Letterman should be held accountable for affairs

Who doesn’t relish a high-profile sex scandal? They are always filled with deliciously embarrassing details which causes every social critic imaginable to rain down torrential amounts of condemnations.

Brimming with self-righteousness, we all receive a boost of self-esteem from these lustful power-players. Usually, these adulterer’s careers are tarnished completely, although there are those dexterous few who defiantly rebound stronger than ever.

Then there is the extraordinary David Letterman.

With a few self-deprecating jokes and a half-hearted apology, Letterman was able to overcome his infidelities and conquer his critics. How is he able to do this? He’s funny, and we let him get away with his indiscretions. Underneath his dry sense of humor, Letterman is nothing more than a ladies man and a hypocrite.

A distressing trend his plight sheds light on is the United States’ inconsistent attitude towards adultery. This double-standard is perpetuated by our own strange propensity for forgiveness.

Recently, Letterman’s ratings have soared. Let’s review his actions this past year. Over the summer, he made an ill-advised sex joke, although unintended, about Sarah Palin’s younger daughter. There was an outrage. He apologized. It didn’t seem too malicious, so we forgave him.

More recently, Letterman surprisingly announced he had been cheating on his long-time girlfriend and wife of six months with women on his staff. During this mild confession, he did not apologize to his wife. Rather, he made wisecracks about the affair.

Two shows later, he made a more sincere apology to his wife. Naturally, his ratings have increased significantly.

What irony.

A man who makes a living off berating other unfaithful figures see his own personal stock rise substantially due to his own unfaithfulness. Nothing quite screams “legitimate” like winning the ratings battle because you cheated on your wife and admitted to it.

Why do we reward infidelity simply because we like the transgressor? Our capacity for forgiveness basically comes down to a popularity contest. I’d much rather give politicians the freedom to fornicate with whomever they like, than endure watching a smug talk-show host’s face gloat over his soon-to-be ratings windfall.

Letterman may not be in the despicable-league of John Edwards, but the way he handled the confession and apology is repugnant. According to a Fox News article, Letterman’s wife was livid that he didn’t apologize in his original confession and his humorous take on the situation. Begrudgingly, Letterman made a more sincere apology the next taping. Apart from his wife, I’m sure the women involved in the affair appreciated his blasé attitude toward the relationships.

This can be forgiven though. He’s funny.

A larger issue Letterman has brought up is sexual relationships in the workplace, specifically ones involving superiors and their employees. Some women’s groups, including NOW, have claimed that by Letterman sleeping with assistants, it was an abuse of power and set a sexual tone in the workplace.

However, others have debated this. Depicting Letterman’s assistants as powerless victims is inaccurate, critics say. I’m prone to agree with the latter opinion.

Still, I do think it’s highly irresponsible for a boss to sleep with not just one, but multiple employees. It creates a very unhealthy working environment. Not to mention probably an unproductive one as well.

Yes, sex has sold and will always sell. Yes, Letterman is a comedian who gets paid to make people laugh. Yes, the only reason this came out was because of an extortion charge. Regardless, all the problems Letterman has caused hardly seem like a good reason to watch his show.

Conan is much better anyway.