Letterman Really Apologizes This Time

Now we have a true mea culpa and not that half-assed one we had before.

It was "a coarse joke," "a bad joke," Letterman told viewers. "But I never thought it was (about) anybody other than the older daughter, and before the show, I checked to make sure, in fact, that she is of legal age, 18."

"The joke, really, in and of itself, can't be defended," he declared.

Actually before the show he should have checked to make sure what daughter was at the game instead of checking if she was a minor or not. The messed up part is that all he had to do is put Bristol's first name in the joke and there would not be so much outcry. It would have been mean spirited, crass, and tasteless but it wouldn't have been directed at a 14 year old girl. Letterman then, to his credit, goes on to say what he should have said in the first place:

"I feel that I need to do the right thing here and apologize for having told that joke," he said. "It's not your fault that it was misunderstood, it's my fault that it was misunderstood."

He apologized to both daughters, "and also to the Governor and her family and everybody else who was outraged by the joke," he said as the studio audience applauded. "I'm sorry about it, and I'll try to do better in the future."

That last line should be something that all comedians should think about. It is okay to go after Governor Palin and Barack Obama or any other public figure but minor children should be the true no-go area. In other words no jokes about Willow Palin and thus no jokes about Malia and Sasha as well. If there is doubt then use just use a different joke. It is just that simple.