Ok...so if you haven't heard about the David Letterman sex/extortion scandal then you probably have been living under a rock. It is all over the news, plastered on the front page of newspapers and the internet is swarming with updated information.
The one thing that stands out about this particular scandal is that it was Letterman himself that blew the lid off of the entire thing. In true Letterman fashion, good ole Dave trumps the media and confesses to multiple relationships with female staff members live on his show. And I can't help but say BRAVO DAVE.
One thing that I have always loved about David Letterman is his brutal honesty especially when it comes to his personal mistakes. A great example is the joke he told earlier this year about Sarah Palin's daughter which he earnestly apologized for after a very big overreaction from former Governor Palin (wah wah...it's just jokes!!!). But this admission of guilt is a much bigger deal and it really does truly affect what will happen next in Letterman's home life. Keep in mind that these affairs took place while he was seeing his long time girlfriend and now wife of six months Regina Lasko who he informed us is quite pissed at him right now.
And if that is not enough for Dave to worry about, the media has opened up a whole new bag of worms by posing what I think are ridiculous questions and getting the public and organizations all riled up.
Question 1: What will happen to the show's ratings?
Answer: Well, so far so good. The ratings for the show have gone up drastically since the confession show aired probably because most viewers are wondering what Dave is going to reveal next. I don't really think this is going to change anyway. The truth about audiences that watch late night tv is that there is usually a specific devotion to a specific late night host and I don't think that Conan O'Brien and Jimmy Fallon pose that much of a threat to taking Dave's audience away from him. I mean regardless of the whole scandal neither O'Brien or Fallon's shows are funny.
Question 2: Who are all these women?
Answer: Who CARES who they are????!!!!
Question 3: Were the women sexually harrassed or made to feel forced into these relationships to further their careers?
Answer: I am sure that if these women were sexually harrassed or pressured by a millionaire late night tv host into having sex with him to further their careers then this story would have broke a long time ago. At least one of them would have come out against Dave if this was done because of harrassment because they could sue and if it is proven then they could win and if they won there pockets would be much fatter.
Why is it that when these cases come up then automatically the woman becomes the victim. Yes, of course, sexual harrassment does occur and there are tons of male bosses who flirt with their young, attractive female employees but let's get one thing straight. First of all, this is not an episode of Mad Men. Cases where women have said no to unwanted sexual advances by a boss or co-worker are one of the reasons why Human Resource departments were created. If you blatantly say NO and it continues then file a complaint. Second of all, women have to be very careful with being sure to draw the line at work and making that line clear if these advances are not wanted. What society needs to understand is that in many of the cases the women are not being harrassed but are actually complying with these advances because they are not unwanted. I mean sex in the workplace exists because we are human and when you spend eight hours a day, forty hours a week with a person (sometimes more) shit happens. It shouldn't but it does.
I know this is going to sound crazy coming from a woman but I am actually impressed by Dave's honesty and unsurprised by his actions. He is a man and let's get down to the raw truth. Dave is not exactly Brad Pitt. If he were your average joe on the street, most women would not give him the time of day. However, he is a celebrity and with celebrity comes attention and for male celebrities much of that attention comes from women who are willing to sleep with them. And a man is going to be a man, if the offer is on the table MOST guys are going to take it. It shouldn't happen but it does. Now does this excuse David's behavior, absolutely not but as Steve Martin said when he discussed the situation with Dave on the show Monday night...it makes Dave human.
The bottom line is that even with all of the media hoopla I think Dave is going to come out of this unscathed, professionally at least. I am a huge fan and will continue to watch the show and I am sure that I am not the only fan who is going to do so. There are probably millions of people who will tune in from now on because of all the attention this entire situation has generated. In the end, I support David Letterman.
One thing his audiences can depend on...much more interesting Top Ten Lists.
