Leno Told Similar Joke About Palin's Daughter

Alan Colmes (former co-host of Fox News' Hannity & Colmes) makes a great a catch regarding the current feud between David Letterman and Governor Sarah Palin. While Palin has been blasting Letterman all over the airwaves for joking about Yankees star Alex Rodriguez "knocking up" her daughter, Jay Leno told an extremely similar joke during the presidential campaign that resulted in no such uproar:

Gov. Palin announced over the weekend that her 17-year-old unmarried daughter is five months pregnant. And you thought John Edwards was in trouble before! Now he has really done it. -- "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno," 9/2/08

Is there a double standard being applied to Letterman? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

RELATED: NOW Joins Palin In Bashing Letterman

Comments

[victor the crab]

During the presidential campaign, there were tons of jokes from late night talk show hosts about the Palin teen pregnancy that were along the lines of what Letterman said last week. The reason Sarah Palin is going on the attack now is that she's not in the spotlight anymore, and she needs her fix like an Alaskan meth addict. Therefore, Sarah Palin is, once again, using her daughters to gain attention. Sarah Palin is pathetic and disgusting.

[kepary]

ok so 2 wrongs make a right???

[Buddysingh]

It was a joke in bad taste and that's it should be treated. I don't care if it is Palins family or it is Joe Biden's. Children should be left off. Palin is an opportunist and used her children during the elections but so do almost all politicians. Obama, McCain, JFK, Clintons and even Bush. One tries to prove to the other how family oriented they are. Still, the media need to keep off. Now, once the kids are past 21 yrs - and they do something wrong - go after them by all means. Letterman is NO saint and neither is Palin. Both are at fault.

[mudkitten]

There is nobody who has used their kids like Palin. The problem is the matter of degree. The Clintons, Bushes and Obamas all took strong and effective steps to shield their young kids. Palin has gone out of her way to parade them about, have Bristol become a spokesperson, and get them photographed and interviewed at every chance, seemingly.

[wizegeye]

Your point is flawed in that just because a politician's children are visible doesn't mean it's open season on attacking them. Those making such negative comments about children need to think. Why is it necessary to criticize and attack a child or young adult? What purpose does it serve? The fact of the matter is that these commentators can't get to Palin through their criticism of her, so they resort to attacking her children. I guess that makes them feel better about themselves, huh? I think that says a lot about the character of such people. Also, in the name of full disclosure, I am not a fan of Palin. I just don't see the value and purpose in attacking children.

[bbbbmer]

The difference between Leno and Letterman is that Letterman is FUNNY...

[Willemaq]

Exactly.

[runfastandwin]

Very true.

[Lasnoe]

yeah cuz there's nothing funnier than Lettermans top 10 right....

that thing has been consistently the lamest thing i've ever heard.....

[SteelTrapMind]

Of course there is. Leno's a republican, so he gets a pass. Letterman's not, so he must be vilified.

[ppp1604]

The irony is that fellow late-night comics Jay Leno and Conan O'Brien have all made more jokes about Bristol's pregnancy without incurring the wrath of Palin and others.

According to the Washington Post, through mid-March Leno had made 15 jokes and O'Brien made 20 jokes at Bristol's expense, compared to 8 for Letterman.

The Post adds that Palin even appeared on "Saturday Night Live" after the show performed a skit joking about incest in her family, with comic Bobby Moynihan quipping, "Uhhh -- what about the husband? You KNOW he's doing those daughters! I mean, come on! It's Alaska!"

[Yasmine Yek]

it's sad leno had to go when he had to go..... but its also sadder that he wanted to remain on the air ... oh come on retire already :P you had a good 17 years and well honestly you would be killing time and US by coming back this september ..

My Website:
http://pokerama-facebook.blogspot.com/

[clovia77]

no i don't think this is a matter of a double standard. i don't think the palin family has any standards. they are opportunists and and will use their children as a battering ram for political gain when ever the opportunity arises. stay tuned for more in the future.

[Clayton139]

Well said !

I would rather see someone like Joan Walsh of Salon.com in a Political Spotlight. She is fabulous, practical, and very smart !!!
I watch when she speaks !!!

[Marmel]

This is manufactured outrage.

Re: Letterman apologizing today - http://marmel.com/2009/06/828/

I think it was unnecessary but classy.

[ChristianSociologist]

of course there is a double standard. Leno made the joke when Sarah had so much media attention that she didn't care. Letterman made the joke when Sarah was desperate for something to go on the Today show for.

[hooklefty2]

I can't stand her either but if we aren't accurate we are just as bad as they are.
She was on the Today show to flaunt her selling out of Alaska to Exxon,
for natural gas, that there is currently a glut of in the US.
Matt Lauer asked her about Letterman.

[DUSTER2005]

I keep hearing that the children were used as props. Could someone please explain how their presence was different than any other candidate?

[Char59]

During the campaign, they never attended school, they were onstage every night! Yes the Obama children did make appearances when they were not in school, but they were in school most of the time and at home! She kept her children either on the stage or on the McCain Straight Talk Express all the time!

[claylandg]

So i guess you were on tour with them ?? really?? must have been pretty cool to get to know everyone so much as it seems you know it all. So they got no tutors nothing really ? please tell all.

[Willemaq]

Didn't the RNC spend like tens of thousands of dollars dressing the Palins up to look respectable? Weren't the kids (including the pregnant 17 year old daughter) taken on the campaign trail and put on display from coast to coast like uh, I don't know... Props!

[claylandg]

so you have a problem with dressing well? and it's ok to belittle women do i have it right?

[anthony bozeman]

David letterman made a stupid joke so what people has said worse then about the Palins. We need to move on.

[oldwhitewomantoo]

Please stop giving this woman a reason to exist in the media! Enough already!

[Clayton139]

What it really comes down too is that (Sarah Palin)-GOP­-Republica­ns-Faux Noise is a JOKE to be our President of the USA just like (George Bush) was !!!

All kinds of New Material !!!
They are JOKES !!! Get over it !!!

[PierreBBB]

Is my memory bad or did a GOP politician make a really bad joke with respect to Chelsea Clinton during the primaries? Really, with all that is going on, why are we fixating on this!!! It sounds a replay of the Letterman vs. Oprah situation. I foresee that Mrs Palin will go on the Letterman show once she declares herself as a candidate for 2012.

[JGatsby]

I think your memory is a little off. John McCain made a very crude joke about Chelsea. Something like "she's so ugly because her father is Janet Reno" but that was a long time ago, I think when Clinton was president. There was a comment about the Clinton's "pimping Chelsea out" (i.e. using her to help Senator Clinton's campaign) but that was made by some news person. Anyway, I think all this stuff is idiotic and just distracts away from real issues.