A spokesman from the Olive Garden disputed a report by Politico that the restaurant canceled its advertisements on the David Letterman show due to a joke he told last week at the expense of Sarah Palin.
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Olive Garden disputes report that ads were pulled from Letterman
By Jimmy Orr | 06.18.09
A spokesman for the Olive Garden disputed a report from Politico that the restaurant chain pulled its advertising from the David Letterman show due to jokes about Sarah Palin’s daughter.
“Information reported today by Andy Barr of Politico regarding Olive Garden’s advertising on the Late Show with David Letterman was erroneous. No authorized spokesperson for the company confirmed the information in his report,” said Olive Garden spokesman Rich Jeffers in an email to The Vote.
“The Olive Garden media schedule is planned months in advance. The schedule for the Late Show with David Letterman was completed earlier this month. We take all guest concerns seriously. And, as always, we will factor those concerns in as we plan our advertising schedule in the future,” he continued.
Jeffers has not yet responded to an email asking if Olive Garden advertisements will continue on the David Letterman show.
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<< Olive Garden reportedly pulls ads from Letterman due to Palin joke | MainComments
3. Holmey St Louis MO | 06.18.09
I say let them pull the ads- I bet Letterman speaking about it will do for Olive Garden what it did for McCain & Palin.
OG is way overrated.
4. maxpower | 06.18.09
I will no longer patronize the establishment. Italian food and politics give me agita.
5. former barf gardener | 06.18.09
that for making sure that none of us will visit Barf Garden anymore. classy move.
7. Mark in Kansas | 06.18.09
For whatever reason Olive Garden may wish to claim as the reason they pulled their advertising from the David Letterman show, the fact remains that they did so at an opportune time and for that I`m sincerely grateful. Olive Garden is a family restaurant and the association with the David Letterman show after he made those sick and disgusting jokes about a 14-year old is not the image I expect a family restaurant to represent. Thank you Olive Garden.
9. Pignuts | 06.18.09
Is this some kind of joke? I already wrote to Olive Garden and told them what they can do with their ad dollars. What is the truth here?
One thing I did find out today is that they are owned by a larger organization which makes hugely out-of-proportion donations to the Repiglicans. So anybody that decided not to eat there because of this story will still be doing some good even if the report is wrong.
10. Homer | 06.18.09
I could never stomach the fake Americanized Italian food they serve there anyway. Now I have another reason not to go.
11. AvaMae | 06.18.09
Mark in Kansas
And that’s the problem in a nutshell…not to defend Letterman so much as to
refuse to tolerate a liar in public office.
Sarah Palin is the person who dragged her 14 year old daughter into this…
No one thought for a moment Letterman was talking about her. Palin made the claim, and all you folks piled onto the lie…
We can’t have a known liar in public office at such a crucial position.
If Olive Garden and Darden and Red Lobster want to pull their ads to support a lie, we can and will do without them too.
12. Cassy | 06.18.09
Such is the world of blogging… run with the rumor then check the facts. Whoever started this should get sued, ASSUMING, it’s false.
13. Plissken | 06.18.09
Im now officially a former Olive Garden customer. That is a way over reaction on their part. I cant support that sort of Folishness.
14. Pignuts | 06.18.09
I think the spokesman from Olive Garden is lying. Their PR lady told the truth, probably bragged about it, to a Politico “reporter” and now Olive Garden / Darden realizes how much better off they were that most people did not know whose side they are on. I think they are running scared. They should be. Not only will I be boycotting Olive Garden, but now Red Lobster and Long Horn are on the list. The last two won’t be that hard, -overpriced and nasty, but I did kinda like Olive Garden.
15. Sam | 06.18.09
Don’t companies like OG pay attention when a company like Kellogg’s makes a huge mistake by dropping Michael Phelps? Letterman is far more popular than Palin, and OG will suffer in the long run. But hey, maybe not — their restaurants probably appeal to Palin types.
