Image Credit: Bob D'Amico/ABC (2)If there’s one thing the Palin family knows how to do, it’s fire back. On Saturday night, Bristol Palin posted a 655-word retort to Margaret Cho’s Nov. 29 blog post titled “Pistol Whipped” claiming that she heard from someone who “really should seriously know the dirt really really” that Bristol only did Dancing With the Stars because Sarah Palin forced her to do it. “Sarah supposedly blames Bristol harshly and openly (in the circles that I heard it from) for not winning the election,” Cho wrote, “and so she told Bristol she ‘owed’ it to her to do DWTS so that ‘America would fall in love with her again’ and make it possible for Sarah Palin to run in 2012 with America behind her all the way. Instead of being supposedly ‘handicapped’ by the presence of her teen-mom daughter, now Bristol is going to be an ‘asset’ — a celebrity beloved for her dancing.” Bristol begins her response be reiterating the reasons she’s already said she did the show: to get out of her comfort zone, exercise, and increase her confidence. She says her mother neither forced her nor asked her to do the show. “After first worrying for me in terms of being exposed to those who hate us for what we believe in, both my mom and my dad became my number one supporters. Anyone who watched the show could tell I performed better, and I felt better about myself, when they were in the audience. I wanted to make them both proud, but politics had nothing to do with it. Loving my parents had everything to do with it,” she writes.
Continuing, she says, “It saddens me that people would think that my mom would ‘blame’ me for anything that occurred in the 2008 election — much less ‘harshly’ and ‘openly.’ I think that canard (there, I said it again), has been floating around since then also. I will set the record straight, though my mom already did in her bestselling book Going Rogue; there were a number of reasons President Obama won in 2008, but the primary reason was that the economy was starting to falter and the majority of voters thought Obama could do a better job than my mom and John McCain. It turns out, two years later, the majority of voters were wrong, but we can talk about that another time. The point is, I seriously doubt anyone who considers herself a student of American politics truly believes I impacted even one vote in that election.”
Bristol says she wanted to set the record straight, “Because it is this type of hurtful and false narrative that people promote to make my mom look bad. For 20 years my mom had my back — and for the rest of my life I will have hers.” Then, she concludes with a message for Cho, who said she considered Bristol a friend in her blog post: “To my friend Margaret Cho, if you ever have a question, call me girlfriend. Don’t ever rely on ‘sources’ who claim to know me or my family. You will be taken every time. And we need to talk. You say you ‘don’t agree with the family’s politics at all’ but I say, if you understood that commonsense conservative values supports the right of individuals like you, like all of us, to live our lives with less government interference and more independence, you would embrace us faster than KD Lang at an Indigo Girls concert.”
What do you think? I find it strange that Cho would start off her blog post saying she considers Bristol a friend, then blindside her like this. Granted, the second half of Margaret’s post was devoted to defending Bristol against those commenting on her weight (which Kathy Griffin got some boos for during last night’s VH1 Divas Salute the Troops when she referred to her as “the white Precious”) and saying how much she improved during the competition. But Bristol has a point: If you’re a “friend,” you don’t need to rely on sources, and you don’t gossip. I tuned out when Bristol took the opportunity to take a dig at Obama and try to convert Cho, but you can’t really blame her for that either: Cho opened the door to that conversation about their different political views, too. That outdated KD Lang-Indigo Girls joke, however? That Sarah should have told Bristol not to do.
Read more on EW.com:
Man pulls gun on TV over Bristol Palin’s ‘DWTS’ performance
‘Dancing With the Stars’ recap: And the winner is…
Annie’s performance finale recap: Land of the Freestyle
Photo gallery: Bristol, Kyle, and Jennifer’s Best/Worst Dances
“This is bulls—.” Maks calls in to the EW TV Insiders podcast!
Derek Hough mines for hidden gems in the ‘DWTS’ Hair Dept.!
All Hidden Gems of the Week
EW.com’s ‘Dancing With the Stars’ Central
“I’M TELLING MY MOM!!!!”
