Yesterday, the president of the National Organization of Women Terry O’Neill formally condemned David Letterman for having sex with his coworkers. O’Neill claims that Letterman has created a “toxic workplace atmosphere for women” and that CBS president Les Moonves needs to deal with the situation in a more appropriate and proactive way. As in, CBS’s board of directors needs to have a 50-50 gender split, and Letterman needs to be “dealt with”. NOW is making it pretty clear that they’re going to ride the Letterman issue to make a larger point about sexual harassment in the workplace, even though I don’t really think what Letterman did qualifies as “harassment”.
I give NOW credit for making a larger point though. From NOW‘s formal statement: “As ‘the boss,’ he is responsible for setting the tone for his entire workplace — and he did that with sex. In any work environment, this places all employees — including employees who happen to be women — in an awkward, confusing and demoralizing situation.” I agree with that… even though I’m pretty sure everyone involved in these shenanigans was a very consenting adult, I do find it “inappropriate” in a larger sense because Letterman was and is the boss who is screwing his employees.
The National Organization for Women has sharply criticized comedian David Letterman, accusing him of promoting a hostile, uncomfortable work environment.
“The latest Letterman controversy sheds new light on the widespread objectification of women in the workplace,” NOW said in a statement Tuesday. “Most women can attest to the fact that many workplaces are plagued with inappropriate behavior by men in power.”
The “Late Show With David Letterman” host admitted last week on his CBS program that he had sex with unnamed employees and had testified about those liaisons before a New York grand jury as part of an alleged extortion attempt.
A CBS producer, Robert “Joe” Halderman, is accused of threatening to go public with embarrassing information about Letterman’s private life unless the 62-year-old funnyman ponied up $2 million.
Letterman made a public apology Monday to his wife, Regina Lasko, who, he said, had been “horribly hurt by my behavior.” He said he is trying to repair that relationship.
“Either you’re going to make some progress and get it fixed, or you’re going to fall short and perhaps not get it fixed, so let me tell you folks, I got my work cut out for me,” Letterman told the audience Monday night.
Letterman married Lasko in March, and they have a 5-year-old son together. All the affairs took place before the marriage, Letterman’s production company has said.
One of the women who engaged in a sexual relationship with Letterman was identified as Stephanie Birkitt, an assistant to the talk show host and also a former live-in girlfriend of Halderman. Letterman spokesman Tom Keaney said that Birkitt is on a paid leave of absence from the show.
NOW said Letterman’s behavior was inappropriate in the workplace, saying all employees should be respected for their talent and skills.
“Recent developments in the David Letterman extortion controversy have raised serious issues about the abuse of power leading to an inappropriate, if not hostile, workplace environment for women and employees,” NOW said in Tuesday’s statement.
Men such as Letterman make decisions on hiring and firing, who gets raises, who advances and who does entry-level tasks, NOW said.
“As ‘the boss,’ he is responsible for setting the tone for his entire workplace — and he did that with sex. In any work environment, this places all employees — including employees who happen to be women — in an awkward, confusing and demoralizing situation,” the group said.
“The National Organization for Women calls on CBS to recognize that Letterman’s behavior creates a toxic environment and to take action immediately to rectify this situation. With just two women on CBS’ board of directors, we’re not holding our breath.”
Those board members are Shari Redstone, vice chairwoman of the board and president of National Amusements Inc., which operates motion picture screens, and Linda Griego, president and chief executive of Griego Enterprises Inc., a business management company. CBS airs “Late Show With David Letterman,” which Letterman’s company, Worldwide Pants Inc., produces.
[From CNN]
Eh, I’m not so sure about making the CBS board of directors 50-50. I mean, if we’re going to do that, couldn’t CBS just turn around and demand that NOW’s board of directors have a 50-50 gender split so that men won’t be harassed or victimized? HM? That’s where that kind of special pleading goes. While I’m glad that NOW is looking out for women and for women’s issues on a national level, I’m not sure how much leverage they’re going to get out of the Letterman issue. Letterman has overwhelming public support – and that’s not going to go away just because NOW puts out a press release. Too bad – because NOW has some good points.
David Letterman is shown on 8/27/09 in NY. Credit: PRPhotos
Great post. Could you imagine working there and seeing this going on? How could there not be some display of favoritism?
I got to say, when Stephanie Birkett (sp) was on his show, she was over-promoted (and I felt that at the time).
The only one who really found her funny was Dave and it was awkward to watch.
I agree with Kaiser that this isn’t a standard “harrassment” in the workplace deal.
But she (Birkitt) was certainly given favorable work-place treatment due to his personal feelings toward her.
Oh puleeezzzzz!
I certainly am not defending Davy, but was this a slow day at NOW?
Harassment or starfucking? There are no allegations that he forced himself on any of these women.