17. Jeanne in NJ | 06.18.09
Dave’s joke was a rehash of the one told by Conan and Jay Leno. It was stupid but no one watching the show ever thought it was anything other than a joke about two promiscuous celebrities. The 18-year-old who worked for the Candie Foundation (a place that sells sexy clothes to young people) as their teen ambassador for abstinence only birth control — after she was already a mom and the baseball player who has been around too. Why Dave is being put through the wringer for almost the exact joke told by a bunch of other entertainers is beyond me. Maybe Palin just needed more face time on TV. Dave apologized twice — and I don’t think he should have apologized at all. Where are Palin’s apologies for trying to incite murder at her campaign stops — laughing at the “Kill Him!” she had her followers screaming about Obama. Even McCain couldn’t stomach it and had to tell them to stop. She is an abomination.
18. tonyome | 06.18.09
Hey Mark, Letterman makes a joke about Palin’s daughter getting raped at a baseball game - the 14 year old was with her at the game, so she responds, and somehow, it’s all Palin’s fault? Only a liberal could come up with so twisted a line of reasoning. But then again, liberals defend pedophiles like Letterman all the time, so it shouldn’t be a surprise.
19. SixStringFanatic | 06.18.09
AvaMae:
Except for the inconvenient fact that neither Olive Garden, nor Red Lobster nor and Darden Company restaurant has pulled any advertising from the Letterman show. The story was wrong to begin with. Whattayaknow, some hack from Politico got the story wrong.
20. AudraBarkley | 06.18.09
Interesting, if true, why isn’t OG pulling ads from Leno, SNL, and Conan O’Brien for the following during the 2008 campaign? Talk about a double standard!
SNL Sept 08 suggested incest in the Palin family. “What about the husband?” asked a mock Times reporter. “You know he’s doing those daughters. I mean, come on. It’s Alaska!”
2 days after the announcement of Bristol’s pregnancy, Conan joked, “It’s true, John McCain’s running mate, Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, has revealed that her 17-year-old daughter is pregnant. Palin said, ‘We should never have introduced her to John Edwards.’”
Leno: “Governor Palin announced over the weekend that her 17-year-old unmarried daughter is five months pregnant. Oh, boy, you thought John Edwards was in trouble before, now he’s really done it!”
Leno: “All the Republicans are heaping praise on Governor Palin. Fred Thompson said, as an actor, he could see them making a movie about Sarah Palin and her family. Didn’t they already make that movie? I think it was called ‘Knocked Up!’”
SNL: “According to expense reports, Sarah Palin charged the state of Alaska over $21,000 for her children to travel with her on official business. In fairness to Gov. Palin, when she leaves them home alone they get pregnant.” –Seth Meyers
10/08/08 Philly Flyers game, Conan O’Brien: “Saturday night, Sarah Palin is going to drop the first puck at the Philadelphia Flyers’ hockey game. Then Palin will spend the rest of the game trying to keep the hockey players out of her daughter’s penalty box.”
For OG to be outraged enough to pull advertising, again, if true is simply disingenous.
22. Brooks | 06.18.09
David Letterman did not intentionally make a joke about a 14 year old. He apologized that that was result. He did make a joke about an adult who got knocked up by her boyfriend and who subsequently became a spokesperson for abstinence on behalf of a sexy-teenager clothing company. She and her “slutty-flight-attendant-looking mother are fair game. I suspect a lot of this faux outrage from the very Unchristian Right — not accepting an apology when the joke went awry — is ginned up outrage that someone once again smeared their beloved Sarah.
23. merridiane | 06.18.09
Maybe Todd Palin should invite Dave to go on one of the snowmobile rides with him this winter. heheh
25. brrrrk | 06.18.09
“No authorized spokesperson for the company confirmed the information in his report”
Hmmmm, no “authorized spokesperson”. I’ll bet my bottom dollar that they were flooded with emails after it got out that they were pulling their ads and this is just a way to cover their butts. Just my two cents.
27. ProudtodrivetherightNUTZ | 06.18.09
Instead of joking about her kids, why not discuss her policy positions…they’re even more of a joke
28. Linda Hemy | 06.18.09
Thank you to Olive Garden for showing good taste and refinement. I am proud of you taking a stance as a company.
