Leno joking about death penalty

[Cocoa]

Jay Leno the mainstream comic, host of the venerable, wholesome, all-American "Tonight Show," making light of the death sentence just handed down on Scott Peterson.

I personally am not offended by those jokes. I found them not to be funny, and I don't see anything funny about the sentence or about the crime. But I have no problem with Leno joking about things I don't think are funny.

So I'm not talking about my personal offense, but what I'm wondering about is all these people that DO take offense at things they see on TV. Is there anyone outraged by making light of this story? Specifically, is there any CONSERVATIVE, FAMILY VALUES, CHRISTIAN, organization protesting Leno over this?

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

1. Of course not.

They support the death penalty.

[Stinky The Clown]

2. Why on earth would a religious extremist be upset by this?

They never got upset as this moron's Clinton blowjob jokes, did they?

To quote that great American, Bill Bennett (R-Gambling Addict): "Where's the outrage?"

[Kire]

3. maybe if you tell us what he said we can protest...

...or laugh our heads off.

[signmike]

4. Yeah! Where are the jokes?

[Cocoa]

8. Jay said he crossed a name off his Xmas card list...

Scott Peterson!

Get it? Scott Peterson doesn't need a Xmas card, because he's going to die!

Nice touch bringing Xmas into it...

[Kire]

16. I am offended.

That's a bad joke.

[KSAtheist]

25. That's pretty funny.

Well, I was amused.

[jeff30997]

5. Leno is a jerk and I never found him funny at all.

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

6. Same thing on CBS's "The Late, Late Show" (follows Dave)

The actress they had hosting last night opened with a joke about Scott Peterson given a choice for execution: lethal injection or fruitcake. Since she clearly wasn't a comedian and was merely reading from the cue cards, you could see how uncomfortable the joke made her.

Also, the audience's laughter was uneven and sounded unsure.

[theorist]

7. David Cross has a funny bit on the death penalty.

It mostly had to do with Dubya's propensity for executing the mentally retarded when he was Guvna of Tejas and how it must "be difficult to renconcile that with the fact that he's a born again Christian." (Heavy sarcasm, of course.)

Then again, his whole schtick is to be as offensive as possible. Not exactly the kind of thing pimped out for mass consumption, but I hear he's on TV, again (and not just as a sideshow supporting role). FYI, I don't watch television much...err...at all these days.

Although he was less than stellar when he filled in for Sam Seder on the Majority Report, I still think he'd do a great job doing a one hour per week radio show. The format of the show (in my fantasy) is current events based comedy with sketches and rants. Like Phil Hendrie without the fake, crazy characters and right wing slant. (OK, so it will be nothing like Hendrie's show, except it would be hilarious.) Alright, this is too long already....

[EmperorHasNoClothes]

9. I personally am offended

Here you have a guy who killed his wife and unborn baby, and is now going to be put to death. It made me a little bit sick when I heard people cheering. It's not a f'in football game!

I was also a little upset by all the media masturbation over this case, and I was wondering who was taking such a great interest in it to justify all the coverage.

I'm always amused when I see polls such as "do you think Peterson deserves the death penalty?" I don't think anyone who hasn't sat through that entire trial can make a valid judgement on that question. Anyone who has ever served jury duty (and been serious about it) will know how a case can appear entirely different depending on who is presenting it.

Ok, I'll lighten up now :)

[Bluebear]

10. Don't lighten up. This bloodlust culture is sickening.

You are absolutely correct, people treat this like some JV football game.

[ArkDem]

13. I don't think there would be that much interest in a JV game.

[Cocoa]

11. I think it's sick

I think it's a flaw in our society that people find so much entertainment value in these tragic stories, and that judging people is such a popular form of entertainment.

I'm not one of those people who goes around suggesting ways to fix society's flaws, but what about those people? What about the people that are worried about the decline of "civility", where are they on this kind of hoopla? I haven't heard a word...

[raggedcompany]

22. re: It's not a f'in football game!

Well put. The enthusiasm for this brand of "justice" is creepy.
These folks are happy about it, smiling and congratulating one another. Very bizarre. Reminds me of those gratuitously overplayed shots of some Palestinians celebrating the attacks on 9/11.

[Jack_DeLeon]

12. So what was the joke?

This thread is worthless if you leave out the joke.

Was it something along the lines of "by the time they execute him he will have already served most of his life sentance."

Which is funny because its true. :(

[Cocoa]

21. see post #8

but I disagree about the joke being absolutely necessary for the discussion, I think this can be discussed in the abstract.

[MrSlayer]

14. Leno has never been funny.

He's always been a big chinned douchebag with very little talent.

[Guarionex]

18. yeah...

Conan kicks his ass...

[raggedcompany]

23. the only funny thing about Leno

is what Bill Hicks used to do to him in his routines.

god bless you, Bill Hicks.

[NNguyenMD]

15. God I can't wait until Conan takes over

[Guarionex]

17. Peterson

DOES deserve death...though I think that we as a society should be above it, and instead sentence him to life in prison, or better, life in an Alaskan wilderness, working every day in the snow...

but...yeah...jokes about "Dead Men Walking" should be taboo...

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

19. i remember a letterman quote:

when asked why he didn't make anywhere near the amount of OJ jokes Leno did, Letterman replied:
"I just don't think double homicide is funny"

Jay, on the other hand, would make fun of his mother's death if it got him a laugh and a 'cheers' in tv guide. remember the racist 'dancing itos' bit he had/

[Guarionex]

20. yeah...

Leno's a Repuketard bastard....

[genieroze]

24. Nope, death is a good thing especially if God told ya to do it. eom

[yorgatron]

26. the choice between dave and jay was never more clear than

last night.leno had john travolta,america's fastest eater,and celine dion :puke: letterman had cate blanchett,craig ferguson,and the pixies! :yourock:

[ellie]

27. Yea?

Well last night I watched Letterman to see the Pixies and Dave was joking about Clinton's blow jobs! Ha ha! Six years after the fact and he still milking it for all it's worth!

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

28. Only we liberals

seem to mind that state sanctioned killing is just the way things are. No one else seems capable of imagining a world without it.
:shrug: