Vox

On Letterman's Lack of Humor

This is going to be stream of consciousness, because if I wait to know precisely what I want to say, I'll never get this post up.

David Letterman is a jerk. He has been for a very long time.

I remember when he began Late Night, it took me a while to get used to him (I was a Tom Snyder fan) but I eventually found him funny - and even endearing. Over the years, however, he started to get...mean. His monologue became almost cruel and his interviews were often snippy. I no longer found much reason to watch, but would if the guest or musical act were interesting.

I had always enjoyed Leno as a guest host on The Tonight Show, not least because he seemed to be a real fan and conducted interviews that gave the guests a chance to shine. When he took over The Tonight Show, and he was just starting to go head-to-head with Letterman, he changed his style a bit. For a while it seemed Leno was attempting to be Letterman-lite; he told mean jokes, he was a bit of a bully during interviews. Thankfully, he reverted to his old style and The Tonight Show became enjoyable again. (It has been less so lately, but that is another topic)

I haven't watched Letterman in years - why would I? The few times I've happened upon CBS late night while channel surfing my opinion of the show was reinforced - just not funny. I felt the same way about Conan, though I could understand his appeal to a niche audience. I had very low expectations for Conan in Leno's slot and, in the few shows I've watched, I appear to have been right. Perhaps he will find his footing in that time slot, we'll see.

During Conan's first week, I happened to be up and, not being impressed with Conan, thought I'd give Dave another try. Bad idea - as in couldn't even get through the monologue bad. Just. Not. Funny - and his jokes were severely dated. I turned away.

Now he is in hot water for his tasteless attacks on Sarah Palin - and, more specifically, his attack on her daughter. He certainly should be, within reason.

1. They were tasteless, they were crude, they were over the line, they were sexist - all those things. And, they were unfunny.

2. Greg Gutfeld was right; it is pathetic that with an entire inept administration to choose from for his jokes, Letterman is still so obsessed with Sarah Palin. It is also pathetic that he couldn't come up with something funny.

3. It is conceivable, and even likely, that his staff was too stupid, too lazy, or too disinterested to check which daughter was with Palin in NY. Had it been Bristol, the jokes would have been stupid, the fact that it was Willow puts the jokes in beyond-the-pale territory. And don't forget that Letterman also targeted Palin herself.

4. He would never have made those jokes about a female, left-leaning politician, let alone her children. You can imagine the outrage had Rush said something about the Obama girls, or if Treacher's Ashley Biden joke was not merely in illustration of the double standard. There was hell to pay when Chelsea Clinton was maligned during her father's campaigns/terms - and even much gnashing of teeth when it was suggested that as a grown woman she was being "pimped out" during her mother's failed Presidential run.

That said.........we do ourselves no favors by becoming "hysterical" over these things the way the left does. I know that in most cases it is an attempt to give as good as we got, but I don't think that is always the best strategy in a PR battle. Think about how idiotic lefties appear when they bluster and foam at the mouth over every perceived slight, is that what you want for yourself? These were obviously comments that needed to be addressed, but not hammered over and over. Letterman needn't be fired, though an actual, sincere apology would have been nice.

A-Rod having sex with Willow Palin would quite obviously be statutory rape (though pushing Letterman's idiocy into giggles at statutory rape is a stretch), besides being disturbing on other levels. But statutory rape is quite a different animal from RAPE. To continue referring to Letterman's comments as advocating the rape of a child trivializes the word, much the same way as moonbats calling Bush "Hitler" and Republicans "Nazis" trivialized the evil that was done by the Third Reich. It also has undoubtedly caused the child in question, whether Willow or Bristol, more harm than anything he said in the first place. We need to stand up for our principles, we need to defend smart, conservative women who are brave enough to step into the political arena, and we need to ensure everyone understands the limits of humor stop long before the family gets attacked. We also need to keep our heads and not risk becoming like the loonies on the left. We are bigger than that, we are smarter than that - and we need to stay true to who we are.

We also don't need to give a jackass like David Letterman any more attention than he deserves. He can't win on the humor front but he always has controversy. Since his Palin digs, and for the first time in a very, very long time, David Letterman won the ratings battle in his time slot.

It would behoove clear thinking lovers of humor to allow Letterman to fade into the obscurity he has been toying with for decades.

UPDATE: Found this quote

"If the right goes after Letterman, they make him look big and themselves small," says Mark McKinnon, a former campaign adviser to George W. Bush and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.). "It's win-win for Letterman."

UPDATE: Regarding giving Letterman more attention than he deserves.

UPDATE: Here is Greg Gutfeld's take.

I Heart Red Eye

Someone searched my blog for "Red Eye" and "Levy" the other day - perhaps looking for more info on my late night crush, Andy Levy.

I don't think I've blogged about it much because, really, what is there to say? You've seen him.

So, in the interest of full disclosure, and to satisfy whoever was lookin', here is everything I remember putting online about it prior to tonight.

In order, my tweets (and a couple of replies):

VOXAZ: Ah, #RedEye, you had me till Creed. Guess I'll miss @AndyLevy's wrap up

VOXAZ: I need #RedEye to be on earlier - I never get any sleep anymore

VOXAZ: I can't help it, I ♥ @AndyLevy #RedEye

ANDYLEVY: @VoxAZ You should see a doctor, stat. [OMG, he replied to me]

VOXAZ: I had a very "Fox"y day yesterday - a shout out from @HarrisFaulkner & a reply from @AndyLevy. (yes, I am a dork for pointing that out)

HISTERIN: @VoxAZ I'd kill for a reply from Andy Levy. :D [see, I'm not the only one]

So what is it? His deadpan delivery...his cute little eyebrows...his dogged pursuit of accuracy...? Whatever, he is my current ridiculous crush - until he isn't anymore.

So, Mr Andy Levy, you're on the list* - as soon as I figure out who I want to kick off, until I need your space for someone else. I'm very fickle with my celebrity infatuation ;-)

There ya' go.

* He could take the "smart guy" spot from Ketterle, or the "funny/charming guy" spot from Fraser (he's kind of let himself go), or the "great voice/entertainer guy" spot from Nichols (he went to rehab, addiction is not attractive) Wow, looks like I am going to have to redo the whole thing....

If That's Your Idea Of A Republican

From New York Magazine

In an article about Bill Kristol leaving the Times, they discuss who is currently at the Times, and who they might consider hiring - I found this quote:

David Brooks is the sort of Republican whose column a self-respecting liberal can read without wanting to hurl things in the aftermath—an Obama enthusiast, a Palin critic, a careful questioner of GOP shibboleths. He’s a vocal supporter of gay marriage and abortion rights.

Around these parts, we call that a Democrat.

How's That Workin' For Ya?

With newspapers cutting back and predictions of even worse times ahead, Rupert Murdoch said the profession may still have a bright future if it can shake free of reporters and editors who he said have forfeited the trust and loyalty of their readers.

"My summary of the way some of the established media has responded to the internet is this: it's not newspapers that might become obsolete. It's some of the editors, reporters, and proprietors who are forgetting a newspaper's most precious asset: the bond with its readers," said Murdoch, the chairman and chief executive officer of News Corp. He made his remarks as part of a lecture series sponsored by the Australian Broadcast Corporation.

readitall

BWAHAHAHA

I heard Carl Cameron once answered his hotel room door in a full Wonder Woman costume

I'm not sayin' it's true, I'm not sayin' it's not. That's just what I heard. And no, I won't tell you who said it. Under the new standard of journalism, it's plausible until proven otherwise. And I get to decide what constitutes proof.

Better get out in front of this one, Carl!

The Palin Effect

She may have boosted ratings for SNL, but for CBS, not so much.

