"You liberals just don't know how to tell a joke", I heard recently from a fellow blogger/acquaintance. "That's why Letterman is in such truouble". I really did not know how to respond to this, especially on the heels of yesterdays news from SC about a GOP activist and former State Senator who likened Michelle Obama to an ape.

Yes, it seems Mr. Rusty DePass, friend of comedian George W. Bush, made this witty retort in the comments on one of his FaceBook friends after the friend had posted an update on an escaped ape from the zoo: "I’m sure it’s just one of Michelle’s ancestors — probably harmless,” DePass mused.

Ha. Ha. R.O.F.L.

See, here's the thing, if you have to explain the joke or, as in the case of this one, delete it from the record, then its not really very amusing is it? And, why Michelle Obama? She's not the only black person in America; why not P. Diddy or Oprah or Cedric the Entertainer? (Cedric, being a comedian as well, would surely think it's funny and in good taste. Riiiiight).

When people of the overly conservative affliction find a joke in bad taste they will let us know, they will pound it into our heads ad infinitum. They'll remind us over and over again why the joke isn't funny and why they demand an apology!

Back to my friend: the Letterman joke. When I heard this joke in replay, I thought it was funny. Maybe not in good taste, I'll admit, but I would never have thought that he was talking about the 14 year old Piper. (Truth is, I had to "wiki" the Palin family because I could not remember them having a 14 year old. I tried counting the names on my fingers, but she was just gone with memories of lost phone numbers and names of old lovers. Once I wiki'd her, I knew why I couldn't remember her name: it was the only fairly common name of the entire clan).

The Letterman joke went something like this: Todd and Sarah Palin took their daughter to a baseball game while in NY. The only thing that happened was during the 7th inning stretch the daughter got knocked up by Alex Rodrieguez.

Obviously this is a reference to the older, sluttier daughter and not a 14 year old! How horrible!! So David made a mistake, not only in the getting the facts wrong, but the joke was indeed in bad taste. And for that he should apologize. But I must also question the motives of the Palins. Why didn't they just contact Letterman directly and ask for a public apology? Why go through their publicist and the press? Why make such a big fucking stink about it? Some would argue that they just love to see their name in bold face and that this stupid joke just gave them more print/youtube time in the light.

Jokes in bad taste often work when they are based in truth but not when they are downright mean. The conservatives complained about most of the jokes at the recent White House Correspondence Dinner especially one that Obama told, "Dick Cheney was supposed to be here, but he is very busy working on his memoirs … tentatively titled “How to shoot friends and interrogate people.” See, this would not be funny if Cheney had not actually shot a friend. And one that Wanda Sykes told about Rush "Rush Limbaugh [said], 'I hope the country fails.' I hope his kidney’s fail, how about that? He needs a good waterboarding, that’s what he needs".

See, this one is not really in good taste. Even though, I'll admit it, I laughed.

Conservatives like Palin seem to complain LOUDLY when the joke in bad taste is on them, but I never heard her complain about the rape jokes that her running mate said and were brought to light during the campaign. Where was she when McCain laughed at Clinton being called a "bitch" or at any of the things that Ann Coulter says?

"I was going to have a few comments about John Edwards but you have to go into rehab if you use the word faggot."

Oh, sorry, I suppose Sarah would have thought that one was funny (and made any sense at all).