The most obvious display of Ghostwriting since… kinda scary though, the Palin machine has taken social media very seriously and are attacking on all sides here. They have fake liberals (like “Jen” below) who write pseudo-reasonable messages to not be scared of Palin, and they have full on supporters writing on all comment logs, and of course they attack any and all anti-Sarah writing with vigor and… bad ghostwriting. Unfortunate most people probably don’t know this.
What if Bristol ACTUALLY wrote this herself, and what if I am not paid to post that question?
Wow.
I’d be willing to bet my home you haven’t read the full 650 word retort yet you have no qualms about coming on here and claiming its bogus. I know, I know, right now you’re shaking your head saying “nuh uh!!!” but you and I BOTH know you didn’t read it
Blech…people who bash people they don’t know in the name of “politics” are so gross…
And the sad thing is people like my mother will believe that the Palins are, once again, being attacked by the left. My mom doesn’t know anything about ghostwriting or social media. She just believes whatever Fox tells her. Now MCho is on the publicity bandwagon with the Palins, benefiting from all this wonderful publicity. It’s depressing how famous for being famous that family is.
Totally agree. No way did Bristol Palin write this on her own. If you’re going to write something for someone at least make it sound as if there was a remote possibility that they actually said it.
I saw Bristol Palin speak live in Visalia, CA — have any of you seen her live, rather than edited on TV? She sounded exactly like this.
It’s funny if you can spell, and use correct grammer you didn’t write it yourself.
Newsflash, JakeD: She probably had a speech prepared and Teleprompter to look at.
No TelePromTer (that’s what Obama has to use).
Give me a break! What do people expect Bristol to do? Write a response saying “Oooops! Busted!!! Cho is right – my mom DID force me to do it!” Get REAL!!! Of course she is going to deny it and OF COURSE the Palin camp created and wrote this and probably posted it on her behalf. Did anyone REALLY expect anything else to happen??
Oh, and PS – say what you want about Margaret Cho – at least she REALLY did write her own post.
All president’s use a teleprompter when giving speaaches before Congress, at the UN, etc. They give long speeches (yes, they have speech-writers), and no one can completely memorize an entire speech. The fact that you use that to undercut Obama is ludicrous.
There is simply no way Bristol Palin would know to use the word “canard.” Please. You’d think they could be a little less obvious about using a ghostwriter.
Don’t forget “hurtful and false narrative.”
ENOUGH! no one cares about Bristol or any other fame hungry Palin’s
Well, enough people commented herein to refudiate that statement.
SERIOUSLY. This is so annoying. Bristol didn’t even attack Cho after the crappy things she said, and you guys are caught up on her POSSIBLY not having written it? You don’t even know, and you never will. Give it up, it’s honestly pathetic. Whether she actually wrote it or not, it’s a classy response and in NO way merits even a fraction of the stuff being said in these comments.
I agree with you (just read my comments). The following IS pretty harsh though: “if you understood that commonsense conservative values supports the right of individuals like you, like all of us, to live our lives with less government interference and more independence, you would embrace us faster than KD Lang at an Indigo Girls concert.”
Wow, Bristol bought a thesaurus. And no, conservatives don’t support the rights of gays and lesbians to live their lives with less government interference.
I laughed at that too.
Having read other things Bristol has barfed out on a keyboard, I say with great certainty that she had some help (aka Mama Bear) writing this.
Oh, and I’m going to credit Todd with the KD Lang/Indigo girls joke.
Yeah, those were obviously references from someone a generation older than Bristol would have made.
Honestly! As if the 20-year old girl who was totally unaware of Chicago (movie or broadway show) would know who KD Lang is.
There’s NO WAY “Mama Bear” could write this, either!
It’s that idiot Sarah who thought of that. And probably thinks it was original. Like any mentally challenged person would.
The kicker for me was the “KD Lang/Indigo girls” joke. I mean, she could have bought a thesaurus. But that pop culture reference was much older, and there’s some sass in there that would sound right coming off of Ellen DeGeneres than a teen mom.
