Would a crack whore joke about Michelle Obama be funny?
David Letterman had a perfect opening not long ago, when the Obamas were in New York for their “date night.” Perfect opportunity to make some hilarious jokes about Michelle skipping out for a bit of crack-whoring. He didn’t, though. Odd.
Or how about a joke about Sasha or Malia getting groped? Or working as child prostitutes? Funny?
The silence around this Letterman thing is killing me. As far as I know, tigtog and Egalia are the only other feminist bloggers who have even raised an eyebrow about this crap.
How I long for the Lightning Bolt of Hypocrisy to strike.
31 Responses to “Would a crack whore joke about Michelle Obama be funny?”
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alwaysfiredup says:
HillBuzz and Conservatives4Palin are going ballistic, at least. Would that more feminists would start yelling; allowing this to run rampant diminishes us all.
June 11th, 2009 at 12:22 pm EST -
yttik says:
Deadenders, Liberal Rapture, Hillbuzz, the Confluence, and Puma Pac, all expressed their outrage. Hillbuzz had addresses and contacts listed to file complaints. Deadenders suggested we write to Alex Rodriguez and make sure he knows Letterman was joking about him being a statutory rapist. I thought that was an interesting approach.
The fauxgressive bloggers, they’re all agreeing with this joke and posting even more vile things about Palin and the kids.
It is hypocrisy to remain silent in the face of such misogyny, but that’s how a lot of groups seem to work nowdays, only some women are worthy of defense. You better hope you have the correct politics, you wear the correct clothes, you don’t rock the boat by having your own opinions, etc, etc.
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Elise says:
New Agenda has stuff up. And - don’t faint - a number of right leaning (or more) blogs have stuff up. Villainous Company is spot on as usual, focused on the sexism aspect and hammering away at the whole hypocrisy thing - on both sides of the aisle. Little Miss Attilla is talking about American sharia (language clean-up is mine not hers - trust me on this):
And now someone’s going to come along and say, “the sins of the mothers,” or “the sins of the sisters,” or some bulls*** like that. They will rationalize what they are doing, and say that this is not American Sharia law: after all, we only enforce our notions of sexual purity when it comes to Republican women, or women and girls related to Republican women. (Do we, after all, know what young Willow’s politics are? Does it matter to Letterman? Of course not: this is about hurting her mother by any means possible.)
This is American Sharia, a**holes. The practitioners of Sharia in Muslim countries are at least consistent in their contempt for women and in their practice of gender apartheid: you, on the other hand, want sexual slavery for some women in this country; others, whose opinions you prefer, can live in relative peace and freedom. You will allow it.
If you are giving women and girls the “gift” of not being badgered for being female, and threatened with misogyny and sexual assault, they are not truly free—only living in a state of grace, contingent upon performing the right tricks, spouting leftist verbiage like seals at Sea World, balancing balls on their noses in the hopes of getting fish thrown into their mouths.
In the email about Letterman’s misogyny I sent friends yesterday, I repeated something I had said during the Carrie Prejean dust-up while commenting at a conservative site:
I have to say this breaks my heart. When I became a feminist, one of the bedrock issues was that women were all in this together, that we all looked out for each other. Feminists - Real Feminists - fought long and hard to do away with the idea that women could be divided into good girls and bad girls, with the former owed respect and the latter designated as fair game. Now Institutional Feminists have decided they’re Democrats first and feminists second and have re-established those same two categories: women who think like they do are on pedestals while women who think differently are fit only for the gutter.
Way to go, ladies. Maybe the next time someone at NOW wonders why things aren’t getting better for women they should look in the mirror.
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Violet says:
I’m wondering about blogs that are explicitly feminist, or that consider themselves explicitly feminist.
I’m just depressed by the moral bankruptcy of so many women I expected better of. Or maybe not moral bankruptcy so much as craven complicity with patriarchy.
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gxm17 says:
“Way to go, ladies. Maybe the next time someone at NOW wonders why things aren’t getting better for women they should look in the mirror.”
So have we heard from the swooners yet… or are the NOW bodice rippers sitting this one out?
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Add Team Sarah to the list of online communities who are calling out Letterman’s disgusting display of sexual hatred directed at a child. He’s such a creepy old man.
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Unree says:
Amanda Marcotte sorta-kinda defended Letterman this morning on Pandagon. Her commentators are split, but most of them think she was right and we should condone the joke.
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SYD says:
I am a Feminist and I have had it!
I promise you, this Letterman thing will be on my blog every day…. until a suitable resolution is reached.
And that pathetic excuse for an “apology” doesn’t count. Not in my book.
I want to see David Letterman grovel.
