Penn Jillette Makes Hillary "White B*tch" Joke On MSNBC, Joe & Mika Condemn Him

This morning on MSNBC, magician Penn Jillette repeated an admittedly "cheesy" joke that performed really well on a recent tour — that Barack Obama did well in February because it was Black History Month and Hillary Clinton did well in March because it was "White Bitch Month."

Jillette used the joke to underscore his point that there is a huge reserve of hatred out there for Hillary, but anchors Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough were not amused and did not appreciate his comment. Watch as he repeats the joke and then is condemned by Mika and Joe, with Mika saying, "I didn't think it was funny, and I gotta tell you, with all the work Hillary Clinton is doing, I'm insulted, actually."

From MSNBC, 5/6

Comments

[Moarku]

I'm amazed that so few people actually considered WHY he was telling this joke. It's not like he just got up there are started smart-assing. It was in the context of a larger story about the mood of people. And he himself said it wasn't even a particularly funny joke, which is why it was surprising that it got such a big reaction from the crowd. Unfortunately, that story wouldn't have meant anything without repeating the joke itself - with the explanation that it was lame to begin with. There's a whoooole lot of overreaction here, from Scarborough to a lot of the comments below.

Getting pissed at someone for telling a bad joke when they say, "Hey, this is a really bad joke, but I have to tell you in order to tell this OTHER story, which is actually meaningful..." is a little bit off.

[SaraPulis]

This is Penn Jillette - what did they expect? If he were truly so erudite as he wishes to be seen, I doubt he'd have used the joke in question to begin with. I kind of wonder whether Teller was flipping off the crowd as Penn told this joke in the first place.

[CammyV]

I hope I didn't miss "Asshole Illusionists" month. It's the happiest time of the year.

[dadw5boys]

IT IS TOO LATE FOR MSNBC TO START ACTING LIKE THEY HAVE ETHIC'S THEY HELPED PUSH THE USA INTO AN ILLEGAL WAR AND DESERVE NO RESPECT.

[Pressmatters]

Go Ahead! Not with the hiring of Pat "Racial Arsonist # 1" Buchanan, and the tongue and cheek response to the chauvanism of the other talking heads.....

[Zanti]

Immature Jerk History Month is coming up, so Penn's probably practicing.

The guy's an egoist of the worst order, and women are standard targets in our society. You think someone like Penn is going to do or say something brave or original? We may as well expect a dog to play Chopin Etudes....

[Justtellthetruth]

Penn ought to open his own polling company. He seems right on in the way his joke reaction predicted Hillary's lame showing in the last primaries.

Of course, it's easier if the person your making fun of is already literally despised by a majority of the nation, but it was HILLaroiusly funny nonetheless

Thanks for Sharing, Penn.

[Zanti]

"Of course, it's easier if the person your making fun of is already literally despised by a majority of the nation...."

You're not suggesting that, behind his blowhard persona, Penn is a calculating wimp?

[Harrier]

In appropriate for TV. An exaggerated response from the female

[HarrietandBlahBlahNyborg]

OMG! What complete douche bags these MSNBC talking heads are! Penn retells a little joke he made and now all women in America are hurt??? Jesus Christ, the media sucks.

[davvid]

MSNBC sucks

[Syco]

I think the black history month part is what should offend us considering Tina Fey called Hillary a bitch not to long ago.

[brokenarrow]

The FCC caters to one particular affiliation, and ONLY THAT ONE. One must follow the money only as far as the big corporations who OWN THE MEDIA, and DONATE to that certain affiliation.

LISTEN: This tactic is obvious to any person who can add two and two and get four. HAVE A BOBBLEHEAD SAY IT, AND THEN A HUGE SUPER STAR (smile) like JS, and whomever that sidekick was, CONDEMN...­..........­...SHEESH, HOW OBVIOUS CAN YOU GET???

My country tis of thee, sweet land of media maggots...­..........­.....HAD ENOUGH YET, AMERICA????

ALL OF OUR BASTIONS OF FREEDOM HAVE ERODED....­.......FCC­= FLAMING CORPORATE CORRUPTION. Almost as bad as the SCOTUS....­..........­...GOT HOPE???

[gevan]

It is obvious that Joe and Mika(?) missed the point of Penn's little story; which only further highlights the point he was trying to make.

[Hagrid]

Joe is an idiot.
He looked scared this morning when he realised that the next president of this country will be a Black Man!

Mika (daddy's little shame) is another brain dead blond that belongs on Fox News, with all the other puff-lipped, short-skirted pole dancers that they call anchors

[truthyguy]

They are insulted because like good little republicans they see a Clinton candidacy as the only chance McCain has to win the general. I stopped watching the MSNBC morning show after a few viewings of Scarborough and his stooges. They are awful. Not even a veiled attempt to be non-partisan. If I wanted the republican talking points I would go to the GOP homepage or listen to a White House (so-called) news conference.

[drtwo25]

typical for the media, even when the person is speaking right in from of them they only hear a soundbite and just stop listening to Penn explaining how he himself doesn't like the joke and tries to make a point about how the reaction to it worries him. sad reporting

[FarOutFish]

Jillette made a dumb joke. An equally dumb audience laughed. Penn then leaped off the cliff of conclusion and reached the obvious Politically Correct and banal analysis. One of America’s Prigs and a national scold, Joe Scarborough and his female sidekick had a cow. Big Deal. Why should anyone care? If The Huffington Post were a printed rag this would be a waste of a good tree.