Lame attempt at hogging the spotlight, NOW.
I agree it was totally inappropriate for him as boss to be sleeping with so many of his employees.
However, until such time if or when any of them lodge complaints about his behavior, NOW and Gloria Allred need to hush, IMO.
I think Gloria is angling to coax out someone who didn’t sleep with Dave and who may start to think, hey, I didn’t get such and such promotion because Jane did and she was sleeping with Dave. And voila – lawsuit time!
While NOW has some valid points – I guarantee you, nothing will happen. The only thing a network cares about, is whether or not you have ratings. Since the scandal, Dave’s ratings have been through the roof. Also, Les Moonves had an affair with Julie Chen while he was married, so I doubt Les will chastise Dave. Julie was also promoted after she took up with Les – she got her own show and a reality show.
Everytime I look at Dave, I feel queasy now. Why did he do it? It’s gross. We really are running out of heroes.
I think NOW is doing for women what PETA does for pets. That is to say, not very much.
Look, the way i see this situation is: They were all adults. No one was forced to have sex with anyone. If you didnt want to, just say no. Be damned getting fired. Because really, there are other jobs out there that you don’t have to whore yourself out to get ahead. And if you stop to consider is a 4,000 a year raise and promotion really worth whoring your body for? Hookers get paid more than that. OR you can see it from another point of view, the women who Dave slept with just like having sex too. And they didnt mind an older man that also happened to be their boss. Everyone walked away satisfied. I think NOW is looking for that one jilted ho who felt as though she didn’t get enough from Dave and wants more money. They’re looking to crucify Dave and don’t care who it is. I haven’t heard of this org. up until now. Do they need press that badly?
hey NOW, how about going after all the rappers out there who put out videos with almost naked woman that they keep reffering to bitches and hoes??
Isn’t it time that we stopped trying to make women victims? No one has come forward and alleged that Dave forced himself on unwilling women or that he unfairly promoted women with whom he was intimate. I understand that NOW has an agenda but when you claim sexual harassment in cases where it’s not appropriate, you just make it more difficult when it’s actually true.
For many years, I was a huge fan of David Letterman and I used to think his “Late Show” was the best and funniest one on TV. HOWEVER, for the last five years or so, I have found him increasingly uncomfortable to watch when he interviews attractive young female guests. He often comes across as fawning, over complimentary, and kind of lascivious. I usually change channels during these interviews because, as a female, his behavior really bothers me. For this reason, I was NOT AT ALL surprised to find that he’s been fooling around with interns and young female cooworkers. I am not shocked by his behavior, just disappointed. I teach college courses and his affairs would be the equivalent of my having sex with my students (who are twenty years younger than me). It’s irrelevant if the young women are willing; no matter how you look at it, it’s inappropriate and unethical to sleep with those who regard you as a mentor and/or boss–PERIOD!
Give it a break! NOW just wants press. Letterman did not harass these women or create a Toxic environment. They are guessing and throwing arrows, trying to hit something that isn’t there. He is not the first person – man or woman – to have a work romance. He is human, as are the women involoved. NOW is publicity hungry and loves the fools who jump on any bandwagon. I am a woman and NOW does not speak for me.
I like DAVE! Leave him alone, he didn’t force himself on any adult female. They were all more than willing and so was he. This should be between him and his now wife. He owes nothing more, he’s human!
These women also wanted to be rich and famous trying to land a wealthy man. Dave wasn’t married and neither were the ladies.
I’ve worked in businesses where it seemed like everyone from the CEO down was sleeping with their co-workers. I was flirted with any number of times by over-eager male colleagues. All you have to do is say no, nicely. Apparently none of these women know how to say no. End of story. Letterman shouldn’t have gotten into these liaisons, but the women shouldn’t have either, so they’re equally to blame. It takes two to make an office affair as I recall?
He’s a sleaze for sleeping with them, they are skanks for sleeping with him, his ratings are through the roof and apparently he is one of the best bosses to have in the business – for both sexes. So yeah, whatever works for their little clusterf- of late night telly.
Exactly, Vic. When you’re on the outside looking in, it may not seem like such a big deal because you aren’t in the position of an employee.
But if you work in a place where this is going on, then heck yeah this will be a major issue. No employee wants to bust their butts to learn and be qualified for promotions, only to lose out to people who are known for banging the boss. Bosses and management set the tone. Sleeping with employees send a bad message, and can be a costly liability. The best advice I was ever given in this situation was “If they are okay with promotiing staff in this way, then it shows that this type of behaviour is what “works” in that company. Get out if you can.”
At my last workplace, the boss lady was fired after it was revealed she was having a relationship with a male employee. As the article states, it’s just completely inappropriate and unethical for someone who’s in a position of power – making hiring, firing, and promotion decisions – to be sleeping with people who work for them.
