What's next for Dave?
That's the question of the moment in TV circles these days. Conversations usually dominated by talk of ratings and new fall series now inevitably end up focusing on the future of CBS "Late Show" host David Letterman.
Letterman has now tackled news of his sexual dalliances head-on in two extraordinary on-air explanations. He's won raves from critics, most of who have spent the last 25 years worshipping at the altar of Letterman. And his ratings, so far at least, have remained high.
There's a case to be made that the Letterman story should now wind down -- unless or until Letterman's extortionist, Joe Halderman, is brought to trial.
And yet, this is the era of neverending, non-stop media coverage of events. Never mind a Michael Jackson death, these days even minor stories can spawn weeks of play on the Internet and in the tabloids.
To try to figure out where Davegate goes next, TheWrap solicited the help of 10 of the nation's top TV critics and media reporters.
Our questions: Do you think the Letterman scandal will go away now? Is the media being too tough on Dave -- or too easy? And how should Letterman proceed next?
Maureen Ryan
Chicago Tribune
I don't think this goes away at all. In fact, given what Joe Halderman's lawyer has been saying the last few days, I foresee this becoming an ongoing spectacle, which very well could result in weeks or months of tabloid scrutiny.
If he continues to make jokes about the situation, he runs the risk of trivializing it and making it seem as though he just doesn't care. And that's a problem, given that possible or actual sexual harassment are not laughing matters. Yet if he clams up about it, he may come off as defensive.
In the long run, I think he's probably best served by doing a news interview on another program and supplying a more satisfying timeline of what happened when.
The bigger question to me is one that was implicit in a recent Nancy Franklin New Yorker review of Jay Leno.
Franklin pointed out that Leno, Letterman and Conan O'Brien have a grand total of zero female writers on their staffs. I'm not looking forward to wall-to-wall tabloid coverage of Dave, but I am looking forward to the articles that research and expose the boys clubs of late-night TV and explore what kinds of work environments they create.
James Poniewozik
Time
This situation is too volatile to predict, but my guess is: If (big if) no big shoes drop, Letterman comes out of this fine.
First, people don't like to deny themselves entertainment to punish celebrities; a star usually has to get in ugly-big trouble to destroy his career. My sense so far is that even people who disapprove don't finally think it's much of their business. (Whereas, say, the people still outraged over the Palin jokes see this as vindication -- but they were not exactly his fan base.)