I appreciate Olive Garden now and will make a point of dining there again very soon.
Comments from a registered undeclared who is fed up with rudeness and stand behind a company that takes a stand
30. heather | 06.18.09
For all of you who say this is an overreaction: Did you think the same when Imus was fired???? What Imus said was nothing compared to what David Letterman said.
And to 11. AvaMae | 06.18.09: Sarah Palin did not drag her daughter into this. What David said was “”One awkward moment for Sarah Palin at the Yankee game,” Letterman said, “during the seventh inning, her daughter was knocked up by Alex Rodriguez.”
Willow attended that game with Sarah, NOT Bristol so he was talking about the 14 year old.
31. Will Rogers | 06.18.09
I haven’t grasp the connection between what Letterman said and the “Olive Garden”. Freedom of speech still exists doesn’t it? If Olive Garden’s opinion is of the contrary, then I don’t need to eat at Olive Garden.
32. Kamakazim | 06.18.09
If this was really about statutory rape or child sex, protests would’ve happened to:
Jay Leno - “Gov. Palin announced over the weekend that her 17-year-old unmarried daughter is five months pregnant. And you thought John Edwards was in trouble before! Now he has really done it.” Sept. 08 during the elections(Similar to Lettermans joke but much more specific)
& Rush Limbaugh - “We are being told that we have to hope [Obama] succeeds, that we have to bend over, grab the ankles, bend over forward, backward, whichever, because his father was black, because this is the first black president.” Jan. 09 (a real vivid description of rape)
If we punish one considered offensive, punish them all. But if you protect one, you have to protect them all. This is about politics & nothing more. Using the excuse of statutory rape & child sex for political gain & media attention is far worse then any jokes Letterman, Leno or Limbaugh have ever told. It’s disgusting.
33. Val | 06.18.09
As usual comments full of hate. Democraps are so full of hate it’s unbelievable. Remember Dom Imus, he made a similar comment and the liberal government run media were all OVER him. But yet Letterman can say things that are even worse and democraps and the media say oh it’s just a joke, people are overreacting. Double standard cowards!!!!!!
34. Bill | 06.18.09
Just more double speak from another useless American company in a useless America populated with the bottom of the shallow end of the gene pool.
35. GoGo | 06.18.09
I don’t like Olive Garden but if they have the balls to pull their ads because of this idiots alleged “joke” about statutory rape then I will go eat there today and tell all my friends to do the same. It’s amazing the double standard in the media if he would have made a comment about one of Obamas daughters everyone would be seeking his termination. Liberals are so un-educated.
36. potter | 06.18.09
That’s disappointing. I was so impressed that the Olive Garden had chosen to take a stand in the support of women in the face of David Letterman’s blatant mysogony. Too bad.
37. Brooks | 06.18.09
People who call names — (Democraps, cowards) and then blame their intellectual opponents for being full of hate are just bereft of an argument. Can we stick to the facts please? Letterman made a couple tasteless jokes that were 1) intended for an 19 year old out-of-wedlock adult spokesperson for sexual abstinence, and 2) about the way her governor/mother looks. One of the jokes landed on an innocent 14 year old girl. I have no idea why Willow was watching Letterman to hear the joke and why no one protected her from hearing it, but I myself would be mortified and enraged if either my 12 or 15 year old daughters were subject to this kind of ridicule. I’m no fan of Palin, and I might quibble with her half-hearted apology (she was the one who mentioned statutory rape. And her older daughter was, in fact, statutorily raped, and making the jump to Willow being “raped” by A-Rod is one she made, not Letterman). But she did accept the apology and so, therefore, should we.
41. easywind | 06.18.09
When lovely sarah brings her children on the campaign trail and uses them as props to gain either empathy, smypathy or votes she brings them into the public domain and subjects them to the truth, ridicule or jokes it falls on her to take the blame for what comes at them.