[NY Times article below]

---

October 1, 2008

Palin Effect on Ratings Only Modest for CBS

By BILL CARTER

Katie Couric’s newsmaking interviews with the Republican vice presidential candidate, Sarah Palin, last week had only a slight impact on the ratings for her CBS newscast. But if the network could have added up all the other viewers the interviews (and its spoof) racked up, on places like CNN, YouTube and “Saturday Night Live,” Ms. Couric would surely have been more seen and talked about than in any week since she began her tenure as anchor.

Ms. Couric received a rush of attention for the two interviews, in which Ms. Palin, governor of Alaska, spoke haltingly on, among other topics, her state’s “narrow maritime border” with Russia. Clips turned up across the spectrum of television and Web sites.

The first interview last Wednesday, for example, has been viewed more than 1.4 million times on YouTube, while the parody of the interview on “SNL” was streamed more than 4 million times on NBC.com, viewed in full more than 600,000 times on YouTube and in shorter clips many more hundreds of thousands of times.

Still, the “CBS Evening News” gained only about 10 percent in audience from the previous week — and it was actually down from the same week the year before. The newscast averaged just under 6 million viewers for the week, up from 5.44 million the previous week. A year ago Ms. Couric’s program drew about 6.2 million viewers. (CBS was also a distant third last week behind ABC, which won with 8.07 million viewers, and NBC, with 7.98 million.)

The CBS newscast didn’t even record its highest audience totals last Wednesday and Thursday, when the interviews were broadcast. Monday was the network’s best-rated night of the week.

But the week was still considered, by executives from both CBS and its rivals, to be among the best Ms. Couric has experienced since she joined the newscast two years ago. Jon Klein, the president of CNN’s domestic operations, said, “It was brand-building for a woman who is still one of the very best journalists out there.”

Sean McManus, the president of CBS News, extolled Ms. Couric’s interviewing skills, but he acknowledged that Ms. Palin had something to do with the attention. “We benefited from having an interview subject that most of the American public wants to see,” Mr. McManus said. “So the fact is this was a great opportunity, but you have to be able to take advantage of that opportunity, and we did.”

Ms. Couric has more material to come with Ms. Palin. Continuing a series begun during the primary season in which Ms. Couric poses the same questions to each candidate, the program will have questions for Ms. Palin and her vice presidential opponent, Senator Joseph R. Biden Jr., on Wednesday and Thursday nights.

Mr. McManus noted that despite the harsh reviews Ms. Palin has been getting for the interviews with Ms. Couric, no one in the McCain campaign had registered complaints with CBS.

The newscast has made more of an effort to work interviews into the daily content, Mr. McManus said. Monday’s program included not only another interview involving Ms. Couric and both candidates on the Republican ticket, but also interviews with Democratic and Republican Congressional leaders about the failed vote on the Wall Street bailout package.

Ms. Couric has been battered for most of her tenure at CBS News over the sagging ratings of the newscast, and some discussions had been held at CBS earlier this year about her future at the network. Mr. McManus said the network and Ms. Couric were moving past all that.

“I’ve been saying for some time that what we need to concentrate on is the content, not the ratings,” he said. Asked whether the Palin interviews might be a chance to change the ratings momentum of the newscast, he said: “I hope so. We’ll see.”

The Upside of Economic Turmoil

Lots more Jenna Lee

Fly Over Country

Spot the Spin

Interesting idea - I'll have to check it out.

Palin Interview

I haven't seen it, but I did read the transcript and found this comment which seems to ring true:

I agree with flhal 100%, who said:"Gibson was friendly, kind and deferential to Obama in this interview (June 2008). His interview with Palin was a quiz not an interview. He was condescending, cold and unfriendly. I think he was afraid if he treated Palin fairly the other media folks would have trashed him. This just confirms the polls that say the media is biased against McCain/Pailin by a 5 to 1 ratio."
With Gibson asking such hard hitting questions to Obama like " Is the hardest part of all this behind you or ahead of you?", the bias is evident. Lose the glasses Charlie ! Palin is refreshing, and did fairly well under the circumstances. As an educated, business owning, veteran/ working mother Palin and McCain have my vote. It gives me great satisfaction to know I will cancel out Charlie's!

