Letterman, the Monday After: You Still Watching (If You Ever Did)?

For me? I'll keep watching him. It's refreshing to see someone handle this sort of situation as forthrightly as he did. Politicians take note. I guess some questions remain about whether or not he was cheating on his current wife when he was sleeping with this woman (or women over the years as I think he may have indicated) but Letterman has always been pretty private. We haven't heard her side of the story but I get the impression that it was a relationship between two consenting adults. If that's the case, who are we to judge. I don't think he's holding himself out as an example of how to conduct your life and I do believe that there's a difference between telling jokes about a politician having a sex scandal versus telling jokes about the way a politician is handling the scandal.

I'll continue to watch semi-regularly, as I have for years. Letterman was a victim of attempted blackmail and invasion of privacy, so I should stop watching his show?

This post should be asking if Leno fans are going to stop watching after his cheap shot at Dave. Probably not, considering half his monologue relies on the host/audience's immaturity regarding any and all matters of sex.

Will continue to watch. We need to keep people making fun of politicians for their egregious behavior and hypocrisy. Letterman has been on fire lately, well, ever since before the 2008 elections, in jabbing at elected officials who do stupid things. That he has his own foibles in no way compares him with the John Edwards, John Ensigns of the world who lie, cheat, pay off, and espouse "family values" to get votes while deliberately doing the most immoral and vile things. Letterman may have cheated on his girlfriend, but he did not lie about it, and did not throw money to cover it up and never claimed to be an exemplar of morality. His attacks against politicians who do far worse transgressions and who have actual positions of power that affect us all need to continue.

>>In fact wish other late-night comics were not pulling punches.

Hear, hear. What's most disappointing about this story is that other comics haven't sprung into action.

I stopped caring about Letterman a while ago, and this incident doesn't change that. I'll leave it to you and Culture Vulture to keep me updated.

I saw Joe Halderman's lawyer, Gerald Shargel, on Geraldo last night and he said he can't wait to cross-examine Letterman if it ever gets to trial. I have a feeling there's lots more to this story than just sex with subordinates. The only thing Mr. Shargel would say is that the most important aspect of this story is WHO Letterman had sex with. He wouldn't really give away anything else.

Since when did a celebrity's sexual hijinks cause the American viewer to truly change their course of viewing?
I won't watch Letterman because I never have (with the exception of him having U2 on for that 5 night stint--that was great marketing)--I'm just more of a Conan guy.

I don't doubt that Sharkel is out there trying to grab his 15 minutes, but, as any attorney will tell you, the extent of Letterman's misbehavior (including who he slept with) is likely inadmissible in an extortion case. The truth or falsity of Halderman's allegations about Letterman's actions are irrelevant to the crime--extortion essentially requires a threat of harm (including harm to career or reputation) and an intent to acquire the victim's property (or cash). A judge would not allow testimony about Dave's sexual behavior because it has nothing to do with those two elements.

But I doubt this will get to trial. It seems pretty cut-and-dried. I mean, the guy put his threat in writing, was recorded meeting with Letterman's attorney (I think), and tried to cash the check.

I never liked Leno. I never liked Letterman much either. I found his ego to be too much, and this scandal just adds to that dislike. He probably handled the release of information the right way, but he certainly didn't handle himself the right way. I used to switch between Letterman and Conan, but Conan has now gotten my full viewership.