Yes, everyone is a consenting adult, but that’s not the point NOW is making. Maybe if it was just Stephanie Birkitt I would brush it off, but the fact that it was multiple women makes me think Letterman really abused his position of power and trust of those who worked for him.
Oh please. I think the National Organization of Women is toxic and inappropriate. I can’t stand these puritanical “burn him at the stake” freakouts over infedelity/promiscuity.
If you like David Letterman as an entertainer, then great. This shouldn’t change that. Celebrities are people and they ALL have secrets and private lives that they wouldn’t introduce to their “personas”. Just because you don’t know about it doesn’t mean that Johnny Depp or Jay Leno or some other harmless happy-face isn’t doing something behind closed doors that might repulse you. I was over this when it was Clinton, and I was 12 years old during his administration.
Not to mention – even if I was mad at Letterman, he immediately redeemed himself with the way he handled it. I am so impressed that a celebrity can actually own up in front of their entire public audience RIGHT OFF THE BAT, without lying first, back-tracking, calling a press conference weeks later with his ashamed wife made to stand at his side, etc.
Letterman is just fine in my book. He effed up. Yep. Let’s move on now.
These women need to go away. The women were not forced. It was all consensual. If the blackmail scheme hadn’t come to light, no one would have been the wiser or given a rat’s ass anyway. And Gloria Allred is the ultimate fame-ho, always sticking her nose in where it doesn’t belong.
“HOWEVER, for the last five years or so, I have found him increasingly uncomfortable to watch when he interviews attractive young female guests.”
Me too, justalark!
The only thing CBS cares about is that this made his ratings higher. That first night he had more views than any prime time NBC show (which used to mean a lot more, but is something). They may not like what he did but, unless they are getting threatened with sexual harassment complaints, they aren’t going to step in and they won’t even thinking about changing their board at NOW’s request. I would bet affairs are not rare behind the scenes at other tv shows too, he was unlucky and got exposed. But I do think he abused his power and if he was going cheat he should have been looking outside of the crew of the show but like I said CBS is not going to do much.
Today when I was getting my manicure CNN was showing viewers comments and one woman said something to the effect of she felt bad for Letterman because the bad guy got what he wanted negative attention for Letterman. That made me laugh.
Letterman was a victim of an extortion but he is not totally innocent he is the typical “good guy,” he played a part in this. And secong the “bad guy” couldn’t have cared less about Dave’s reputation, he wanted the money. He wasn’t trying to harm him or uncover Letterman’s behavior.
Lol @ the above poster. It was a forced apology by Dave, he didnt want to do it – he just had no choice. This was damage control for him.
If it wasnt him who admitted it on-air, then the media would have leaked the story out once the details of the case became know. And the media would tear him a new A hole over it.
Let this be a lesson to horny boss men- if you just can’t keep it in your pants at the office, use your own hand!
Might I remind the very lame “National Orgaization of Women”, that the people who quite willingly helped Letterman carry out adultery ARE WOMAN! God I hate out of touch feminist harpies like this. They certainly don’t represent me or any other well adjusted female I know!
Let us pause for a minute and think about what David Letterman did.
On a day to day basis we do have people in high job titles that if it were not for the necesity to be civil with their employees and not go around like a dog on the street looking for females to breed with, it would make a horrable place to live in.
Imagine for a minute if we gave these people in high places the ability to move in on someone elses wife/girlfriend by giving her special treatment and or incentives to do so?
To shower her with gifts or empty an promise The little people would be in a to say the least bad place.
This is wrong. To allow a man like David Letterman to do this and go unpunished would send the wrong signal to our young to not respect another person. This dog eat dog life David lives because of his money is wrong. What if his wife was in a position to do the same to him? He would sink her in the deepest part of the ocean.
There’s no evidence of sexual harassment. Inappropriate work place behaviour, probably. Inappropriate behaviour of a man in a 23 year relationship, definitely.
But this is a smoke-screen created by the defense team of his blackmailer. Speaking of evidence, they have him on tape negotiating $$ and banking a $2M check. How ’bout we stick to the case at hand and worry about Dave’s deviance later.
I’m so over this story.
The only thing that seperates us from dogs on the street is our superior brain that we should use in a way that does not allow us to behave such as dave L. did. Give me a break Feebee this is all wrong and immoral.
I am over this subject as well.
I’m sorry, I don’t recall Gloria Allred or NOW taking him to task for his relationship with Regina Lasko or with the girlfriend he had prior to her (both of whom were writers on his show). Why is it that they suddenly have a problem with him engaging in consensual relationships in which no sexual harassment has been alleged by the women or other workers at WWP?
I also don’t recall them ever complaining about any of the multitude of romantic/sexual relationships between other stars and workers (other actors, production staff, etc.) on movie or TV sets.
