dictator?...lol
Lee! Here here!!
Jonathan Swift would be proud!
And when does she start eating babies?
Lee!
Hear! Hear!
Jonathan Swift would be proud!
And when does she start eating babies?
Lee! You're an idiot.
The Daily Beast! You're getting more disappointing by the day.
This user is no longer registered.
This user is no longer registered.
This user is no longer registered.
Palin supporters just don't get satire and what's more never will.
If they did get satire
They'd have a lot of trouble supporting her.
Ha! Exactly!
Zing!
It's that whole uneducated KKK thing. Seriously- if you've never read the basic high school literary requirements because all books were burned How could you understand satire, editorialization, metaphor, or even keep the facts straight?
Did anyone actually read the article itself and not just the headlines and comments?
What a waste of ink
Um, I'm not sure but the way I understand this internet tube thingy is that there is no ink involved.
Thanks for playing.
This may be the most pointless article I have read in a long time. I want my 4 minutes back please.
Then why are you reading the Beast? Why didn't you click out at 30 seconds?
The Daily Beast= The Huffington Post-lite
But I've noticed you're here
Everyday
Lucy.
This comment has been removed by The Daily Beast's editors.
Lee,
LMAO! This is really great stuff. How is it possible that 80% of the human beings posting here don't get it? Let alone hate you for it. I am astounded. Also a little spooked. You indict the whirlwind and it turns on you.
Anyway, I am going to look for your books, as I want MORE.
Thanks for writing.
John Philip Johnson
I thought it was funny.
Thank you.
As a first time user, your comment has been submitted for review. It can take anywhere from a few hours to a day or two for your comment to be reviewed, depending on the time of week and the volume of comments we receive.
Please log in to leave comments.