Letterman, Palin, and Feminism
Some of you may have heard that David Letterman made some off-color jokes about one of Sarah Palin's daughters.
I like David Letterman. I get his humor, and think he's wildly under-appreciated by most adults today. His humor doesn't beat you over the head; it's subtle and self-deprecating, and I like that. When i've seen him interview political candidates, he's generally done a good job of not giving easy interviews. He doesn't antagonize them, but they usually don't get out without answering one or two solid questions.
I have heard some people on local talk radio say the following: "If feminism is about the big picture, then why aren't more feminists speaking out against comments made regarding a Republican's daughter?"
Another quasi-secret reason I like Letterman is because he often times comes across to me as a little more liberal. It's never anything explicit, just a feeling I have. I tend to give Letterman the benefit of the doubt because I think he's a bit liberal, and I think everyone who reads my journal knows that I'm a socialist. Because of this, I tend to give liberals the benefit of the doubt and want to hear their side of the story before I draw any conclusions, and conversely I usually think "a-HA!" when I hear something similar about a conservative. So, at first I thought that maybe I should give him a break. The guy is getting up there and it's all water under the bridge, right?
"Wrong," says my conscience. "You are speaking out."
Look, I like to think that my ideals represent the best in people. When you get down to it, I don't want people to associate me with someone morally corrupt. It's tough enough to responsibly deal with the moral ambiguity in our society. I will not stand with liberals who think women are inferior to men, or that it's okay to degrade a woman as a "slut" because she got pregnant as a teenager. What about her partner? Is he just as "bad" as her?
Bottom line: no amount of similarities between myself and anyone else excuse this. No amount of endearment excuses this.
Nevertheless, we are human, and humans make mistakes. I will continue to like David Letterman, but my opinions of him will always contain this caveat: "What he said about Bristol Palin was wrong."
I like David Letterman. I get his humor, and think he's wildly under-appreciated by most adults today. His humor doesn't beat you over the head; it's subtle and self-deprecating, and I like that. When i've seen him interview political candidates, he's generally done a good job of not giving easy interviews. He doesn't antagonize them, but they usually don't get out without answering one or two solid questions.
I have heard some people on local talk radio say the following: "If feminism is about the big picture, then why aren't more feminists speaking out against comments made regarding a Republican's daughter?"
Another quasi-secret reason I like Letterman is because he often times comes across to me as a little more liberal. It's never anything explicit, just a feeling I have. I tend to give Letterman the benefit of the doubt because I think he's a bit liberal, and I think everyone who reads my journal knows that I'm a socialist. Because of this, I tend to give liberals the benefit of the doubt and want to hear their side of the story before I draw any conclusions, and conversely I usually think "a-HA!" when I hear something similar about a conservative. So, at first I thought that maybe I should give him a break. The guy is getting up there and it's all water under the bridge, right?
"Wrong," says my conscience. "You are speaking out."
Look, I like to think that my ideals represent the best in people. When you get down to it, I don't want people to associate me with someone morally corrupt. It's tough enough to responsibly deal with the moral ambiguity in our society. I will not stand with liberals who think women are inferior to men, or that it's okay to degrade a woman as a "slut" because she got pregnant as a teenager. What about her partner? Is he just as "bad" as her?
Bottom line: no amount of similarities between myself and anyone else excuse this. No amount of endearment excuses this.
Nevertheless, we are human, and humans make mistakes. I will continue to like David Letterman, but my opinions of him will always contain this caveat: "What he said about Bristol Palin was wrong."