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Tina Fey Mark Twain Awards Speech: PBS Cuts Sarah Palin Remarks

by NowPublic Staff | November 17, 2010 at 02:56 pm

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PBS Cuts And Edits Out Biting Remarks By Tina Fey About Sarah Palin, During Mark Twain Awards And Prize Speech

PBS is defending its decision to edit comedian Tina Fey's speech during the Mark Twain Awards on the weekend. PBS told the Washington Post that the decision to cut some of the remarks Tina Fey made about Sarah Palin had nothing to do with politics.

"It was not a political decision," responded Peter Kaminsky, one of the broadcast's executive producers. "We had zero problems with anything she said."

But with the 90-minute show running about 19 minutes long after the taping Tuesday night, a few things had to give, Kaminsky said. "We took a lot out," he said. "We snipped from everyone."

Here are the original remarks Tina Fey made about Sarah Palin during the Mark Twain Awards at the Kennedy Center.

"And, you know, politics aside, the success of Sarah Palin and women like her is good for all women - except, of course --those who will end up, you know, like, paying for their own rape 'kit 'n' stuff," Fey said. "But for everybody else, it's a win-win. Unless you're a gay woman who wants to marry your partner of 20 years - whatever. But for most women, the success of conservative women is good for all of us. Unless you believe in evolution. You know - actually, I take it back. The whole thing's a disaster."

Then PBS editors went to work, taking much of the bite out Tina Fey's acceptance speech by dropping the references to the "rape-kit" and "evolution" during the Mark Twain Awards.

PBS demonstrated a remarkable skill making Tina Fey less funny than she actually is, turning a provocative Tina Fey into milk toast.

What would Mark Twain think?