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Kiuku says:
Letterman is looking old. Can’t he just die already.
There won’t be sexist jokes against MO because she is being the “good woman” and supporting the patriarchy. Just wait til she steps out of line and does something bizarre, like threaten the patriarchy some way. Maybe sometime she won’t go shopping and talk about her wardrobe. ugh
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Violet says:
God almighty. Amanda Marcotte is a fucking disgrace.
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Nell says:
If there had been even the slightest racist undertone to Letterman’s remarks, he would have been fired immediately. It wasn’t the “ho’s” epithet that did Imus in; it was the “nappy-headed” qualifier.
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ks says:
Check out the Yahoo Buzz blurb:
“It all started on Monday when David Letterman told some off-color jokes about Alaskan governor Sarah Palin and her daughter. Dave made some cracks about one of the Palin girls having to fend off Eliot Spitzer and getting knocked up by Yankees star Alex Rodriguez during a recent trip to the Big Apple.
Shockingly, Gov. Palin didn’t find the jokes very funny. In a statement to Fox News, Palin and her very riled-up husband Todd fired back at the CBS comedian. She called Letterman a sexually perverted 62-year-old celebrity and chided him for making inappropriate jokes about her 14-year-old daughter, Willow.
“Here’s where it gets confusing. Letterman’s jokes were about Palin’s 18-year-old daughter Bristol.” However, it was Willow who was traveling with the governor in New York. Facing the family’s wrath, last night Letterman addressed the controversy and apologized. Well, kind of.
Dave said he regretted the bits about Spitzer and Rodriguez courting the younger Palin, but went on to say that he regrets thousands of jokes he’s made. He said that of course he doesn’t condone inappropriate behavior with underage girls. However, he did admit that he found his jab about Sarah Palin wearing outfits reminiscent of a sexually adventurous flight attendant pretty funny. In a final show of his semi-sincerity, he invited Palin on as a guest.
Want to see the “apology” for yourself? Check out the video below.
Mike Krumboltz
Yahoo! Buzz Log”Putting aside the crazy implication that if the “jokes” were about Bristol they would’ve been okay, notice how the writer weaves Letterman’s lame excuse into the article as fact and tries to give him the “confused” out? Frankly, it wasn’t confusing at all. Letterman made a specific reference to the Palins attendance at a Yankeee game but now I’m supposed to believe he made an oopsie about which daughter he wanted to insult (as if it really makes a difference)?
At least the author sems to realize that Letterman’s apology is bs and of course Letterman continues to chortle about one of his stupid sexual innuendo jokes about Palin which, for a 62 year old man is rather childish.
But the thing that’s really odd about the “sexually adventurous flight attendant” crack is how persistently folks like Letterman have projected their purile sexual fantasies onto Palin and then blame her for it.
As an aside, in what world are Sarah Palin’s oufits “reminiscent of a sexually adventurous flight attendant”? I’ve seen plenty of pictures of her and her outfits seem to be mostly “Ann Taylor” working woman type stuff that’s rather commonplace. Strange.
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ks says:
Oops, sorry this part should not have been italicized:
Putting aside the crazy implication that if the “jokes” were about Bristol they would’ve been okay, notice how the writer weaves Letterman’s lame excuse into the article as fact and tries to give him the “confused” out? Frankly, it wasn’t confusing at all. Letterman made a specific reference to the Palins attendance at a Yankeee game but now I’m supposed to believe he made an oopsie about which daughter he wanted to insult (as if it really makes a difference)?
At least the author sems to realize that Letterman’s apology is bs and of course Letterman continues to chortle about one of his stupid sexual innuendo jokes about Palin which, for a 62 year old man is rather childish.
But the thing that’s really odd about the “sexually adventurous flight attendant” crack is how persistently folks like Letterman have projected their purile sexual fantasies onto Palin and then blame her for it.
As an aside, in what world are Sarah Palin’s oufits “reminiscent of a sexually adventurous flight attendant”? I’ve seen plenty of pictures of her and her outfits seem to be mostly “Ann Taylor” working woman type stuff that’s rather commonplace. Strange.
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Violet says:
I fixed it.
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ks says:
Hi Violet,
It looks like my #11 was corrected so if you want you can delete my #12. Thanks.
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Lori says:
This is all just heartbreaking. We argued so long about Limbaugh and McÇain making those nasty cracks about Chelsea when she was young. And now, the left is doing the same damn thing. There is one diary about this at Kos and most of he commenters are pissed that the diary is up. They think the Palins deserve this because they are trying to foist their values on everyone else - something I haven’t really seen Sarah doing. Oh, and Sarah is a slut according to one commenter, so it doesn’t matter anyway.