And OF COURSE Sarah made her do it. Cho’s reasons are logical. And the kicker for that is when Bristol says, “I wanted to make my parents proud”, i.e. she was doing this for Sarah.
Actually, they do. Full disclosure, I am a liberal, not a conservative. But Bristol’s statement was correct. True conservatives support the right of every American to live their lives independent of government interference. Strange how you say her statement is wrong, but don’t even explain why. Sounds like you do not know what you are talking about, honestly.
Because most, if not all, conservative politicians are against gay marriage and the repeal of DADT.
True conservatives do not support marriage licenses at all.
Jen – Since this is a pop culture blog, I really didn’t think a full political discussion was in order. However, conservative politicians oppose the rights of gays to marry and to serve openly in the military (among many other things). That means that they do not support all Americans living their lives without government interference.
There’s a difference between getting a marriage license and having a law (and wanting to change the Constitution!) that forbids people from getting married based on their sexual orientation.
Being in the military is the opposite of government interference – it is total surrender to the government. So that doesn’t apply. And I addressed the marriage thing.
You did bring politics up, though, by saying Bristol’s statement was wrong. Which I still don’t believe it was. I believe it was factually accurate.
Wait… Conservatives are in favor of gay marriage? I didn’t think that was the case.
“I don’t support defining marriage as anything but between one man and one woman, and I think through nuances we can go round and round about what that actually means. I’m being as straight up with Americans as I can in my non- support for anything but a traditional definition of marriage.”
Jen, you’re right. By definition, true conservatives prefer little or no government regulation in their lives – but as you’re well aware, the term “conservative” has evolved in modern culture to represent a different group of people, who for the most part do NOT agree with the original sentiments of conservative beliefs, including the Palin’s. While her carefully crafted statement may not have supported that, it’s true (and you know it).
Jen – As Karate Pants pointed out, the modern definition of conservatism (and the conservative movement) has evolved into something very different. They pay lip service to ‘no government interference’, but they are all for it when it comes to issues they oppose. As for serving in the military, yes it is government service, but denying the chance to certain people to serve their country based on their sexuality is still interfering in their rights as citizens.
You are a fake. Most likely you are also writing for the Palin camp. A paid social media commentator doing the fake liberal schtick. This particular form of of which is supposed to have a liberal give a “reasonable” almost-supportive remark to make Palin seem less scary. Unscrupulous. Clever, but evil.
Well, “paid social media commentator” sounds like a lot more fun than my actual job, so sure. Anyway, I agree about the definition of conservative having evolved into something more like what we used to call the grass roots movement. The two sort of merged (thanks, Bush! You’re welcome, America). I still say a true conservative would not take a stance on gay marriage at all. I have several friends who are like this (conservative, but not religious), and they resent the depiction of every conservative as a bible thumper bent on making the entire country conform to their religious values. Similarly, I am a Christian who is also a liberal, and I resent when conservatives assume I am athiest, just because I believe gay people deserve equal rights from our government, including marriage. We need to get back to separation of church and state.
Anyway, this train has officially derailed, sorry.
Jen, what are you talking about? George W and gang took away more liberties than any presidend/politician in history and tried to tell/force all of us what we could and how we should live our lives. Notwithstandind grew govt. more than any other administration all while enriching the top 2/3% of the weathiest and more than doubling their wealth in 8 years. I’m a true independent but have zero faith anymore in any consevative that does not rip into the horrible wrongs of Bush, Chaney, Rumsfeld, Gonzalez and gang.
IMO that administration were the major cause of the worlds low opinion of us and the destruction of true free-enterprise at the same time destrying the worlds economy, possibly forever…..but I hope not, for my 3 kids and their lives.
But for me no conservative that doesn’t own up to how horrible Bush and crew were and how they either fell asleep at the switch or actually openly or blindly following party line and allowed him to harm us as terribly as they did.
Oh, I didn’t say anything about Bush, other than that (bad) joke. Maybe you have me confused with another poster?