Sounds about right from what I read and from what you will see in the Obama interview. We'll see if I still feel that way when I see the body language and hear the tone of their voices.

From the transcript, I would say she did fine. I like the answers she gave - now lets hear how she gave them.

UPDATE: About that Bush Doctrine question.

RightWingSparkle gives us her take

UPDATE 2: I still have not seen the broadcast version of the speech, but have been hearing commentary. In listening to the chattering, I was confused as to what interview they had watched, since they seemed to be contradicting what she actually said. Now I know why - they weren't referencing the same interview I read. The version that aired was carefully and selectively edited to give a much different picture. I shouldn't be surprised.

Uppity

I've been thinking lately about early in the campaign when Obama and his people were trying to pull the race card by claiming that his opponents thought he was "uppity" and didn't "know his place".

Funny thing is, that is exactly the argument they have been using against Sarah Palin.

Just listen to their barbs; small town, small state, 'nothing' college, PTA member, hockey mom.... What right does she have to be running for such a high office? Doesn't she know her place?

I wasn't really sure what more I had to say about it, then I saw this - which just reinforces my view. Matt Damon: "I know she was the mayor of a really..really small town"

BTW: Matt Damon thinks it is scary, he moves on to 'terrifying' about half way through, that she might be president (why is everyone so sure McCain is going to die?) because he doesn't know anything about her, and he doesn't think in 8 weeks he is going to know anything about her. That says more about you, doofus, than it does about her. Big surprise, Matt Damon hasn't paid any attention to Republican politicians - certainly no reason he would know about one in Alaska.

There are a lot of people out there, however, who do know who she is. Even D, who is not into politics at all knew who she was. Doesn't matter, she slipped under the radar of the MSM and the Hollywood idiots, therefore "nobody has ever heard of her" "nobody knows anything about her"

BTW 2: "I think this pick was made for political reasons" Duh! You think Obama picked Biden for his charming dinner conversation?

BTW 3: No, she didn't try to ban books. By the time he filmed this clip, that was common knowledge, having been disproved almost immediately. If he was really interested (as he says, "I need to know, I really need to know"), it would have been very simple to find out. Idiot.

Geez, look who is Ms Ranty McRantypants now!

Palin Power

Heh

Sarahcuda

Anyway, if you want to see a gorgeous blonde kill, gut, dress, and eat a gossip magazine reporter for breakfast, here you go (via Hot Air):

From Rachel Lucas, who has taken up using the name Sarahcuda. I am definitely stealing that.

What Media Bias?

There is no discernible bias to the MSM reporting, is there?

Check The Mirror

I am not happy about the Bristol Palin revelation, but it isn't that surprising in this day and age.

I certainly hope that the left, particularly the Hollywood left, take a moment to think before launching an attack. After all, they nurture and glamorize the culture that encourages these types of things.

Occasionally, an out-of-wedlock pregnancy leads a celebrity to do the right thing. Ashlee Simpson and Pete Wentz got married before announcing her condition, Jessica Alba married Cash Warren prior to the birth of their daughter, Jamie Lynn Spears claims that she will be marrying the father of her child.

But, for all of those stories, there are plenty more that follow the finger in the eye to convention route. The Nicole Richie, Halle Berry, Angelina Jolie model of behavior. Heck Goldie Hawn was doing it ages ago.

I trust that Bristol and Levi have all the support they need to face this instant adulthood. And, like ExKevin, I am glad that Governor Palin and her family don't see a baby as a punishment.

Second Thoughts

I am having concerns about the Palin pick. I really hope she thought it through, and discussed it with her family.

The Democrats political machine see nothing and no one as off limits, they will have no trouble trashing a person, or their family, with unfounded charges. They will now be going after the Palin children's school friends, Todd's friends and colleagues, Sarah's parents..... If the Clinton's decide they want Obama to win after all, the tactics get even lower & slimier.

