MSNBC’s Contessa Brewer’s recent interview with L.A. radio host John Ziegler was as fine a display of passive-aggressive journalism as you’ll ever see. The segment started with a clip of David Letterman quipping about Sarah Palin’s “slutty” look; we begin a few moments into the interview:
Brewer: Let me ask you what Sarah Palin’s problem with Letterman was; what was it about the top ten list that hurt her feelings?
Ziegler: Well, I don’t know if her feelings were hurt — you’d have to ask her. Not only did he call her slutty, you left out the part where he also joked about her teenage daughter being knocked up by Alex Rodriguez in the middle of Yankee stadium while she was at the game. By the way, I also happened to ask her about Keith Olberman blatantly lying about her allegedly plagiarizing a speech which she didn’t do, I doubt that that will come up on this particular network….
Brewer: It’s certainly not going to come up other than your mention in this particular interview because I want to ask you about David Letterman and Sarah Palin. But again, if you’d like to talk about that, I’m willing to go forward with the conversation. (Long pause) Yes? (He heartily agrees) Perfect. Good. So in this case, it’s comedy, so talk about her real itinerary in New York — it’s kinda serious, not really funny — why did she take such offense — she called him pathetic, so she obviously took offense — why was she so offended by David Letterman?
Ziegler: Well, Contessa, since you’re a female, you might be a better expert on whether or not it’s appropriate to call public figures SLUTTY for no apparent reason, and to joke about her daughter being knocked up in the middle of Yankee Stadium while she’s at the game — how would YOU feel about that?
Brewer: John, that’s actually happened to me, and I’m fine, I’m still here, I’m, I’m, I’m…
Ziegler: Really. David Letterman joked about you being slutty?
Brewer: Not David Letterman, not David Letterman, but it happened-to-me-publicly, okay, and wuh…well, we’ll change topics….
(A bit later…)
Ziegler: I urge anyone who is interested in the real Sarah Palin to go to HowObamaGotElected.com, you can listen to all 16 minutes. One of the questions I asked her was whether she felt dissed by John McCain when he went on Jay Leno — also on NBC…
Brewer: WOW. Alright….
Ziegler: ….back when he was the host of the Tonight Show, and basically dissed her, and — surprise surprise — she gave an incredibly classy answer, showing far more class than — clearly — most people on this network have.
Brewer: I…don’t really know what to do with that. You know what, I was honestly, I’m here to to give you an opportunity, I consider myself a common-sense thinker, I haven’t attacked you, and for you to come on and use those sort of insults insults ME….thank you so much for your time, I do appreciate that.
Ziegler: Well, you guys are certainly deserving of all…
Brewer: CUT THE MIC PLEASE!!!
ooooh, burn! Nice one John!
Contessa, you ignorant slut! Ha Ha.
I’ve been sampling comments about the Letterman fiasco throughout the day. Most are [rightfully] condemning him but some people on the Left still don’t get it. To them I ask a simple question:
“Don’t you realize that if you refuse to criticize Letterman over this that YOU are opening the door wide open for future nasty attacks against Obama’s wonderful daughters?”
Anyone who is willing to open that door is truly sick.
Hey come ON, she’s not… ignorant! [ba dump, tshh!]
I hereby nominate The Phantom for Best Rimshot on a Conservative Blog.
Hannity also asked the same questions. Why haven’t any big names, both political and business and other, come out and publicly said that the personal attacks against Palin are despicable.
Hannity asked how Letterman would feel if someone called Letterman’s wife a ‘slut’; how he would feel, if he had a daughter, and Letterman joked about her being raped by someone.
And one wonders why the feminists haven’t spoken up in support of Palin. Indeed, many women who define themselves as feminists have attacked Palin. It seems that feminists only support leftists; if you are a woman and conservative, then, they treat you like scum. So much for their much vaunted self-praise about supporting women in politics and business.
Note how Brewer is instantly insulted when Ziegler points out that their attitude towards Palin is ‘not classy’, yet, she fails to see how her attitude to Palin is denigrating and insulting.
“Contessa, you ignorant slut! Ha Ha.”
I was going to say that was out of line and inappropriate, but seems it’s now considered acceptable mainstream politically correct humor, so you’re off the hook. 😉
Can anyone background this with Elton John’s classic ‘The Bitch Is Back’? ……’cause I’d swear it’s true.
What an idiot! “Why was Sarah Palin offended by that?” Come on! What a stupid question! This woman is a professional journalist? Or maybe Contessa enjoys being called a slut, so she thinks other women do as well? I’m embarrassed for her.