I personally think David Letterman was more than gracious as he apoligised three times to palin which I thought was three times to many. Not that I would ever eat in an olive garden but those who do and believe in free speech should avoid them like the plauge.
Unfortunately sarah palin is a joke, her positions, stands and speech reflect a small empty hole where most people have brains.
43. Chas Holman | 06.18.09
How is it these Pain folks pretend to be much more upset about her underage daughter getting knocked up, than they were by her actual underage daughter actually getting knocked up..
These supporters are mad.. and I am not talking ‘angy’.. I mean mentally unstable, with ethics that can be leased out at a moments notice. Time for another republican to have another extramaritial affair and then claim to take the moral high ground.. their transparency is well noted.
44. Betty Henson | 06.18.09
My granddaughter and I eat at Olive Garden often and I’m grateful Olive Garden put morals and family first. We never expect business to do the right thing; but this was the right thing to do regardless of political views. This is not a political issue. Were talking about how our wives, daughters and granddaughters are viewed.
46. BC | 06.18.09
If true, I will never eat there again.
Oh, by the way Palin, have you stopped using your kids for political gain yet?
48. nms | 06.18.09
There is no public evidence from before this flap proving or indicating that Willow was at the game. You would have to be a regular Palin stalker to have known it until right wing bloggers started to raise that claim after the show. Google it yourself and find out. There do not appear to be any pictures of Willow at the game online, and no stories from before the show saying she was at the game. It’s absurd to say Letterman knew or even should have known that Willow was at the game. The more interesting question is whether she was actually there at all.
49. Messagero | 06.18.09
So Letterman said that Palin’s OLDER daughter (you know, the one that was kncked up?) was knocked up by A-Rod. Mr Rodriguez didn’t complain.
Also Olive Garden IS NOT REMOTELY IATLIAN FOOD.
Oh, and it’s “ACIDO”.
Un VAFANCULO to anyone who thinks Palin is competent to be a first grade teacher in a sub-standard school.
50. Laura | 06.18.09
They did this to pretend to make an ethical stand - but in reality they’re hoping that Letterman makes fun of them on his show to boost their publicity.
It appears Olive Garden is just as much of a crass opportunist as Sarah Palin is.
51. Mary | 06.18.09
I personally have contacted 1,274 of my friends, co-workers, and their friends, their families, etc…and we have ALL boycotted Olive Garden (and Darden, Inc.). I image it is worth it for Olive Garden to pay for the Palin women to whine.
Olive Garden can backpeddle but they won’t be getting the money of MILLIONS of people. Palin has about a 17% favorability nationwide. The Other 83% will eat at other restaurants NOT owned by Darden. Put THAT in your Palin pipes and smoke it!
52. Luis Garcia | 06.19.09
If it turns out to be true that Olive Garden really did cancel their advertising on David Letterman I will never eat there or Red Lobster again.
53. adam | 06.19.09
This is the E-mail I received from Olive Garden. Take it for what it is worth.
June 18, 2009
Dear Mr. Pxxxxx:
Thank you for reaching out to us again.
We apologize that the incident on Mr. Letterman’s show has left you with a bad impression
of Olive Garden. We would like to clarify that Olive Garden has no immediate plans to
advertise during The Late Show with David Letterman.
Again, thank you for sharing your comments.
Sherri Bruen
Guest Relations Manager
54. Jill | 06.19.09
Olive Garden, I thought was a family restaurant. When my kids tell me what they heard at school about David Letterman, it upsets me. My kids are telling me that their friends parents are angry with CBS for allowing David Letterman to joke like this. David Letterman and CBS’s sense of humor is not funny…it’s indecent. My kids love Olive Garden but they also understand the advertisers support of this type of programming is wrong. If Olive Garden continues to support the David Letterman show, I can no longer support Olive Garden.
55. Patrick | 06.19.09
If there were a different restaurant involved, I might have an opinion on this. But the Olive Garden is terrible. Their marinara tastes like unseasoned canned tomatoes. Their high-end wine is Turning Leaf. The breadsticks are flavorless and the salad is mostly iceberg. I wouldn’t care if were unauthentic but tasty like Chili’s, but their food is bad by any measure. I will continue to not dine there.
