By now, you've probably heard about David Letterman's affairs with female staffers, and someone's attempt to extort $2 million from him. I watched The Late Show With David Letterman last night and wasn't sure what to expect. He usually confronts these sorts of things right up front, talking directly to his audience and viewers, and he did just that after the opening monologue. He played it all very light-hearted, saying that the grand jury was probably shocked to learn he was having sex, and that the moment he knew something was amiss, he started thinking about every single bad thing he'd ever done in his life.
The funny thing is, the studio audience just lapped it up, applauding at just about everything Dave said. He didn't say exactly when the affairs happened, but I'm guessing in the not too distant past. He said, "Would it be embarrassing if it were made public? Perhaps it would. I feel like I need to protect these people. I need to certainly protect my family."
He married Regina Lasko in March, but they've been together a while, because they have a six-year-old son, Harry. I wonder if Regina will be as forgiving as the studio audience.
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. on 'Faces of America' and the Beer Summit
Six Reasons Why '24' Has Jumped the You-Know-What
The Super Bowl Commercials: The Best
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
10-02-2009 @ 8:20AM
Wii60 said...
Sounds like the perfect scandal for Leno to interview and become the #1 talk show host in his time slot for many years to come.
Reply
10-02-2009 @ 10:31AM
Sancty said...
"Sounds like the perfect scandal for Leno to interview and become the #1 talk show host in his time slot for many years to come."
I hope this is sarcasm... or else Leno's got a short ride to #1 talk show host in his time slot!
10-02-2009 @ 11:39AM
litehousebeacon said...
Isn't Leno the only talk show host in that time slot?
10-08-2009 @ 11:07AM
Alex Espinal said...
Letterman is nothing but a pig. CBS should pull him off the air for this. Taking advantage and possibly using his position to coerce staffers to have sex is unethical. If I had done the same with my staffers at work I would be fired and possibly arrested. He is nothing but a stupid comedian thinking he is almighty. Yes, an almighty pig.
Reply
10-02-2009 @ 10:31AM
Sancty said...
I give Letterman major props for looking a blackmailer in the face and calling their bluff!
The sexual affairs may have been unethical... or perhaps he was seduced by some looking to... I don't know... extort the guy?
C'mon... get off the soap box!
10-02-2009 @ 10:34AM
miller980 said...
As much as I dislike Letterman, I do think he handled the situation well. The audience on the other hand, acted extremely odd. Certainly at the beginning it may have seemed like shtick, but it was clear soon after this was not a joke; and yet they laughed throughout. The funniest part for me was when he said he had sex with staffers, the audience gasped, but 10 seconds later, they were laughing again. Truly bizarre.
Reply
10-03-2009 @ 5:36PM
Tony DIMeo said...
I'm not surprised his audience applauded at this since every night they applaud at whatever dumb joke he throws at them, say what you will about Leno but at least his audience does not applaud at every one of his jokes because there's no applause for the NBC shows
Reply
10-02-2009 @ 11:01AM
Elf said...
Alex Espinal, please point to any reputable source that says Letterman applied any undue influence or coercion.
Office affairs happen people. If you work in a medium to large office the odds are that if an affair isn't already going on now then one just ended or one is going to begin shortly.
Nobody involved in the Letterman situation was married or had children at the time, and if Dave's now-wife is OK that's all that matters.
Reply
10-02-2009 @ 12:10PM
Pingles said...
While I don't think I'm ready to demand any firings or legal action I do agree with Alex that what Dave did is a serious breach of workplace protocol.
He is the boss. And the boss of what could be called a pretty large comedy empire (Worldwide Pants).
Having an affair with an employee is a pretty big deal. I bet there are rules at CBS about Managers not being able to have relationships with their employees.
10-02-2009 @ 11:24AM
sjackson said...
I'd like to know why on earth anyone would sleep with him? Was Larry King busy? UGH.
Reply
10-04-2009 @ 12:57PM
Joe said...
R U Kidding. He's the boss. It's call sexual harassment, stupid. Oh I bet Sarah Palin has that devilish airline steward smile on her face right now.
10-02-2009 @ 11:58AM
Wayneg44 said...