Sure they do as long as you are not gay or lesbian and believe in the same things they do…get a clue dude.
Not every homosexual believes in “gay marriage” either.
Is that right Jen? So “TRUE conservatives” are all for letting gays and lesbians live their life how they want without government interference? So if the government suddenly did away with marriage licenses and the tax benefits that go along with it for straight couples they would be fine with that? Or better yet allowed gay couples the same tax benefits as straight couples (and the government benefits that go along with it) “true conservatives” would be all for it? Somehow I doubt it.
LOL! I love it when people try to pretend to understand politics. You obviously don’t have a clue what is really going on in the world of politics or what each party stands for. I am a conservative (26 years old) and despite what ignorant people like to say… we are not against homosexuals, other races, or Obama due to any reason other then his “shady” politics. Yes, there are a few bad people who are ignorant and hateful for no reason, but this is true any any political party (Liberals too!!!) If people are truly voting on the next president based on if their child has dancing skills, then this world is getting more sad then I thought!
No. I am sorry but SOME conservatives do not support that. I am a conservative fully in support of gays and lesbians. This THEM vs. US thing is why this country is going down so quickly. We are Americans and we better learn that quick before it is too late and we are just left with two fighting sides and a whole lot of rubble.
Very well said, Jacquelyn. While we argue over blue and red, just regurgitating the talking points our media feeds us, our jobs are leaving the country, our cities are decaying, our agriculture is dying, people are suffering from lack of adequate health coverage, and our education system is failing. Conservative or liberal, I do not believe our legislators give a flying f about any of these issues.
I am not against anyone at all for their political beliefs. I respect that everyone has their own opinions, but to say that all Republican hate gays and are against gay marriage is insulting to me and very untrue.
I agree with you jacquelyn, i just wish the rest of the country would wise up!
Seriously, I consider myself a Libertarian, because I am a non-religious but moral conservative who thinks the government ABSOLUTELY should have no role in marriage one way or another, and that gay Americans should be allowed to live their lives as freely as straight Americans WITHOUT Big Brother telling any of us what to do.
Not all people who self-identify as “conservative” are bigots. Some of us roll our eyes at the Religious Right AND Sarah Palin – we just don’t think the government needs to pass a law prohibiting their existence.
I very carefully did not say “all” conservatives. I know many conservatives and they have many differing opinions (just as liberals do). However, the majority are against gay marriage and gays serving openly (or at all) in the military. Most do give lip service to less government interference, but only when it applies to certain ideas. As a modern movement, conservatives are against gay marriage and gays serving in the military. Find me one conservative in Congress who supports repeal of DADT.
Jen, didnt you write; “True conservatives support the right of every American to live their lives independent of government interference.” NOT BUSH! all of our nations conservative elected him twice! Sorry elected was the wrong word should have said voted and or helped him steal 2 terms.
I’m conservative (mostly) and DO support Gay rights on EVERY front. In fact I am peeved at Obama for dancing around and not repealing DADT. Cant wait for the religious right to get shut down with their” holly” laws. I also am not much of a Palin supporter, but love to hear the whining of the Liberals because she scares them. Kind of feels like what Hillary put us conservatives through the last 10 years. It’s great! She is equally unelectable, so relax and just watch the show.
I love your comment!
Woooo, that’s the future right there ^^ !!! Libertarian 2012!!
I love any comment that is pro-Republican or pro-Palin, whether I understand it or not. Wheeee!
Nice! I like how someone else used my name to act like it was me!
It’s just like when I use my own voice to repeat comments I picked up from FoxNews and act like it’s my own original thought even though I don’t really understand it.
and BTW Jamie #2- I just happen to enjot thsi comment, I am not sure why that is your concern. I am not actually a huge Palin supporter, I am just sick of ignorant, immature people like you! And as far as understanding it, you do not know me nor do you know my education level. If I need your help with comments, I will let you know!
I do need your help with comments.
