Sarah Palin's Alaska: Palin Slams Joe McGinniss in TLC Show Premiere

By: Lucy Madison
Topics: In The News ,; Campaign 2012

(Credit: TLC)

In the pilot of her new reality show on TLC, "Sarah Palin's Alaska," the former Alaska governor wasted no time criticizing journalist Joe McGinniss, who over the summer moved into the house next door to Palin while researching a book on her, for what she described as an "intrusion" and an "invasion of [the family's] privacy."

"Where I like to do a lot of my writing and researching - especially on a beautiful day - is outside, on our slab, where I get to take in the beauty of the lake," Palin said during the first minutes of the show, referring to a patio-like slab of cement in the family's backyard, which faces Alaska's Lake Lucille.

"Our behavior certainly has changed this summer because of this new neighbor," she continued.

"Our summer fun has kind of been taken away from us because of a new neighbor next door who's writing a hit piece on my wife," added Todd Palin, Sarah Palin's husband, who built a 14-foot fence between the two houses shortly after McGinniss moved in.

McGinniss, the author several best-selling books, has said repeatedly that he has done nothing to violate the family's privacy.

Joe McGinniss

(Credit: msnbc.msn.com)

"I am not sitting here with binoculars trained on her yard," McGinniss said in a May interview with the New York Times. "I am not taking video or photos and I found two people in my yard who were walking over trying to take a picture over the fence and I told them that they had to leave, so in a way, I am serving as a kind of a buffer."

Nevertheless, Palin repeatedly referenced the journalist on the show's Sunday premiere, and warned her daughter Piper not to let him have "the pleasure" of taking any pictures of her.

"Is he taking pictures? Don't give him the pleasure of taking a picture," Palin warns, as the family troops inside after a salmon-fishing expedition. "He was stuck inside writing an ugly book - see, we one-upped him. We had a good day and he's stuck in his house."

In the show, McGinniss (whose face is blurred out, and who is never mentioned by name) is pictured sitting on an upstairs deck reading a book. There is no apparent camera in sight.

According to a report in the Anchorage Press, McGinniss said he neither knew about nor consented to being filmed for the episode, and demanded that the network remove the footage of him.

TLC did not respond to a request for comment on the issue.

Lucy Madison is a political reporter for CBSNews.com. You can read more of her posts here. Follow Hotsheet on Facebook and Twitter.

Lucy Madison
Lucy Madison is a political reporter for CBSNews.com.
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by baukunin November 17, 2010 1:50 AM EST: Sarah's probably rarely in Alaska these days. She's out there making a million bucks a month talking to paying people too dumb to know she's a fellow idiot.; Reply to this comment


by dibbs977 November 16, 2010 12:13 AM EST: To Leftequalshate, Those of us who have found real spirituality and faith from studying the Bible instead of making it a false idol--and who believe in the teachings of Jesus instead of all the dogma made up (in the pagan tradition) about Jesus, we equal reason and love---and we lean left. You are like the KKK who uses God to hate everyone different from you.; Reply to this comment

by baukunin November 15, 2010 3:29 PM EST

I've unfortunately been familiar with the Palin family for 22 years. Save for Todd's stepmother, they're a worthless bunch, the majority of whom have been arrested for one thing or another. They lie and cheat and steal at every opportunity. They're middle-class trailer trash, though Sarah's fame has bumped them up to the top 1% of reluctant taxpayers.

I read "Going to Extremes" by McGuinness when I lived in Wasilla, back then. It was a good, not a great book about Alaska. "Coming into the Country" by John McPhee was vastly better.

Joe is a jerk, albeit a harmless one. Sarah's a much bigger and far more dangerous jerk. She could have become president if McCain's health had caught up to him and Tina Fey hadn't agreed to spend some time on Saturday Night Live.

She's perennially spiteful, vain, vengeful and ignorant.

Nowhere in the choices CBS has given us, do I see such a clear choice for viewers or readers to express. What is the poll supposed to ask?

Is it that we find Mcguinness' behavior disgusting, or Sarah's, or both?

Surely no one should be shocked by any of it.

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by dibbs977 November 16, 2010 12:06 AM EST: For America to continue to promote Sarah Palin is simply showing the world how crass and ignorant we are.


by formrusmcsgt November 15, 2010 1:47 PM EST: by theleftequalshate November 15, 2010 12:29 PM EST
Hey formrusmcsgt, THANK YOU for being the PERCECT example of liberal garbage. A group of people who hate God and morality because it forces you to have sense of responsibility to yourself and others
----
I don't hate real beings, much less imaginary ones......; Reply to this comment

by formrusmcsgt November 15, 2010 11:01 AM EST

Sarah appeals to those who want to live in their father's America.

When minorities knew their "place".

When big business did as it pleased and got away with it.

When the word "God" was on everyone's lips.

When the world cowered before our might.

Those who believe that those days will ever return are delusional.....

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by formrusmcsgt November 15, 2010 11:03 AM EST: ...forgot the days of abortions in back alleys with knitting needles as well.


by formrusmcsgt November 15, 2010 11:47 AM EST: Agreed that it's the LAST thing we need, but it appeals to many nonetheless.

The last thing we needed was dubya, too. But it happened anyway.

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by livinginspokane November 15, 2010 10:19 AM EST: Sarah Palin is Sarah Palin. I lived in Palmer, Wasilla, Big Lake area.
Alaska is beautiful. Everyone should visit that state. Not everyone
will want to move there. If you do not like doing things outdoors, like
skiing, hunting, fishing, camping, Alaska is not the place for you. It gets very cold during the winter months. No daylight.; Reply to this comment

by formrusmcsgt November 15, 2010 9:37 AM EST

I saw a teaser from the show where Sarah's telling Willow "no boys upstairs".

Too funny, having a bastard grandchild and all....like she's keeping her kids on the "straight and narrow". Hilarious!

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by webtrek November 16, 2010 10:18 PM EST: I got a kick out of that too.


by formrusmcsgt November 15, 2010 9:20 AM EST: by chevyhotrod November 15, 2010 9:18 AM EST

BTW, I was just asking a simple question and not giving orders
----
And "ANSWER THE QUESTION" in all caps is a request of some sort?

With thinking like that, no wonder you're impressed with airheads like Palin.....; Reply to this comment


by chevyhotrod November 15, 2010 9:18 AM EST: by formrusmcsgt November 15, 2010 9:01 AM EST
Shove your stupid question sideways, punk.

I take no orders from anyone.

Don't you love it went the left is cracking up. Accuse Republican governors of quitting, but ignore the Democrats governors, even when they quite on their states at 3 times the rate. Does anyone know how to spell hypocrisy?

BTW, I was just asking a simple question and not giving orders. I should have thought that you would not have known, because you are just so smart and can only attack out of hate and ignorance.; Reply to this comment


by formrusmcsgt November 15, 2010 9:16 AM EST: It's just as well that Sarah's carving out a show biz career for herself.

With a negative rating of 52% and climbing, it's a slam dunk she'll never hold public office again.; Reply to this comment