And she closes out the interview by stating that she felt insulted by Ziegler. Only liberals can have hurt feelings, I guess.
Well, Ziegler just got himself another fan. Sign me up!
Thanks. Actually its a paraphrased Dan Ackroyd line from SNL. I suppose we could all lighten up about this but if anyone had made a similar remark about the Obama children all hell would have broken loose.
Dave Letterman needs to hang up his shingle. He has revealed himself as a rather unfunny bore (yet again}.
I think Ziegler hurt Brewers feelings.
I think the countessa was, when asked if she had ever been publicly called slutty, recalling the time Imus said she had a pretty big rear end.
why did she take such offense . . . why was she so offended
Wow. Just wow.
That, Mississauga Matt, is what stood out the most (along with Brewer’s victimized claims of insult near the end when she was insulted one-fiftieth as much): she repeated a passive-aggressive, entirely rhetorical question that she *pretended* was an earnest one. On national TV.
She played innocent, like she was enjoying the cruelty of asking publicly, on behalf of her fellow hating constituents, “Why on earth would this **** be offended by…”
Totally unaccountable by design; it’s like Junior High School in hell.
All liberals must denounce Letterman the way conservatives denounced Limbaugh when he called Chelsea Clinton a “dog” and McCain when he called Chelsea Clinton “ugly”!
Of course Contessa doesn’t mind being called a slut – that’s the job description of every msm journalist (Take me Obama, Take Me).
Beautiful, just beautiful
Freakin’ hilarious. It’s no wonder MSNBC’s ratings are in the tank. This Brewer broad is no journalist, and certainly offers nothing approaching fair and balanced interviewing. Loved the way this guy crawled under her skin.
Brilliant!
I haven’t heard much about Alex Rodriguez’ reaction to Letterman’s “joke”. After all, he was accused of statutory rape, on national TV. If he weighs in on this, Letterman’s in more guano than he thinks.
Idiotic remarks like that don’t go away, and they shouldn’t
And one wonders why the feminists haven’t spoken up in support of Palin.
No mystery there, eh. Organized, MSM-amplified “Feminism” has been about lefty politics from day one. But we already knew that.
I agree, dp, although it’s really a cultural indicator more than it is about Letterman — a former weatherman who was was never, in truth, the sharpest knife in the drawer; his biggest achievement as an entertainer is that he perfected the tactic of getting laughs out of the fact that a joke wasn’t funny.
At this point he’s an addled has-been who regurgitates received memes to prop himself up, and he in effect uses his his age to portray such inanity as a species of wisdom; he’s an unwitting puppet, in that sense. It’s the vile hypocrisy of the Dem/prog/left that’s on display in the interview; these are people who fake outrage over the mistreatment of *types* — themes pertaining to some vague (to them) underclass — who they don’t actually care about and have never met while they call true, upright, sound, strong women like Sarah Palin “sluts,” in effect.
It’s as revolting as it is baldly evident. So, yeah, the remarks shouldn’t go away, in the sense that they have to be noted, and not forgotten, but they have to be pinned to all those who apply them so self-righteously, so hypocritically, and so inanely. Letterman is just a symptom, victimized by the adulation and cloistered-ness of his milieu. He just reflects, and inanely broadcasts, some mindless variant of the bigger mess.
WOW! How can a person like her hold a job like that??? She seems to have absolutely no skin, no common sense, absolutely no argument, it’s embarrassing to watch.
It seems very convenient for a the Obama network to have mindless drones working in front of the camera. I mean if Obama can’t give a straight answer without the use of the teleprompter, then why should the networks hosts be able to ask intelligent questions from the hip.
Embarrassing and quantifying.
The media storm of attack on Palin really indicated PANIC. The left does not experience loathing/dislike of Pallin or her policies….just FEAR…..
What people fear they hate…….
Verily, Joel, throughout.
I’m waiting for Letterman to do his rape jokes about Ogabe’s daughters now. I’m sure he’s working on the material right now.
Right… ?
little man is one sick jackass!
It was mentioned last night that he is not married, and has an illegitimate child of his own.
imagine that!!….
And a big thank you to Mr. Ziegler.
well done sir!
But it’s A-okay for Limbaugh to call Chelsea Clinton a “dog” and for McCain to call her “ugly”!
McCain called Chelsea Clinton “ugly,” bleet?
Provide a link. Otherwise…well, *you* know.
No, bleeter, it’s not. I always thought McCain was a very lame candidate, despite his personal heroism; more than a little unhinged. His evil temper is legendary. If the Republicans had been able to scare up a good candidate we wouldn’t be in… well.