Ladies, if this were your husband, would you tolerate this??? I don’t think so. He is a pig. But the general public loves him. Again, just as in politics, a double standard. I do not personally care about Letterman……I wish his wife and son well. Him, he has always been a bit of a douche bag. Sorry for that profanity…………appropriate.
I admire him somewhat for going to the DA and risking this becoming public.
Besides that, it’s between him and his wife. He’s not a politician or a clergyman. He’s a talk show host, makes an incredible amount of money and probably has women crawling all over him due to who he is and what he can do for them.
Not sure why anyone acts like he was supposed to be a role model for anything.
Hi! I’m NOW have you seen my relevance lately?
A relevance is a terrible thing to lose.
Uh NOW, it takes two to tango remember? These women wanted to sleep with this old geezer. He didn’t force himself on them. I’m sorry but no woman was victimized. It seems to me that it was the other way around, these women used Dave to get themselves up the corporate ladder. That girl got herself a law degree thanks to Dave. Not bad considering she isn’t even that attractive.
Read Celebitchy all of the time/never comment, but this one I have to.
It is not a matter of “it takes two to tango” and “everyone is a consenting adult”. When there is an imbalance of power (such as with a boss/employee) and affairs happen it is innappropriate. The two people involved may be getting what they want, but not the other employees or the organization as a whole. Favoritism will result. The woman had her law school tuition payed for–is this a benefit for the other employees. Don’t be naive. NOW is speaking out against equality regarding the situation, not about the actual agreement between the two adults.
he’s not even attractive.life isn’t fair.
Everyone who says “he didn’t force himself on anyone” is kind of missing the point. Nobody is saying Dave is a rapist… Although he didn’t harass anyone, I think what he did comes under the general term of sexual harassment. He created an environment where, in order to get ahead, you gotta sleep with the boss. Imagine if you were married, or just not into sleazy old men? You wouldn’t get any promotions and it would probably be kind of alienating if you were the only one in the workplace not sleeping with the boss! That would suck. Dave is gross.
Too little, too late NOW –
Where were you when Bubba was boinking Monica?!!
You were mute.
More importantly, where were you when the Clinton machine was devouring Bubba’s victims in order to save their political asses???!!!! The Blue dress saved Monica AND Linda Tripp. The other women didn’t have a blue dress. They were silenced and could have used your voice. You were mute.
Where were you when Dave was using Palin’s daughters for cannon fodder?!! You were mute.
Did you have a voice when Polanski was living freely in Europe in plain site?? You were mute.
Where were you when young women are asked about their OPINION on marriage between same sex partners and subsequently tried on a national scope and verbally hanged?? You were mute.
You have rendered yourself meaningless through your bias and are therefore benign and laughable. I would put you in the same category as Jesse Jackson, Gloria Allred and Al Sharpton. You choose the easy battles when they are in your best interest, monetarily.
LOL justathought. Damned straight.
Yeah, there’s imbalance of power. Yeah, they are consenting adults, however you want to define that.
But isn’t anybody out there just kinda tired of all this bulls%$# out there in the workplace? Wouldn’t it be nice not to have to deal with the sexual politics at work, and get promoted on merit with no doubts about it?
And when are people going to learn not to shit where they live? Dave can be pretty judgmental. Karma, dude.
Oh my God, Dave had sex! Someone call the feds!
Letterman is fine; he never was the “Family Values” type. Yes, he probably cheated on his girlfriend now wife. But at least he does go around claiming he is Mr. “Family Values” like some of our politicians/ preachers (can you just see the grin on all “Fake News” reporters/ commentators and the Palin fringe). This has been a tough summer, for Dave, for our economy but at least he did not end up on the “Republican 2009 Summer of Love” list: Assemblyman, Michael D. Duvall (CA), Senator John Ensign (NV), Senator Paul Stanley (TN), Governor Mark Sanford (SC), Board of Ed Chair, and Kristin Maguire AKA Bridget Keeney (SC). Did I miss the NOW statement of outrage with Senator John Ensign? They are so irrelevant.
that letterman cheated is not the point.
the point is that he was boinking an EMPLOYEE. When does that not lead to favoritism?
how would you like it if you found out that no matter how hard you work, the way to get what you want the fastest is simply to sleep with the boss?
what sort of environment does that create? Want a promotion? sleep with your boss! Want your legal fees paid for by someone else? Sleep with your boss!
that’s what NOW is getting at. that’s what NOW is objecting to.
i think that sort of environment should be objected to. i don’t want to have to sleep with the boss in order to get ahead. no one should have to do that.
as for “where was NOW when..” comments.. the real questions is why is this sleeping with the boss thing so blasted common anyway? NOW can’t fight all the battles alone, especially with this obvious lack of support.