56. lynn | 06.19.09
tonyome said this:
Hey Mark, Letterman makes a joke about Palin’s daughter getting raped at a baseball game - the 14 year old was with her at the game, so she responds, and somehow, it’s all Palin’s fault? Only a liberal could come up with so twisted a line of reasoning. But then again, liberals defend pedophiles like Letterman all the time, so it shouldn’t be a surprise.
tony you should be ashamed of yourself. Your comments are not only false but are targeted to incite hate. There was no press that even stated before the game that willow was there, and no photos at the game. It’s just Palin who says she was there. Even Rudy Guliani has said nothing (he was there). No one knew of any other people in the group until the pictures and then we saw todd and judy. At the worst david letterman is telling a joke about promiscuous two people, bristol and arod, not a 14 year old. Letterman has no history of jokes about minors and it isn’t in his Indiana DNA. Also these same type of jokes have been told over and over.. by jay leno, conan, jimmy kimmel, the SNL show and others, except it was bristol with john edwards and other similar jokes, and palin responded by going on their shows. She never complained. There’s so much hypocracy here and lies. You have no credibility and you have also called liberals people who defend pedophiles. Maybe you are a pedophile. Maybe you are the next time bomb lurking out there to hurt people you disagree with. Maybe it’s you who should be watched for abhorent behavior. DL was telling a joke written by his staff…you are potentially dangerous. Get your facts straight unless you are avoiding reading them.
57. lynn | 06.19.09
June 18, 2009, 4:43 PM
Olive Garden Says It Did Not Cancel Ads on Letterman Show
By BILL CARTER
The Olive Garden restaurant chain may not have been happy with David Letterman’s jokes about Gov. Sarah Palin and her family, but no order was issued to pull commercials from Mr. Letterman’s show, a spokesman for the company said Thursday.
58. independents who think letterman is lame | 06.22.09
it’s funny how BOTH sides of this controversy have announced they will no longer go to olive garden, because they are not advertising anymore this season but may advertise in the future. being a hater never helps you business. it always bites you, especially if you are trying to have massappeal to a national network audience. way to lock yourself into a closet with the haters, dave. lesson? don’t sponsor haters unless you want to live and die with the rosie odonnel fanclub patronage.
59. Charles | 06.22.09
Just serve the food and shut up. There would be no basis for DL making the joke about the 14 year old, clearly the joke is about the 18 year old. DL explained it is only a joke and there is no defending it. If all of his jokes had to be sanitized, they wouldnt be funny. Pretty much all comedians are offensive because people like that - just like the food at OG. Nobody is concerned about family values when they’re scarfing down 2000 calories of pasta.
60. Kelly | 06.24.09
But Charles, you have to understand these “good Christian folks”. Nobody enjoys a good witch hunt more than them. It’s hard to dispute. History repeats itself.
Sarah Palin is such a joke. Honestly, if the Republican party knew what was good for them, they’d distance themselves from hacks like her and Limbaugh. Of course, again, history has shown that they don’t really understand what’s good for their party.
So be it.
61. Char McLoughlin | 06.24.09
If you did not withdraw the ads I will continue to eat there; if so, CIAO
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Jimmy Orr has worked in politics for the majority of his professional career working for two U.S. Senators, two Governors and one President. Most recently, Orr served as White House Spokesman and Internet Director for President George W. Bush and Special Advisor to Governor Schwarzenegger for Internet Communications.
David Cook is Washington bureau chief of The Christian Science Monitor and host of the Monitor's newsmaker breakfasts. He was the Monitor's editor from 1994 to 2001. Cook is a graduate of Principia College, served in the U.S. Army, was a Bagehot Fellow at Columbia University, and is a member of the Gridiron Club, Washington's oldest journalistic organization.
1. LW | 06.18.09
I’m glad to hear it. In that case, I WILL continue to eat there.