Affairs shouldn’t shut off “˜Late Show’

I see late-night talk show hosts as loveable idiots ““ like the class clowns who take jokes too far sometimes but don’t mean any harm. I don’t see them as a moral compass that points me on a straight and narrow path in life.

That’s why I wasn’t shocked when late-night host David Letterman told audiences on his Oct. 1 “Late Show” that he was the victim of an extortion plot by someone who was threatening to reveal unflattering information about him. And I was even less shocked when Letterman confirmed that the information was true: that he had engaged in sexual relations with women who had worked on his show.

Regardless of what side of the debate people are on, Letterman still has viewers, his ratings have gone up, and while his critics are being heard, they’re not being taken seriously. Why? Are we desensitized to sexual affairs because of their frequency in the media? Are we excusing Letterman’s behavior because he’s part of Hollywood? Should the public call for his removal, regardless of whether or not it was “legal” but based solely on it being “right” or “wrong?”

Yes, yes and no.

Sex scandals aren’t uncommon in today’s mainstream media. Thanks to celebrity Web sites, the list of those who have been caught in extracurricular activities without their significant others grows longer all the time. With such continuous coverage, Letterman’s most dedicated followers can brush his affairs off as old news.

In an article in the Los Angeles Times, Chief Executive Kathy Sharpe of the marketing firm Sharpe Partners said she doesn’t expect viewers to change the channel based on Letterman’s personal life.

“Dave’s true audience is cynical,” Sharpe said. “They may be a little disappointed, like, “˜Dave, how can you be so dumb?’… But they’ll still watch.”

They certainly are. Preliminary ratings for Letterman’s revelation show were up 22 percent more than his average for the year. Furthermore, 5.7 million viewers tuned in on Monday, Oct. 5, to continue watching the show and Letterman’s subsequent apologies.

In fact, the entire entertainment business has just been going with the flow. Late-night personalities were cracking jokes at Letterman’s expense, including Dave himself.

For example, Jay Leno opened his Oct. 2 monologue with, “If you came here tonight for sex with a talk show host, you’ve got the wrong studio.” And before beginning his mea culpa Monday, Letterman said jokingly, “I got into the car this morning, and the navigation lady wasn’t speaking to me. Ouch.”

It’s the job of a talk show host to make light of current topics, but the subsequent laughter and applause from the audience points to more than a growing flippant attitude toward sex scandals.

Letterman is associated with Hollywood, causing the common person to consider any transgression as just part of the spectacle of Tinseltown.

Bigger stars than Letterman have been caught in the middle of improper liaisons or spending too much time with a nanny. Although in the immediate aftermath they are condemned and made the punch line of late-night talk show jokes, it’s not like they can never find work again. Eventually, the uproar dies down, and once they’re nominated for an Oscar or donate a lot of money to a charity, we usually forgive them.

This notion couldn’t have been more evident than when Entertainment Weekly’s Ken Tucker praised Letterman’s apologies and self-deprecating humor, calling it “such a superb hour of television … that it reminded us all over again how invaluable he is.”

Not everyone is smitten with Letterman’s behavior, as some critics have demanded his immediate dismissal or attacked his personal character.

The National Organization for Women issued a statement on Oct. 6 urging CBS to fix the “toxic environment” that Letterman has created.

“The David Letterman extortion controversy (has) raised serious issues about the abuse of power leading to an inappropriate, if not hostile, workplace environment for women and employees,” the statement said. “The latest Letterman controversy sheds new light on the widespread objectification of women in the workplace.”

I’m pretty progressive and all for equality for my fellow ladies, but come on. NOW would be perfectly in-line if Letterman were participating in something criminal, such as soliciting sex from his female staff members or going against company policy.

Letterman is not an employee of CBS but of his own production company, Worldwide Pants. A spokesman for the company said that its sexual harassment policy does not prohibit sexual relationships between managers and employees.

“We have a written policy in our employee manual that covers harassment. … Dave is not in violation of our policy, and no one has ever raised a complaint against him.”

The women who have been revealed as those with whom Letterman had relations are not complaining that he forced or coerced them into anything. They were consensual relationships between two adults. Legally, there isn’t any action CBS or Worldwide Pants can take against Letterman. Unless someone steps up with the claim that Letterman acted against policy, there’s no legal case against him.

For now, people are objecting to or supporting Letterman’s actions on moral and personal grounds ““ which is fine. You can take either side of the debate, but Letterman’s fate should not be decided solely on people calling it “right” or people calling it “wrong” ““ especially when those notions are becoming so diluted anyway thanks to their constant occurrence and portrayals in the media. There comes a time when personal beliefs need to be shelved in favor of the facts of the matter.

And the fact is, whether you love him or hate him, David Letterman didn’t do anything legally wrong. If you feel as though you can never watch his immoral show again, then let me hand you the remote. If you can brush off Letterman’s private life in favor of his comedy and want to see the rest of the story play out, then enjoy the show.