Jun 11, 2009 12:00 pm US/Pacific
Letterman Sort Of Sorry For Palin Cracks?
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
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On Monday's "Late Show with David Letterman," the comedian came out swinging, saying, "One awkward moment for Sarah Palin at the Yankee game. During the seventh inning, her daughter was knocked up by Alex Rodriguez!" (File)
AP
David Letterman deftly played it both ways on Wednesday's "Late Show" as he apologized for wisecracks aimed earlier in the week at Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and one of her teenage daughters — even as he milked the situation for more laughs.
"Of course, we make mistakes left and right," the CBS host said as he began a lengthy discourse that blended flashes of contrition with moments of hilarity as he took more pokes at Palin and her family.
Letterman had made several jokes on Monday's monologue about the Palin family's visit to New York.
His Top Ten list featured "Highlights of Sarah Palin's Trip," and included: "Bought makeup at Bloomingdale's to update her 'slutty flight attendant' look."
But the diciest joke centered on the family attending a Yankees baseball game, with Letterman saying, "One awkward moment for Sarah Palin at the Yankee
game. During the seventh inning, her daughter was knocked up by Alex
Rodriguez!"
Without naming her, the joke seemed to refer to Palin's 18-year-old daughter Bristol, an unwed mother.
But it was 14-year-old daughter Willow, not Bristol, who had been at the game.
In a statement, she said, "Laughter incited by sexually perverted
comments made by a 62-year-old male celebrity aimed at a 14-year-old
girl is .. disgusting."
On Wednesday, Letterman tried to quiet the controversy, joking, "I am hardly a celebrity. I am 62, yes!"
He insisted the joke was targeted at 18-year-old Bristol Palin, a
single mother, and not 14-year-old Willow Palin, who was the Palin
daughter at the ballgame.
"These are not jokes made about her 14-year-old daughter," Letterman
stressed. "I would never, never make jokes about raping or having sex
of any description with a 14-year-old girl."
Aside from that remark, Letterman was unapologetic about having fun at Palin's expense.
He denied the joke was meant to be about Willow Palin.
"I would never, never make jokes about raping or having sex of any description with a 14-year-old girl," he said, dropping his signature sarcasm. "I don't think it's funny. I would never think it was funny."
"I'm not necessarily proud of these jokes," he said in a more ironically self-deprecating moment. "We do stuff all the time and our objective here is to get a laugh, and thank God we don't have to go to the Hague and the World Court to defend them. It's a joke and that's all it's supposed to be."
Before he was done, he tried to boil down the situation into two key points, which he stated with playful precision:
"Am I guilty of poor taste? Yes.
"Did I suggest that it was OK for her 14-year-old daughter to be having promiscuous sex? No."
He also invited Palin to be a guest on his show, saying, "I think we could put these differences behind us." But the offer, extended to both Palin and her husband ("or leave Todd at home," Letterman suggested), was turned down on Thursday.
"The Palins have no intention of providing a ratings boost for David Letterman by appearing on his show," said Palin spokeswoman Meghan Stapleton. "Plus, it would be wise to keep Willow away from David Letterman."
(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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