Letterman's apology was weak. His sarcastic tone referring to "Todd" tells you all you need to know. He isn't embarrassed.

 

Nor should he be. If he was a CEO then he should be but he's a comedian. You don't have to like comedy but it helps to "get it."

I get tired of the world changes line, yes it does, but common decency does not. It may for those who lack it. And Bob Hope is still funny, some people need locker room humor to make them laugh, because they have not been taught better.

A reason I am all over this, as a former teacher, I see the youth of American becoming very course and vulgar because we allow this form of locker room talk to pass as comedy on TV.

 

Bob Hope would not make people under 50 laugh today. Like it or not.

Bob Hope would not make people under 50 laugh today. Like it or not.

 

Why not? If Bob Hopes humor does not make people laugh it is because our minds have been bombarded with crude and vile humor to the point that nothing else seems funny . . . that, my friend, is sad. Humor does not have to be vulgar, crude, or distasteful to be funny. Letterman was out of line, and the people that actually thought this "joke" was funny really need to reevaluate what humor is. And before someone says, "that's just your opinion," that may be true, but I also think it is the opinion of many others as well.

Why not? If Bob Hopes humor does not make people laugh it is because our minds have been bombarded with crude and vile humor to the point that nothing else seems funny . . . that, my friend, is sad. Humor does not have to be vulgar, crude, or distasteful to be funny. Letterman was out of line, and the people that actually thought this "joke" was funny really need to reevaluate what humor is. And before someone says, "that's just your opinion," that may be true, but I also think it is the opinion of many others as well.

 

If Bob Hope's style was still considered to be "funny" we'd see it out there on TV and in the comedy clubs. We don't ergo....

 

Remember in the 50s when teachers and adults were screaming from the mountaintops that Elvis was crude and vulgar and would cause girls to take off their clothes? Your argument and bbfamily's argument is the same exact argument 50 years later.

If Bob Hope's style was still considered to be "funny" we'd see it out there on TV and in the comedy clubs. We don't ergo....

 

Remember in the 50s when teachers and adults were screaming from the mountaintops that Elvis was crude and vulgar and would cause girls to take off their clothes? Your argument and bbfamily's argument is the same exact argument 50 years later.

 

Never worked for me...

Bob Hope would not make people under 50 laugh today. Like it or not.

 

I'm 37 and think Bob Hope was 100 times more comical than Letterman. Dave isn't funny or intelligent, IMO. If this had been a spontaneous crack, I would probably give him a pass on it. The fact that this was scripted, rehearsed, and still thrown out there shows that Letterman is either low on the IQ scale, or he just doesn't care what he says or who he hurts. If it's the IQ thing, that can't be helped. You've got what you've got. If it's that he doesn't care, then that just shows what a pure scumbag he is. I don't watch his show, and I'm not a huge Conan fan, either. But I hope Conan kicks his butt in the ratings and CBS takes him off the air. Craig Ferguson's show is better than Letterman's

As an aside, has anyone seen the interview with Mrs. Palin and Matt Lauer?

If Bob Hope's style was still considered to be "funny" we'd see it out there on TV and in the comedy clubs. We don't ergo....

 

Remember in the 50s when teachers and adults were screaming from the mountaintops that Elvis was crude and vulgar and would cause girls to take off their clothes? Your argument and bbfamily's argument is the same exact argument 50 years later.

 

Common decency does not (or should not change) no matter the length of time. Vulgarity is not funny. This is my opinion and the opinion of many others. Your argument about Elvis just proves my point, the more that vulgar, crass, and distasteful "humor" is put before us, the more desensitized we become. I, for one, do not want to become desensitized. I prefer decency prevail.

Common decency does not (or should not change) no matter the length of time. Vulgarity is not funny. This is my opinion and the opinion of many others. Your argument about Elvis just proves my point, the more that vulgar, crass, and distasteful "humor" is put before us, the more desensitized we become. I, for one, do not want to become desensitized. I prefer decency prevail.

 

 

Your right, common decency has gone the way of the dinosaur. Same with simple civility. It's not just in comedy though. Disrespect, vulgarity, distatestul and crass comments are prevelent throughout pretty much every form of media, and I often am amazed at the number of supposed upstanding citizens who act in such ways.

However I too thought the joke was about the older daughter until I read on this thread that a younger daughter was who came to NY. I watched the Letterman piece that was linked before I read that and the whole while believed it to be the older daughter for whom the brunt of the joke was aimed.

 

I think Palin knew it was aimed at her older daughter but once more is using the situation to stay in the public eye.

Bingo ...

 

In my view, her comments linking Letterman's joke to talk about statutory rape are, at the very least, just as over the line as his may have been. Palin has a martyr complex, and the right wing is happy to portray her that way.

As an aside, has anyone seen the interview with Mrs. Palin and Matt Lauer?

 

I saw it. I thought she did a great job and handled Lauer better than anyone else could have. I especially liked a little over halfway been Matt acted like he was going to try to defend Letterman. She turned it around very quick, and Lauer decided to change the direction of the interview before she tore into him.

In short, it was sloppy work by Letterman for not knowing it was Willow and teetering on the fine line of joking about a political figure's child, for which he apologized and I am sure he is embarrassed about. The Palin family just needs to move on.

Amen ...

Your right, common decency has gone the way of the dinosaur. Same with simple civility. It's not just in comedy though. Disrespect, vulgarity, distatestul and crass comments are prevelent throughout pretty much every form of media, and I often am amazed at the number of supposed upstanding citizens who act in such ways.

 

I agree. I teach 5th graders and the things they know and say these days I didn't even hear about until high school or later. . . it is a sad commentary indeed on the direction of media. The number of parents who allow their children to sit before this stuff day in and day out is truly disconcerting. Turn the stuff off for goodness sake.

Your right, common decency has gone the way of the dinosaur. Same with simple civility. It's not just in comedy though. Disrespect, vulgarity, distatestul and crass comments are prevelent throughout pretty much every form of media, and I often am amazed at the number of supposed upstanding citizens who act in such ways.

 

This common decency you speak of was gone a long time ago IMO.

Why not? If Bob Hopes humor does not make people laugh it is because our minds have been bombarded with crude and vile humor to the point that nothing else seems funny . . . that, my friend, is sad. Humor does not have to be vulgar, crude, or distasteful to be funny. Letterman was out of line, and the people that actually thought this "joke" was funny really need to reevaluate what humor is. And before someone says, "that's just your opinion," that may be true, but I also think it is the opinion of many others as well.

 

I don't need to reevaluate anything, but thanks for trying to tell me how to live my life.

 

I don't care what others think is funny. If I think something is funny, I will laugh.

 

I've heard much worse...much much much worse said in comedy. And I've heard it come from guys who did comedy a long time ago. These types of jokes aren't new and they aren't coming from a new generation.