Limbaugh is going to come after Sasha and Malia big time. You know he’s just been waiting for the opportunity and the left has now justified it for him. And none of these idiots seem to understand that they are now as responsible for debasing our political dialogue as Limbaugh.
Obama brings out the worst in people - there’s just no two ways about it. The left has taken a real dive since he came on the scene.
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trixta says:
CROSS-POSTED from NOQUARTER
Comment by trixta | 2009-06-11 12:58:53Just wondering about Alex Rodriguez and Elliot Spitzer … I hope they, too, make a statement about Letterman linking them to rape/pedaphelia. These guys may be promiscuous, but to put the image out there in the American consciousness of them raping or molesting a child is beyond the pale and defamatory to their public image. As far as I know, neither of these two public figures had the reputations of being rapists or pedaphiles —- at least, not until now with Letterman’s jokes. I would like to see what these men have to say about the matter.
Also, I don’t think Sarah Palin should go on The Letterman Show, since this would give him over-the-top ratings and more legitimacy as a TV personality. Moreover, I’m so glad Todd Palin is calling Letterman on his perverted misogyny. Whoever made these jokes up — be it Letterman himself or his staff of writers — shows a sick and perverted mind at work.
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Violet says:
They think the Palins deserve this because they are trying to foist their values on everyone else
That’s not really why; that’s just the story they tell themselves to justify it.
It’s pure misogyny. 100% misogyny. Nothing else.
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Egallantry says:
PhDork at The Pursuit of Harpyness has a post about this issue.
“The man is still telling jokes at Hillary Clinton’s expense (philandering husband! icy! pantsuits!), despite the fact that she’s been serving very effectively as Secretary of State, and he was ruthless about Sarah Palin (barbie! russia! barbie!). But recently, Dave has been sinking deeper in Vortex of Suck that is misogyny as he went after the Palin family again, prompted by their recent trip to New York.”
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yttik says:
“I’m just depressed by the moral bankruptcy of so many women I expected better of. Or maybe not moral bankruptcy so much as craven complicity with patriarchy.”
I hear you. I depend heavily on chocolate and pina coladas to help me cope.
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SYD says:
Did Letterman cross the line? Vote here:
http://extratv.warnerbros.com/.....tterma.php
Refresh and vote again, if you like. (You know the botboys will.)
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Marcy says:
I heard one commentator say Palin brought it on herself by putting her family on display when she was campaigning. Reminded me of David Shuster’s remark about Hillary pimping out Chelsea. Obviously this is one more double standard of which we were previously unaware. When a male candidate campaigns with his family, it shows what a great guy he is. When a woman does it, she and the family become the targets of sexist and demeaning comments attempting to ridicule them.
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Violet says:
I heard one commentator say Palin brought it on herself by putting her family on display when she was campaigning.
It’s mind-boggling. I’ve never understood the blindness of some people. So Michelle can campaign on the basis of her family being a “role model” for American families, and that’s okay. Barack Obama can put his wife and kids on his campaign glossies, and that’s okay. Michelle and Sasha and Malia can all get out on stage at the convention, and that’s okay.
But Sarah Palin’s family accompanies her to the convention, and that makes them fair game for anything. Right. Got it.
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Nell says:
Um, have the Obots all forgotten about that “Access Hollywood” interview that the Obamas allowed their then 10- and 7-year-old
daughters to do? Are the Obama children now fair game for anything?After that interview, Obama came forward to express regret that he had allowed it. Brilliant strategy! It was a two-fer! (1) Display your adorable children before a national audience to emphasize what a terrific all-American family you are and then (2) grovel in the humility that you are only human, you made a mistake.
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jc says:
Voted. Notice that the poll is “Palin’s overreacting” (that hysterical emotional whiny bitch, how dare she react) and “Dave’s outta line” (as in went TOO far with the misogyny, ya know, far enough to squeak past the offensive line into the territory of the defense).
I don’t dare turn on late night “comedy”, it’s not funny.
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Nina M. says:
Bob Somerby - mensch of all mensches - in the Daily Howler yesterday:
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10, 2009
The clan supporting the clan: This morning, Christina Brown anchored First Look, MSNBC’s early-morning news show. Near the end of the half hour, the clan defended the clan.What follows is not an exact quote, but it comes pretty close. Repeat: First Look is a news broadcast. Brown is the program’s anchor:
BROWN (6/10/09): Apparently, Sarah Palin thinks she shouldn’t have to go through the same kind of late-night ribbing everyone else goes through.
Who knows? Brown may have been reading script which rolled up on the prompter. But at MSNBC, this was someone’s idea of a “news report” about Letterman’s latest top jokes.
