PBS cuts Sarah Palin jokes from Tina Fey special

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On Nov. 9, Tina Fey was awarded the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor during a made-for-TV ceremony at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. But when PBS broadcast the event the following Sunday, part of Fey’s acceptance speech was missing -- specifically, the part where Fey made fun of her favorite ‘Saturday Night Live’ target, Sarah Palin. The following remarks were cut from the broadcast:

‘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. 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 what? Actually, I take it back. The whole thing’s a disaster.’

Earlier in the night, Fey credited Palin for helping her win the prize. ‘I would be a liar and an idiot if I didn’t thank Sarah Palin for helping get me here tonight,’ she said. ‘My partial resemblance and her crazy voice are the two luckiest things that have ever happened to me.’ Those comments made their way into the broadcast, but many of Fey’s Palin jokes did not.

PBS claims the decision was made not for political reasons, but purely due to time constraints. “We had zero problems with anything she said,’ executive producer Peter Kaminsky told the Washington Post. ‘We snipped from everyone.”

The full, unedited version of Fey’s acceptance speech can be viewed above.

-- Melissa Maerz

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