If you can believe it, David Letterman confessing on live television that he had inappropriate relations with members of his staff actually had a positive impact on ratings. I know, I know. Total insanity. Letterman initially made the admission last Thursday, but then on Monday he returned to the topic, to apologize to his staff and his wife for all the drama this has caused. (Clip above.) It turned out to be ratings gold:
Some 5.7 million people tuned in on Monday to hear Letterman apologize to his wife and staff for his on-air revelations last week about his sexual affairs and an alleged blackmail plot.
That was a 36 percent increase over the audience for the “Late Show with David Letterman” on Monday last week, and a 19 percent jump on the 2009-2010 season-to-date average for the talk show of 4.8 million viewers, CBS said on Tuesday.
Show business newspaper Daily Variety noted that Monday’s Letterman ratings at 11:30 p.m. were higher than anything struggling NBC had on Monday in prime time, including its returning drama series “Heroes,” new medical series “Trauma” and “The Jay Leno Show” at its new 10 p.m. slot which pulled in 4.3 million viewers.
What’s funny is that no one other than his staff and his wife seems to actually be angry at Letterman for this. There’s been very little public outrage, at least none that I’ve really picked up on. Did everyone just kind of assume that Letterman was a philanderer anyway? Is it all okay since he stepped up to the plate and admitted his mistake — albeit only after being blackmailed? Or do we not expect our late-night funnymen to be moral compasses in the first place?
I feel conflicted on this whole thing. I generally like Dave and think that he’s probably a good person, but the fact that he cheated on his wife is pretty bad (although the period in which he cheated is unclear, so he might not have been married at the time). I guess I still find him likable because he was straightforward about cheating after someone called him on it and didn’t get into some big dispute where he eventually confesses to being a lying asshole.
From what I’ve read, it happened before he was even married so who cares. Yeah, he was in a relationship with the woman he’d eventually marry so it sucks for her but really it’s just between him and her. Frankly, it’s dumb that this is even a newsworthy. He’s a talk show host, not a politician. Again, who cares.
Any anger I have is toward the jackass and criminal extortionist. Letterman only needs to answer to his wife and (less importantly) his staff.
Beetster, What leaves me scratching my head is why people don’t just expect this type of behavior. He was a powerful, single, male in the entertainment industry and you know that young bitches would be offering up that stuff on a daily basis. I am sure some musicians bang a dozen groupies a month. I wonder if people can even begin to comprehend how often this happens in the real world and nothing is ever said. People always say “take the money and run”. I say “grab a handful of pussy while you’re at it”.
I think that generally if you’re not a politician or a religious figure then it’s not really any of my business who someone in the entertainment industry has slept with. It’s nice(?) that he went on TV and apologized but I didn’t really care in the first place and wasn’t surprised in the least. I do however sometimes wonder if there are any men out there who have money, fame, and/or power that DON’T cheat. I’m hoping Barack Obama never gets caught in a cheating scandal. I’d lose all faith in men. I’d like to think that if i had money and power and fame that I would still be an honest, faithful person to my partner….
I agree with Kate. Letterman should continue to be able to exploit and coerce any young, emotionally vulnerable woman that works on his show and feels pressured to spread her legs to be able to keep her job or get ahead. He’s the big dick on the show and how exciting it must be to have such a handsome specimen of a man sticking his dick in your mouth so you can feel important and worthy.
I like Dave a lot and have always been impressed with his willingness to be honest. even though it’s none of our business. it’s between him, his now wife and his production company. who cares who he screws? who cares who anyone screws? entertainment mogul, politician, religious figure, etc. as long as it’s consentual it has no bearing whatsoever on their ability to entertain, enforce the will of the people, or how they interpret the spiritual realm.
honestly, people…
From a PR standpoint, he and his people handled this fairly brilliantly by grabbing the bull by the horns. However, that surely doesn’t discount the fact that he’s a ethics-free, philandering, hypocritical, dirty old lecher. After years and years of making jabs at politicians and celebrities about their sexual improprieties and such, it looks like ol’ karma stepped in in a most glorious manner. I don’t think in the long run this will negatively impact his career. Audiences seem to let these things slide and forget about them after a while. It’s if and when he makes a racial or ethnic slur on the air that he can kiss his career all but goodbye.