I am happy to have her on the ticket, but I hate to see anyone put through that.

UPDATE: See, I told ya'

On Experience

The MSM and the DNC have said that choosing Sarah Palin as the VP candidate removes the GOP argument about Obama's lack of experience.

Oh, really? Let's compare.

UPDATE: More on potential versus accomplishment

(Hat Tip TCHOTP)

Barry Manilow is A Wussy Boy

OK, that isn't exactly a newsflash. But he is way more wussy than I ever gave him credit for, so much so that he is afraid of a girl.

Is it some butch WWE wrestler type chick that has Barry quaking in his boots? Nope, it's this tiny little girly-girl.

She is a Conservative, though, so that might give her scary superpowers.....

UPDATE: Heard Dennis Miller talking about this on his radio show, he referred to the singer as "Barely Man Enough" - I think it fits. What is it about the left that, when they disagree with someone, they can't discuss it? Besides, let's face it, this wasn't Ann Coulter or Rush Limbaugh, both 'entertainers' whose whole shtick is to agitate and who might rile him up for the pure fun of it - and who usually make their targets look pretty bad.

His appearance on The View was to involve a performance and discussing his new album. Unless the songlist contains an ode to partial-birth abortion, I don't imagine Hassleback would have been on the war path. She would have been charming, told him she always loved his music, can't wait to get the new album....blah, blah, blah

Maybe it is just a publicity stunt on his part to try and generate buzz, hoping that will translate into sales. Making yourself look like an idiot seems an odd choice for that, though.

Getting positive exposure on The View, on the other hand, would have nailed his target audience and probably gotten him a sale or two.

LaCrosse Update

The brilliance of Jon Stewart - though, to be fair, Nancy Grace is such an easy target.

YouTube As Cultural Curator

Via BuzzMachine I've discovered Terry Teachout's YouTube list. He has culled the classic and artistic from the silly and self-indulgent. Fantastic.

It is on his side bar, and you have to scroll down a bit, but there are some gems there. You will find clips from the worlds of classical & jazz music, opera, rock & folk. Even Pablo Picasso painting for the camera (the clip had been turned into a Mac ad).

The first one I went to was Fred Astaire appearing on The Oscar Levant Show - no surprise to people who know me. Levant was one of those tragic tortured geniuses who was a victim of the times in which he lived. The doctors with their drugs and shock treatments took their toll on him, something that is evident in his behavior in the clip. His wife was on stage during his shows just to provide comfort for him. I have always loved his work and been amazed by his talent. If you are interested in biographies and/or showbiz, I recommend Memoirs of an Amnesiac.

One of my favorite quotes is his, tragic and truthful and sweet all at once.

Happiness isn't something you experience; it's something you remember.

More quotes

Stone Cold

I saw United 93 and found it to be a well done, and agenda free, accounting of that day. It doesn't flinch from the mistakes we made, yet it doesn't flinch from the truth of the matter - that several Muslim extremist terrorists killed several thousand people that day, mostly Americans.

I have no intention of seeing World Trade Center when it comes out because I know it is impossible for Oliver Stone to make an agenda free movie. It is impossible for him to find the truth in a story and stick to it. He takes a grain of fact and twists it and turns it and pulls it and stretches it and covers it in so much crap it is unrecognizable and then releases it as "a true story" and people believe it.

Jeff Jarvis knows Stone has an agenda to sell, as well. His take:

And so it occurred to me: Here is Oliver Stone, the conspiracy theorists to beat all conspiracy theorist, facing the biggest conspiracy he could imagine — bin Laden terrorists with Saudi money plotting right under our noses to a devastating outcome. But this conspiracy, he’s ignoring. I shake my head.

I imagine there will be a lot of head shaking after this movie.

Name The Scandal

Via Buzzmachine come the Ankle Biting Pundits' Name That Scandal contest re: the Newsweek Koran report.

Some good ones so far:

• Water (Closet) Gate
• Newsleak's Inciteful Reporting