David Letterman on Circuses

Written by PETA

Posted 03-28-2007

11 Comments

allstarz.hollywood.com/Creative Commons

Just a quick little tidbit for you, because this was just too good to leave unremarked: Did anyone catch David Letterman's comments about Ringling coming to Madison Square Garden on his show last night?

"Ringling Brothers circus is coming back to Madison Square Garden. How about that? What they do, they bring the elephants right through the tunnel in midtown. … And New Yorkers don't care about elephants. Honest to god, we have rats bigger than that. I love going to the circus: what is more American than eating cotton candy and watching animal abuse? Am I right?"

You rule, Dave.

Tags:

leather, fur, circus, circuses, wool, seal slaughter, seals, david, lennon, letterman

Recent Comments

emmabraveteller commented:

8-5-2007 9:27 AM

i have had a chronic back injury for nearly a year since zippos circus in london england pulled me by machine off one of the horses they were abusing has anyone else been injured or do they usually just abuse animals? i met a woman who had seen the same stunt done and the woman had been carted off by ambulance
kelly commented:

3-29-2007 1:37 PM

Just wanted to note NPR also supports the dog cruelty in IDITAROD! And PBS through CHILDREN'S shows like Reading Rainbow My feeling is that NPR and PBS are incredibly hypocritical. Or else someone at these organizations is incredibly ignorant.
Reed commented:

3-28-2007 8:23 PM

I wish National Public Radio could be as informed about circus elephant abuse as Dave is. Check out their story "When the Elephants March in Manhattan" httpwww.npr.orgtemplatesstorystory.php?storyId9190015
K commented:

3-28-2007 5:51 PM

Hopefully Dave's comment will have struck a chord in people who are curious to learn more and "investigate" it. Thanks for sharing and thanks Dave! and I saw the clip of Leno.. thanks Jay!
Kristine commented:

3-28-2007 3:36 PM

Thanks Dave for saying speaking out about this however briefly. Question though When are people like David Letterman people in a real position to reach MILLIONS every night going to really speak out educate and urge their watchers not to attend? Again thank you for mentioning it but that joke may have went over the heads of many viewers simply because education about circuses is still so lacking. Many blind Americans still don't know and therefore don't care! That's why the USDA hasn't done anything about Ringling. There is not enough public outrage!
Kris Shulfer commented:

3-28-2007 3:15 PM

i wonder if kelly ripa was watching?? im sure she'll take her kids!! LOL
Kris Shulfer commented:

3-28-2007 3:14 PM

you rock letterman!! direct and right to the point hopefully by now no one will attend the circus after all the attention brought to Ringling brothers recently!! breaking and elephants spirit is hard to do and the have mastered the task and it is sick!! they should not be for entertainment but in the place they belong in the wild!! and let david letterman and the rest of the talk show hosts do the entertaining humanely!! and for those of you who wonder why elephants or any other animal goes nuts and then shot to death all because it is tired of being abused!! watch some video at peta.com and then ask yourself is this something that is entertaining for your kids?? i have never taken mine to a circus ever and he knows why now and hes 15 and loves the fact that i educate him on all the cruelty going on in this world!! sunshine wisconsin
Morgan commented:

3-28-2007 3:05 PM

Haha! I wish I would have seen it. GO DAVE!
kelly commented:

3-28-2007 2:36 PM

Thank you David Letterman! The abuses by the Ringling Brothers company are common knowledge now. When will the USDA deal with that company? Ringling Brothers seems to delight in torturing animals. It is a sick sick business operated by sick people.
J. Teeple commented:

3-28-2007 1:53 PM

I was searching YouTube to see if I could see find a clip of it which I haven't but I did find an OLD clip of Jay Leno ranting to Letterman about a local circus httpyoutube.comwatch?vHNHO8boPr8Q

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