Conservatives don’t support gays? What? Most Conservatives are FISCAL conservatives. I know several GAY conservatives. You are clueless if you think being a conservative means far right. Two different things. Get your facts straight. Most people in USA are conservative, believe in freedom, less gov’t, reduced spending. That’s a conservative.
So if I turned gay the Government would be up my ass now?
655 word retort? Went on the show to exercise? Yeah, that’s why you looked fatter at the finale. Bristol, you’re a nobody. Just go away.
So why do you care?
It’s no surprise that Margaret Cho turned on Bristol. She was probably losing cred with her own fans because of this “friendship,” and thought that backstabbing would be the fastest way to get it back. And like most Palin haters, she figured there’d be no consequences to her words and actions. But this resilient family proved yet another loudmouth wrong. Payback’s a bitch. Ha
Hmm… someone is a big Palin fan. As if “resilient family” didnt sufficiently give it away.
Um, I wasn’t trying to make it a secret. But you are astute.
Bristol’s ghostwriter could have at least gone with a lesbian reference someone her age might have known. Ellen for instance.
I don’t believe the younger Palin wrote this. She couldn’t utter more than 3 words during the show. This is part of the well orchestrated Palin machine. Nice to see the show is a failure and her book is on clearance.
Which show is a failure? and which book is on clearance? Thought the new Palin diatribe is a big seller.
Did anyone not consider that perhaps she wrote it but received consultation on the pop culture reference? Every celebrity, including politicians and most definitely the POTUS, does this for every public statement that is released. And there’s something wrong with that? And incidentally, Margaret Cho comes from the KD Lang/Indigo Girls generation herself. She’s no spring chicken. So perhaps the idea was to reference gay celebrities that Cho identifies herself with, at least in terms of age.
Have you heard her talk? please she doesn’t even know those words..you betcha
I have, indeed, heard her speak (to a pro-life group in Visalia, CA). Some of us are better writers than speakers.
Jake, you do realize that someone else writes her speeches for her.
Every time POTUS and Palin are in the same sentence for comparison I cringe. Whether I like her or not she is not capable of being POTUS.
She Tweets. she won’t even answer a question. Aside from anything else and there is plenty, this is the thing that fails her. If you are too thin skinned to field questions from NY Times, ABC, NBC and CBS then you will never be able to handle life in the White house
Hard to believe that “canard” is in either Sarah or Bristol’s vocabulary.
THAT is what struck me as big red flag indicating that Bristol did not write this. The b*tchy little political comments, I don’t know…I could see Palin’s people jumping in to provide those. But some of the wording of the rest of this thing just sounds odd – as if the whole thing had been written *for* Bristol. Obviously I can’t know for sure either way, but I do wonder. Anyways, she’s perfectly within her rights to fuss at Cho for what she said (seriously, Margaret Cho, you’re relying on “sources”? Didn’t you KNOW the girl personally?)…but I do NOT care for the condescending tone of the political comments. This is something ALL Americans need to learn – the ability to express different opinions without being utterly dismissive of other people’s perspectives.
Neither Bristol nor Mama wrote this, I don’t even believe Mama wrote her book never mind a retort on her daughter’s facebook, btw Indigo Girls have a great christmas cd out, maybe that’s why the reference LOL
Bristol, your pathetic, and to MAMA PALIN, your crazy if you think we are going to believe that you DIDN’T write that for your baby bear.
Wow! Do you know Bristol personally? Do you have any idea what her vocabulary levels consist of? No, then maybe you should keep ignorant, hateful comments to yourself!
“If girls realized the consequences of sex, nobody would be having sex,” says Bristol, sitting at her parents’ lakeside patio table. “Trust me. Nobody.”
-Bristol Palin to People magazine
And that makes her stupid how? She made a bad decision, like many teenage girls have. Think back and please tell me how perfect you were and how you never made a mistake a a teenager or young adult. Does she know everything? Of course not, who does at that age? At least she admits it and had taken responsibility for her actions and takes care of her child and tries to influence other teenage girls to not make the same mistakes that she has.
