Laugh and the world laughs with you — even after you admit to something really uncomfortable?
Late-night television host David Letterman said Monday night that he was sorry for having sexual relationships with various female employees, and even went a step further to say his wife was “horribly hurt.” But despite the apologies, he kept the punchlines coming and dug into his favorite stash of Sarah Palin knocks.
The juxtaposition of the two left some wondering whether the news media has let Letterman off too easily.
Colleen Raezler at The Culture and Media Institute in Alexandria said she thought so.
“His apology read more like a joke than a statement of contrition,” she said.
Raezler, who is a research assistant at the institute, said, “This is more typical Hollywood behavior in which they think that decency doesn’t really apply to them. They can come out with a statement and they don’t feel any effects from this — there will be no lasting consequences.”
She also accused the liberal media of spinning the story.
“[The media is] saying he’s a victim in the sense that he is a victim of extortion.” she said. “They keep playing clips of him saying that he was fearful of his family, making it seem like a big threat and they are not calling him out on the bad behavior that led to the blackmail in the first place.”
Raezler even called out Hollywood publicist Michael Levine for advising CBS in a crisis management meeting that Letterman would be fine because he is lovable and “the media will just let this ride.”
