TV Land Cutting Don Rickles Obama Joke For “Airtime” Purposes

The Hollywood Reporter tells us that when TV Land airs its American Film Institute tribute to Shirley MacLaine June 24, Don Rickles’ joke about President Obama will not make make the broadcast. The joke compared the President “to a janitor.” Mr. Rickles’s representative told the trade paper that AFI and TV Land are not “censoring” Mr. Rickles. ” ‘Before all of this started, we knew Don’s spot would be cut a bit for time…This is a non-story and requires no further comment.’ ”