I agree 100%
It’s not what she’s trying to express, it’s HOW she expresses it. You think the person who came up with that People quote that is for the most part, irrelevant and incoherent could come up with such a sharp-tacked post that plays as much to politics as she did?
Karl: Yes (my 22 year old grand-daughter could write the same thing ; )
Kellie Bowden: “You’re” in need of a grammar refresher course.
LOL! I love this!
She needs to get a better and more convincing Facebook ghost writer. She wouldn’t know who the Indigo Girls were if she saw them at Home Depot.
Well, to be fair, I’m not sure I could either…they’d really blend in there. KIDDING
Okay, that was hilarious. +1!
Ah, levity
Wow, I must say this is a pretty stupid argument.. I don’t get it.. but why don’t you all just get along:/
Wow, every time one Mama Grizzly’s spawn opens their mouths, something homophobic flies out. “…conservative values supports the right of individuals like you…” – Hilarious! So they’re in favor of Margaret marrying her girlfriend???
The Notorious C.H.O. says she’s technically bi but likes d*** so much she thinks of herself as a gay man trapped in a woman’s body. (All: catch her live act – scary funny!)
A very classy response to someone behaving obnoxiously and talking behind her back.
I don’t like her Mom’s politics but the people insulting her make her mother look more sane than they are.
I think it’s actually a pretty juicy story and why would Margaret Cho write it if it weren’t true?
Totally believe Sarah Palin would do this.
Because it’s not true.
Yes, it is.
Jake, you might think your presidential nominee for 2012 is a saint, but you know it’s within Sarah’s means to force her daughter. The teen pregnancy DID IN FACT add to Sarah’s rep as being someone with no idea how to handle her own family, let alone a COUNTRY. So firstly, that’s where Bristol thought wrong – it DID affect votes, though her mom’s stupidity cemented her fate.
Secondly, look at all the promos Sarah is doing now. I mean, wanting a TV show and fame are valid excuses – see: Jersey Shore cast – but when Palin injects herself so much into conservative politics – see: Tea Party campaigning for Nov midterm elections – it’s hard to believe she isn’t going to use her screentime as an advantage to get a foothold in ANY sort of political campaign in the future.
Karl: how old are you? Ronald Reagan did GE Theatre, had TWO very way-ward children to deal with, and STILL got elected President of the United States two times. What’s your point?
@Josh, don’t know if you’re referring to me, but I assume you are since I appear to have the only dissenting viewpoint here (although it seems to be the same viewpoint as the author of this article). I only said that to Kellie Bowden because I find it ironic and amusing that so many who call the Palin family stupid (or in this case, “pathetic”) haven’t yet managed to master 5th grade spelling and punctuating.
Or worse. Someone who hasn’t yet figured out how to master the blue ‘Reply’ button.
Oh I see…Internet protocol is the true measure of intelligence. Is that what they’re teaching in school now?
Good for you, you figured it out! This is a special day.
Gotta go, some of us actually work for a living. But yeah, it was special.
Bristol was a ROYAL pain in the butt. She’s no STAR. Again I have to agree with some that voiced their opinions on other sites is that they label her as a teenage activist and am guessing its great to encourage teenage girls that its OKAY to get pregnant – they may be on DWTS after having a baby. Really dumb.
How old are you, 12? Grow up! Everyone has the right to their own opinions whether you agree with them or not. Your ignorance and immaturity are amusing and saddening to me.
and that was directed at the idiots who are bashing Bristol for no reason other then it makes them feel better about their sad lives!
To Jamie: And it’s a better use of one’s time on Earth to bash people who bash other people? Because that’s what you’re doing. And how can you be amused AND saddened at the same time? STOP THE INSANITY!
@ Susan- OK hypocrit, isn’t that the pot calling the kettle black. I apoligize for my frustration in the way I worded my previous statements. It is just very frustrating to me to watch these people be under constant attack for rediculous reasons. The girl has made some mistakes as we all have, so what! Constantly referring to her as ignorant or fat is immature and unnecissary.