Letterman isn’t at NBC any more—but he’s still part of the clan. He’s also a familiar figure in our culture. He’s the smelly, 62-year-old coot who never arranged to grow up.
Boys like Letterman never grow up. Inside their brains, hard wires keep telling them to aim naughty jokes at 14-year-old girls—and to refer to women as “slutty.” The Greenwich guy did it again Monday night. People like this never stop.
Perhaps the most interesting part of this whole syndrome is the way the “liberal” world has accepted it.
During the 1990s, the liberal world ran off and hid in the woods, hoping that pseudo-conservative rule would come to an end by itself. (If liberals complained, their careers could be damaged! You would have kept quiet too.) For that reason, its toleration of smutty misogyny aimed at Hillary Clinton just seemed like part of the deal. (When the press corps spent a month aiming smut at Naomi Wolf, only Kristol and Safire responded.) But in this decade, a larger pattern has become rather clear: There is no “sexual politics” in the progressive world. Not a discernible morsel.
In fairness, gender-trashing is deeply hard-wired. At some point in the future, race and racism will be things of the past—but some smelly old loser will be on some stage banging away at teen-age girls. Will they steal their jokes from Keith and Dave? Won’t have to! Such jokes flow like rain.
This wiring exists all over the world. In this morning’s Post, Blaine Harden authors a superb news report about the way this wiring still expresses itself, even today, in a much less liberal culture. In our culture, smelly old losers stand up and tell jokes. In China, the lads remain much more free to act on their deepest perceptions. (We strongly recommend Harden’s report. Note the way the women in question “receive abundant food”—if they don’t complain.)
At any rate, there was Brown, banging away at Sarah Palin this morning. (Palin had complained.) In David Letterman’s smelly old world, Sarah Palin was slutty—and Willow Palin, age 14, had gotten herself knocked up by A-Rod. Result? In the world of Brown’s “news report,” Sarah Palin wasn’t willing to take the same kind of “ribbing” everybody else has to take.
The liberal world has accepted this crap every single step of the way. But then, that world doesn’t really exist. Watching tape, you hear liberal laughter at Letterman’s joke. It’s just the clan supporting the clan—in thrall to our oldest hard-wiring.
So you’ll know: Sarah Palin attended that Yankees game with her daughter Willow, who is fourteen. Smelly old men always seem to know just where to take things from there.
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Violet says:
Yep. Though I would take issue with the “hard-wired” business. If he means that just in the sense of being deeply ingrained cultural patterns, then yeah. But if he means it in the ev psycho sense of “this is just human nature,” then no. El Generalissimo Bullshitto.
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angienc says:
Update: NOW puts Letterman in its “media hall of shame.” http://www.now.org/issues/media/hall-of-shame/
I would have liked them a little more if they had stood up for both Hillary & Sarah during the primary/election, but hey, at least they are saying something now.
I like the Palin’s response better (per the Gov.’s spokesman):
“The Palins have no intention of providing a rating’s boost for David Letterman by appearing on his show. Plus, it would be wise to keep Willow away from David Letterman.”
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Kali says:
Apparently, Greta Van Susteren invited NOW and Ms. to comment about Letterman on her show tonight and they refused. Ms. refused outright. NOW’s Gandy had some family emergency and they couldn’t find a substitute but agreed to put up something on their site.
I just read this in the comments at The New Agenda.
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thistle says:
All the last night talk show hosts (not just letterman) should be in the media hall of shame. Not just because of Sarah Palin jokes but because of the exceptionally demeaning jokes towards ANY women. I had to stop watching the tonight show ages ago.
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Reclusive Leftist » Blog Archive » NOW rises from the dead, speaks says:
[...] thistle: ……posted to Would a crack whore joke about Michelle Obama be funny? at 11:46 pm EST on June 11, 2009 [...]
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Jamie W. says:
Hm — I’m pretty darn conservative and I honestly loathe Michelle Obama. But a crack whore joke — even a joke about her dressing like a slut — or ANYTHING nasty about her cute daughters — certainly any RAPE jokes — yeah, I’d be mad as heck about that. Oddly, the thought of those imaginary cracks makes me even madder than the real ones about Palin.
I wonder what that says about me. Perhaps that I identify more with being a woman and mother (and once a young girl) than I do with being a conservative? And perhaps that is the real common bond between all of us women, of any political or national or racial stripe, that we need to tap to pull together: our sense of outrage when one of OUR OWN is attacked, no matter who that one is.
And if that is true, then it ill behooves the media to continue pounding on Sarah Palin. It does them no real good, but it sure does tick off women. What was that Yamamoto said, about waking a sleeping giant? We are a sleeping giant, and our alarm clock is overdue.
