Letterman: A Gift For (Public) Atonement

Last week, David Letterman, host of CBS’ the “Late Show with David Letterman,” made headlines when he admitted to have had sex with women who have worked on his show. He announced this news on his late-night talk show along with the fact that he was a victim of extortion resulting from these acts; $2 million (USD) was the asking price to keep the news quiet.

A fan of Letterman, I experienced some mixed emotions upon hearing the news. Because of the way he presented this story, I found myself having a strange sense of tolerance and feeling quite nonchalant about the matter. Moreover, I was quite impressed with how he did apologize to the public voluntarily.

Overall, I do believe that he made the right decision. Now, instead of the media trying to dive into his life for the truth, the media is now focusing on whether he should have apologized on national television. This is a faux pas if there ever was one. In a sense, by using humor, Letterman added naïvety to his actions and made his story easier to digest than if he had maintained silence or denied the claims altogether. On a historical note, when President Clinton found himself in a similar situation, his actions—and the fact that he was President of the United States—led to much greater consequences than Letterman will ever face. Who knows what would have been if Clinton had taken the same route as that of Letterman.

Yes, what Letterman did was wrong, and yes, he probably deserves a little more public heat than he is receiving, but he handled his conduct with perfect political poise. The only question now is whether these surfacing truths will result in the last of his marriage.