David Letterman Promoting Sarah Palin

Oh, he's not promoting Sarah openly. Recent David Letterman shows have featured a running gag series titled "Things To Do That Are More Fun Than Reading Sarah Palin's Memoir". Each version of this supposed humor is numbered...and each depicts an event that has the actor dying a horrible, painful death...or at best spending months in a burn unit, which is a place no sane person wants to be.

Last night's example (let's say it was #57) announced, "Things To Do That Are More Fun Than Reading Sarah Palin's Memoir, Number Fifty-Seven! Using a malfunctioning hand dryer in the restroom!" The video is graphic. A guy punches the button to start the hot air blowing, but instead the blower belches a burst of living Hell worthy of a military flame thrower. The inferno engulfs the actor, and it's obvious he's not having a good day.

This, folks, is considered comedy.

I must have left my sense of humor back in Montana when I moved out of the Big Sky Country in 1996, because that doesn't strike me as the least bit amusing. It did, however, set me to thinking about a number of things....

There seems to be little question that his "More Fun Than" brand of humor fits the style Letterman has used for decades. But...is all as it seems? A number of possibilities exist:

1. The late night talk show host may really believe reading Going Rogue would be a seriously "unfun" thing to do. If that is actually the case, he's (a) missing the point that "information" is not supposed to be a synonym for "fun", (b) assuming what the mainstream media has put out there is all he needs to know (and we all understand about the word "assume"), and (c) labeling himself one of the proudly ignorant.

2. David's over-the-top "More Fun Than" clips may well have an unintended consequence. Hardcore Sarah Palin supporters (like me) are going to read the book if they haven't yet; no change there. Hardcore Sarah Palin haters (except for those seeking ammunition) are not going to read the book anyway; no change there. But a huge group of folks who simply hadn't thought about it (like my neighbor who stopped by--and had no clue who Sarah Palin was, even)...they might very well be influenced.

"Gee, it must be really something to get Letterman so worked up against it; maybe I ought to check a copy out of the library and see for myself."

In these cases, the nasty little "humor" clips serve to yes, promote Sarah Palin.

3. Another possibility exists. What if David Letterman actually has read Going Rogue, is actually thinking she might be a really viable Presidential contender? He couldn't come out and admit that, now could he? On the other hand, if he loudly condemned her book in a way that looked like ha ha big joke...while keeping her name in front of the millions viewing his program every business night of the week.... I can see the headline now:

David Letterman Outed As Secret Agent For Sarah Palin!!

Could such a scandal compete with the likes of Tiger Woods getting chased by his angry wife or Balloon Dad scamming the media or even David's own romantic liasons with coworkers? Hard to say.

If it does turn out that way, though, remember: You heard it here first.