Last week while I was at the Stand-Up at Candor show, Steve Hofstetter made a statement during his set that pretty much puts the whole David Letterman-Sarah Palin joke issue to rest (although Letterman’s joke hadn’t even happened yet).

In so many words, Hofstetter said that you can never be offended by live comedy or comedians, because the comedian’s intentions are pure. They simply want to make you laugh. That’s all. They are not looking for a debate or a discussion or an inquisition. Just a laugh. If you are going to be offended, be offended at the people who actually do the offensive things.

The reality is a comedian does not care about the politics of the matter. They just want the laugh. You are more than entitled not to laugh because you did not find it funny. But you cannot be offended because that is not the intent. Never is. And never will be.

Keep this in mind next time you go to a live comedy show or listen to a comedian like Letterman (he’s a stand-up comedian you know) do a bit on TV this weekend. If for some reason, you are not grasping this concept. Please don’t go see a comedy show. You’re annoying to the rest of us.