Tina Fey, PBS, and Sarah Palin

Tina Fey received the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor from the Kennedy Center.

As usual, PBS aired the event.

This time, however, PBS decided to alter the acceptance speech of the honoree. Words weren't bleeped. It's not that the language was inappropriate. Fey's remarks were edited for content.

From the Washington Post:

Tina Fey got a little political airbrushing from PBS Sunday night during its annual broadcast of the Kennedy Center's Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.

Fey, this year's recipient of the prize, caused a few ripples during her acceptance speech at the ceremony on Tuesday when she mock-praised "conservative women" like Sarah Palin, whom Fey has so memorably impersonated on "Saturday Night Live."

"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," Fey said. "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 - actually, I take it back. The whole thing's a disaster."

But that's not what viewers heard when PBS and WETA (channel 26) broadcast an edited version of Fey's speech on Sunday.

The part about rape kits and evolution was gone, leaving only Fey's more harmonious -- and blander -- comments about Palin and politics: "I would be a liar and an idiot if I didn't thank Sarah Palin for helping get me here tonight. My partial resemblance and her crazy voice are the two luckiest things that ever happened to me. All kidding aside, I'm so proud to represent American humor, I am proud to be an American, and I am proud to make my home in the 'not real' America. And I am most proud that during trying times, like an orange [terror] alert, a bad economy or a contentious election that we as a nation retain our sense of humor."

Was PBS shielding its viewers from Fey's more pointed remarks?

"It was not a political decision," responded Peter Kaminsky, one of the broadcast's executive producers. "We had zero problems with anything she said."

But with the 90-minute show running about 19 minutes long after the taping Tuesday night, a few things had to give, Kaminsky said. "We took a lot out," he said. "We snipped from everyone."

I think it's extremely odd for Tina Fey, the award recipient, to have her remarks edited because of time constraints.

The evening was about her. Certainly, other material should have been removed rather than tampering with her speech.

I don't buy the excuse that "We snipped from everyone."

Of course, it was a political decision.

PBS doesn't want to put its taxpayer funds in jeopardy. It doesn't want to be seen as excessively hostile toward conservatives; and without a doubt, Fey's "jokes" weren't kind to Sarah Palin or conservatives.

Here's video of what PBS didn't air. Fey's unedited remarks start at about 12 minutes, 30 seconds.

Watch the full episode. See more Mark Twain Prize.

Why were those particular 54 seconds cut out from the recipient's acceptance speech?

I find it very hard to believe that politics didn't play a part.