The Chelsea joke was cruel and contemptible, and if either of her parents had had an ounce of real human feeling they wouldn’t have let it slide.
Don’t know the Limbaugh thing, but it sounds bad. He can be a jerk, at times.
Happy? Now will you admit Letterman is a creepy pig, and that him saying what he said is a symptom of something much bigger in our culture?
Happened back when Chelsea’s dad was fiddling a starry-eyed intern only a liitle bit older than his own daughter:
http://www.salon.com/news/1998/06/25newsb.html
http://www.city-data.com/forum/elections/254966-john-mccains-tasteless-joke-about-chelsea.html
I recall a few people repeating this… and given her (real) papa’s indiscretions, and Janet Reno’s appearance, anything is possible?
I thought then, that it was funny. It doesn’t take much effort to find a worse “joke” about the Palin family in the last election, or regarding the near total lack of respect given the previous president. so, tit for tat I suppose, I don’t want to get into a shit throwing contest, nor can I vouch for “city-data.com” but others have covered it too….
I imagine the outcry when people really lose it over the B.Hussien.Obama children.
Blest when those far less harmful things were said both Guy’s were criticized by both sides of the political spectrum. So far no one on the left – particulary the part that purports to speak strongly for Women’s rights – has not said boo against DL.
and of course for some “balance” go here…
http://politicalhumor.about.com/library/blbushtwinjokes.htm
and I’m going to say it again, wait for the crap to hit the fan when people start to make jokes about President Dumbo’s daughters…
I posted this comment at Reader Tips @ 5:51 p.m. yesterday:
Wow, that Contessa! I want to use the B-word about her, and it wouldn’t be Brewer.
You scratch a liberal and you get someone who is easily offended and not at all shy about expressing their outrage — but on camera? What a ditz.
John Ziegler scored a bulls eye!
Today’s comment!: As for the feminists’ non-reaction, they’re happy to throw Sarah Palin to the dogs, their default position for any woman who deviates from their script.
When Bill Clinton was involved with Monica Lewinsky, NOW feminists said that it was OK if Bill Clinton got b*** jobs from young girls AS LONG AS HE CONTINUED TO SUPPORT A WOMAN’S RIGHT (SIC) TO ABORTION.
These feminists are despicable. Their perceived enemy is not a President or a has-been comic preying on young female flesh but women who love their husbands and kids.
Does going to Hell in a hand basket reverberate?
“I always thought McCain was a very lame candidate, despite his personal heroism”
well..McCain is certainly lame, but I could never understood the bizarre republican claim of his supposed heroism…he got tortured, and then submitted to the torturers’s demands to make anti American propaganda films. Wheres the heroism? Then the guy flip flops on whether torture is bad or not…because dick cheney tells him its not bad…or at least not if he wants to be the republican candidate…even though mccain’s been ya know…hung by the elbows himself. In fact mcCain’s fellow prisoners hated him, because for every succes the NVs had getting some weak tit like McCain to submit, they tried that much harder on all the others. Funny to see you freaks still buying into anything postive about “mavrick mcain” or his dimwitted running mate…who could only spout word salad whenever anyone asked her a real policy question….
I might mention that the reason newt gingrich suddenly disapeared from american politics for a few years was because larry flint had real good evidence that newt was getting blow jobs from a young campaign worker of his…not his wife ya know…and newty even told her “blow jobs aren’t sex”…just like what clinton said.
just thought I’d mention that since newty seems to be back…
Well at least we know that lefty women are good with being referred to as sluts and it fair game to offer their young daughters up to football teams to gang rape.
Personally, I found the “slutty stewardess” jab mildly amusing…it spoke to a vision I have of Sarah Palin in one of her suits, so was a commentary (of sorts) on an observation. I think that “joke” was “within bounds”.
The “jokes” about sexual affronts on her daughters, however, is beyond the pale.
Interesting from a dispassionate objective perspective, though, to see the blind hypocrisy of the left so clearly on display. And I do think it is “blind”…I don’t think they recognize any hypocrisy at all. Conservatives, Republicans and Christians are not “protected species” to them and are apparently fair game for all manner of ridicule and despicable personal attacks. I’d be interested in reading a psychological assessment of Liberals and Democrats.
Two things: Two wrongs don’t make a right. If Newt Gingrich was getting b*** jobs from young women, then he was an a**hole. Being Republican doesn’t make it OK.
Newt has just entered into full communion with the Roman Catholic Church, which means that he has confessed his sins and, hopefully, is making restitution for them. It is possible for people to admit their faults/sins, to be healed, and to move on. But, of course, the feminists would deny this, too.
