YouTube has pulled from its website a video of a "Saturday Night Live" skit featuring characters portraying New York Times reporters investigating whether Todd Palin was having sex with the couple's own daughters after NBC expressed a claim of copyright, even though a wide range of other "SNL" clips remain available.

But trying to prevent the clip from being replayed wasn't protecting the program and network today from the wrath of viewers, bloggers and radio talk show hosts who believe the "joke" simply went too far.

As WND was first to report, "SNL" characters exchanged the following lines:

"What about the husband? You know he's doing those daughters. I mean, come on. It's Alaska," from one person playing a Times reporter.

(Story continues below)

The assignment editor for the Times, portrayed by actor James Franco, responded: "He very well could be. Admittedly, there is no evidence of that, but on the other hand, there is no convincing evidence to the contrary. And these are just some of the lingering questions about Governor Palin."

On WND's website, one-third of the respondents to a poll on the issue of the "joke" said people need to inundate NBC with their outrage, as well as boycott the network, its sponsors and parent company General Electric.

Following in second in the voluntary poll that included the responses from nearly 5,000 people was, "I am so outraged by what NBC did, I'm having difficulty finding the words, but it's something akin to pure evil."

In third was, "If NBC had suggested Obama was having sex with his girls, there would be a huge media uproar, yet it seems most are silent on the Palins."

The video, although taken down by YouTube, was reposted in abbreviated form a short time later with some comments posted in front and at the end of the clip, along with a notation about Fair Use provisions of copyright laws. It is available here:

VIDEO: Saturday Night Live "joking" about Palin incest

On WND's website, those contributing to the online discussion of the situation considered the "joking" beyond reasonable.

"To spoof Todd's 2000 miles races, or even his proud Eskimo heritage, might be one thing. But to suggest something as repugnant as incest is truly vile-of-the-vile innuendo, out-and-out libel of the worst sort," said stevens84. "In a sense, this is why Palin is so important. The fanatic, desperate Dem reaction to her brings out the truth about so-called Democratic 'comedic instincts' – they are derived of the same immature, adolescent gutter-snipe sensibility that characterizes every other aspect of their witless, pompous agenda. Palin causes them to expose themselves for what they are."

Wrote another WND forum participant: "I don't know what the hell has happened to SNL. It used to be funny when I was in high school and college. NBC was once my favorite network. For those who suggest that maybe SNL should do the same skit about Obama 'doing' his daughters, I can only reply that as the judge of a court that regularly hears cases concerning incest and sexual assault of stepchildren that it is NEVER funny."

The controversy has gotten the attention of key network affiliate WNBC in New York, which is quoting from WND's report on the stunt, but the program and the network itself have yet to address the issue raging among bloggers and on talk radio today.

"This is so over the top," said talk-radio icon Rush Limbaugh. "I think even regular 'Saturday Night Live' viewers are sending e-mails and making phone calls to NBC. What has happened to NBC? I mean it just seems perverted and corrupted."

Alaska Gov, Sarah Palin and family in 2007

On the WNBC website today, the station headlined a story with, "Viewers, Bloggers Think Skit Went Over Line."

"[WND] said that while the skit appeared to mock out of touch left-leaning reporters in New York and their lack of knowledge about Alaska, conservative viewers didn't find the bit funny," the station said.

The response from commenters and bloggers to the stunt by the network owned by General Electric was outrage.

"In the Sarah Palin Outrage of the Day series, this one really brought me to tears," said a contributor on MommyLife.net. "Where has our country gone that this madness of double standards can continue? They cloak their attacks in 'humor' – but can you imagine such a 'skit' directed at Obama?"

Officials with "SNL" and NBC declined to respond to WND e-mails and telephone calls asking for a comment. A spokeswoman in the office of Gary Sheffer, the executive director for communications and public affairs for GE, only said he was "working on" the situation.

WND's e-mail request for comment generated from NBC: "NBC values your comments, but unfortunately, due to the volume of e-mails we receive, we cannot respond to each one."

On the SayAnythingBlog, one participant suggested, "SNL live sucks and needs to be cut off the air," and another proposed, "Democrats should be charged for SNL skits because they are clearly paid political broadcasting."

"I can appreciate a joke and a skit as well as the next person, but from an ethical standpoint, the produces/writers for SNL have gone too far," said a third.

"Although this was supposed to be a joke, how would it have gone if they accused Bill Clinton of doing his daughter when he was in the White House?" suggested a fourth. "Seriously? You know heads would fly if that happened."

One contributor, identified only as Anna Jones, took the opposite side, saying, "Wow I guess the truth continues to strike a nerve with the McCain/Palin supporters."

But even on a site titled HillaryClintonForum, one participant said attacks on the GOP candidate were out of line.

"I had to listen to everyone in my meeting today trash Palin. I asked them to be fair, that I blogged a great deal and most of what they said was disproven. It's women who have the ugliest responses. They are not rational about what they say. Palin doesn't fit their 'image' of who the first female VP 'should' be. Left-wing feminists have been terribly ugly. As a diehard feminist all my life, I am shocked what is gratuitously said. 'She is everything I don't want.' The mainstream authors and media and entertainers have been vicious beyond the pall," the contributor wrote.

"Palin is so genuine about who she is that I think she is threatening. The women I was with today referred to her as a mayor. They cannot come to terms with Palin being competent, being from a small town, having risen to governor, and yet having the socially conservative positions that she does. It doesn't fit into their 'model' of feminism or an achieving woman. Is there envy and jealousy too? Palin is so different from what these women are. She is threatening to them. They are fearful," she continued.

An earlier portion of the program made fun of John McCain's advertising in the 2008 election:

A week earlier the program had poked fun at both Sarah Palin and Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y.

 Note: The contact link for NBC is here.

 

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