Dave was very honest and upfront in a bizarre way about something that has to be a very embarrasing moment for him and those around him. I think even he was confused about the audience reaction to his comments. But he handled it in a professional way as best he could. Yes affairs happen in the workplace all the time and as long as they are consensual adults with no coercion so be it. Sex is part of life.
Reply
10-02-2009 @ 12:08PM
Red Golem said...
The audience laughed because the Late Show interns browbeat them before the show to laugh loudly at everything Dave says or does.
Reply
10-02-2009 @ 12:58PM
Dan Chichian said...
Perhaps the audience thinks of Dave as a fictional character and thanks to CSI we know that sleeping with the boss is perfectly ok with the viewers. It is a source of entertainment.
The gasp was probably that gut reaction you get when you unexpectedly hear about someone's sexcapades. The "oh sleazy" followed by "TMI" which was then eclipsed by the but it's Dave or it's Gil so that's alright.
Reply
10-02-2009 @ 1:05PM
Steve said...
Finally, I kinda get how Dave came up with Worldwide Pants.
Reply
10-02-2009 @ 1:34PM
Gabi said...
I don't understand why the fact that Letterman has had intimate relations with members of his staff is considered Controversial News. Being a Bachelor up until 5 months ago & joking about it over the years openly, and a powerful public figure / entertainer, it's common sense that he'd be having consentual sex with someone, without tarnishing the critical "family values" of this hypocritical country.
And since NONE the women is Letterman's life EVER presented him in a bad light, Nor are ANY of Them blackmailing him, slandering him or suing him, Letterman should not be compared with the highly paid Public officials who are paid by tax payers to represent the values of it's constituents, yet fall way short, then LIE about it. It is the scenarios of these LIERS that Letterman pokes fun at, and therefore sets him Way above them. People don't have to watch Letterman, but are forced to recon with the lying Government Officials.
Letterman has never presented himself as "holier than thou", and the first to poke fun at himself when a point can be made or a laugh can be found. Here he has utilized his position wisely, and attempting to make light of what would soon have been a horrible scandal anyway. Letterman is paid to entertain & he did, while including his viewers in personal News which is going to be made public anyway.
Letterman being Blackmailed by a horrible & self serving CBS producer is the Crime and the Story. And that should be the focus of this scenario, not on who Letterman spends his private time with or how his time is spent.
Hang in there Dave!
Reply
10-02-2009 @ 5:29PM
Harold Love said...
I second all of that.
10-04-2009 @ 11:18AM
YNOT ? said...
very good post. men having sex with women is not a crime, nor is women having sex with men. (even men to men & women to women is not a crime in my eyes.) the crime is the "extortion" of money, blackmailing. Letterman handled himself & this potential scandal in a great way. while i have always liked Dave over Jay Leno or Conan, he appears to me as a better person than before. and finally we should all realize that when it comes to the pursuit of another person for friendship, intimacy or sex, when it comes to flirting, picking up someone for a date or a romantic encounter, both men & women use whatever they can in their personal 'arsenal.' if i were a charismatic entertainer, with money & fame, of course i would utilize whatever opportunities they provide me. right now, as an unknown artist/musician, all i have is my charm.
10-02-2009 @ 1:43PM
Scott said...
With TV Squad's love affair with Leno's show, I wondered what it would take for them to put Letterman on the board.
Based on the following and the lack of previous lawsuits from previous women I can't see where Dave has necessarily done anything wrong.
"Apparently neither the extortion attempt, nor the fact that Letterman slept with women on his show, were news to Letterman's wife of seven months.
Lasko, a former television production manager, had the job of telling Letterman's mother Dorothy Mengering about the embarrassing blackmail plot attempt."
Reply
10-02-2009 @ 2:57PM
Ratphink said...
What's so shocking about the audience laughing and applauding at everything Dave says? They do this every freakin night through the entire monologue. It's one of the reasons I can't watch his show anymore, the audience is so annoying. What happened to the days of the monologue were jokes bombed and no one laughed? Remember Carson's jokes that bombed, it was funnier that way.
The Craig Ferguson audience is probably the worst. It's almost like they have paid people to laugh. The guy just stands there and mugs and people are in hysterics. I like the format of his show, but the audience drives me insane.
Reply