BTW, David Letterman is now married to the mother of his child — but it took him almost 20 years to do it and five years past the birth of his son. He’s a late bloomer, that guy, now way past his prime. He should hang it up FAST, because he’s no longer funny. He’s pathetic.
If Newt is guilty of receiving BJs from his staff then the bastard is no better than Billy-can’t-keep-it-in-his-pants. It is not that the act itself(some commandments get broken all too often) but the fact that these are people in power and control who are taking advantage of their position. This is much the same as teacher-student flings; wrong on several levels.
I don’t know is Newt has admitted his indisgressions but Clinton not only denied, he lied.
I honestly don’t know why feminists and the left have such a vile hate on for Governor Palin. It goes well beyond disagreeing with her policies. The amount of personal attacks from so called famous people during the last election was down right scary.
Sarah and Todd Palin have their rebbutal on Facebook
Newt had an affair with his current wife while he was still married. To the best of my knowledge he does not have a history of philandering like Clinton, regardless of what huh would like people to believe.
The issue with Clinton had less to do with his affair(s), which is a personal issue, and more to do with his lying under oath, which was not.
As far as Letterman, I have to disagree with EBD, he is (was?) brilliant. 25 years ago he was cutting edge and I rarely missed a show. I will admit he’s been mailing it in for years; if you’ve only seen the CBS Dave, it’s a pale imitation.
Letterman and most of the rest of the Late Night set repeatedly crossed the line with President Bush and his family, and continue their vicious attacks with the Palin Family.
Why was she offended?
June 12
NEW YORK (AP) – Sarah Palin says David Letterman owes an apology to young women across the country for his joke about her daughter.
The Alaska governor appeared on NBC’s “Today” show Friday, continuing a feud with Letterman over his joke that Palin’s daughter got “knocked up” by Alex Rodriguez during their recent trip to New York.
Palin says the late-night funnyman has contributed to a thread throughout culture that says it’s acceptable and funny to talk about statutory rape.
Letterman has said his joke was about Palin’s 18-year-old daughter, Bristol, who is a single mother. But it was her 14-year-old daughter, Willow, who’d been at the baseball game.
Palin said it took Letterman time to think of the “convenient excuse” that he was talking about Bristol instead of Willow.
IN THE SAME TOPIC, ZIEGLER MADE A DOCUMENTARY CALLED “MEDIA MALPRACTICE: HOW OBAMA GOT ELECTED” WHERE PALIN TALKS IN LENGTH ABOUT MEDIA IN THE LEFT TANK.
YOU CAN FIND IT ON YOU TUBE IN IT’S ENTIRITY BROKE UP IN PARTS.
HERE’S THE LINK. IF IT DOES’NT WORK JUST GOOGLE YOUTUBE AND PLUG IN THE TITLE OF THE MOVIE.
Wow, a flying pig alert – NOW inducts Letterman into its “Media Hall of Shame” (via Hot Air)
“The sexualization of girls and women in the media is reaching new lows these days — it is exploitative and has a negative effect on how all women and girls are perceived and how they view themselves. Letterman also joked about what he called Palin’s “slutty flight attendant look” — yet another example of how the media love to focus on a woman politician’s appearance, especially as it relates to her sexual appeal to men.”
This marks the first time I’ve ever agreed with NOW; I hope it’s not the last.
What Don Imus joked off the cuff about the female basketball players, was far less offensive than David Letterman’s premeditated and practiced joke, in which he knew was offensive. But it’s not about offending, it’s about ratings! It’s about getting ahead of Conan, at what ever cost, at what ever hurt is needed. The same will be for the election in 2012!!
BTW, I still can’t believe some of you actually think your watching journalists, present you the news!!! Most of them haven’t been for at least 6 or 7 years. LOL
Let’s see if I have this right:
Letterman doesn’t like Palin or at least everything Palin represents.
John Ziegler doesn’t like CNN and the rest of the Obamedia.
Contessa Brewer doesn’t like her side being put down by the likes of John Ziegler.
What’s that old saying you can take the twit out of grade school but you can’t take grade school out of the twit.
Letterman – over the hill
Brewer – out of her league
Ziegler – reduced to handing out insults
P.S. ARE THERE NO FIGHT ATTENDANTS, that are offended by the slutty stereo type???????
from huh?:
“he got tortured, and then submitted to the torturers’s demands to make anti-American propaganda films.”
whadya know…a anti-American film a lefty doesn’t like.
Carl:
Not many at Air Canada.