Letterman Body Language: What Signals Was David Sending?

By Jo Piazza Posted Oct 6th 2009 11:49AM

David Letterman seems to be handling his recent sex scandal with his characteristic coolness and grace. But if you watched closely during Monday night's monologue apology to his staff members and his wife Regina Lasko, there was a strong sense of rage at the media boiling below the surface in addition to the very honest remorse for what he is putting his family through.

After the jump, PopEater's body language experts break down Dave's first show back since he admitted to having sexual relationships with multiple female members of his staff to tell us what's really going down with the late night host.

First, watch highlights from Monday's show (if you haven't already) and analyze it yourself.

Your Turn To Play Body Language Expert

"In the beginning of the monologue when Dave was making a lot of jokes about the weekend flying by, hiking on the Appalachian trail and his GPS not talking to him, he started doing several of what we in the business call 'tongue erasers,'" says body language expert Patti Wood.

" A tongue eraser is where the tongue visibly moves from one side of the mouth to the other and it signifies that this person does not like that he is saying. It shows that Dave doesn't like that he has to take a comic's stance on what is happening and it is leaving a bad taste in his mouth," says Wood.

When Dave told the audience, "Ladies and gentleman I need to tell you this entire exchange is being videotaped," he folded his hands over his lower pelvis. Wood, the author of "Success Signals," called this 'the fig leaf'. "It is as if he is putting a metaphorical fig leaf over himself to cover up and is a sign that in that moment he was really feeling the exposure of all this."

Psychologist and body language expert Kevin Hogan tells PopEater that Dave's wetting of his lips and occasional strains in his voice signaled the anxiety he was feeling in the moment. "And his movement was much tighter than usual," Hogan says. "But he didn't lie. He was scared to death at times and he was deeply appreciative of the support he got."

Dave's anger rose to the surface when he talked about newspapers, radio and other media people browbeating and humiliating his staff. "His hands came up in fists when he was talking about the media. These were the strongest non-verbal cues he gave, signifying that he has very aggressive emotions towards the media," Wood says.

He then began his apology to his wife by clutching his own hand. "He held his own hand as a way of pacifying and comforting himself and you could see it was a real moment of pain for him," Wood says.

"My wife Regina has been horribly hurt by my behavior," Dave told the audience.

"His palms went up and straight out from his body in a sign of supplication to his wife. I felt a great sincerity in that nonverbal request for forgiveness," Wood explains.

Overall, Hogan dubbed Letterman as "brilliant." "There were no denials. There was no deception. He did a great job walking into the propeller and making it out without losing anything. It was rather a tutorial on how public figures should handle stuff like this in the future."

Tags: david letterman, david letterman apology, DavidLetterman, DavidLettermanApology, late show with david letterman, LateShowWithDavidLetterman, regina lasko, ReginaLasko

Comments

(208)

Wednesday 07 October

By MKB

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All this news reporting on this is getting ridiculous. They should be reporting more on the guy who committed blackmail. The the woman involved were no angels and willing to participate. Why are they getting off easy if Dave is under such fire. By the way...his ratings are up 40% since this scandal...PR stunt??? nothing like a good old sex scandal to make the news everyday. When was the last time he got this much press????

Thursday 08 October

By CJN

Everyone keeps saying he wasn't married when this happened. It has come out that he was still using his private bedroom at the studio less than a year ago. He has been married for only a year, but has a 5 year old son with his wife...so obviously was supposed to be in a committed relationship. Does anyone get married and then have children any more??? I am sure his wife is hurt very very deeply. As he said, it is 'chilly inside his house'. He is a public figure, his life is public, just like that of any other person who makes their living from the Public. He's a jerk! Nice legacy he is leaving for his son.

By casey

DAVID LETTERMAN IS JUST NOT THAT IMPORTANT TO ME TO CARE. LIKE MOST CELEBRITIES,HIS CONCEIT BECAME BIGGER THAN THE MAN HIMSELF THEREFORE ,THERE ARE NO LIMITATIONS ON MORALS UNTIL HE CROSSES THE LINE AND IS CALLED ON IT THEN A DOSE OF REALITY SETS IN AND HE REALIZED.....I AIN'T ALL THAT !!!

By Koch

This overrated idiot has had his fifteen minutes. Can we please move on to more important things?

By Dismayed

Shouldn't Letterman be fired for having sex with multiple interns? Does CBS have any standards? Is the public willing to accept anything from performers???

By ABJ

Dave got caught, plain and simple. He would not have made the announcement about multiple affairs, risking his career and marriage, if he did not get caught. What he did was damage control. I saw no sign of true remorse for hurting his wife and son, let alone the numerous women he used and abused with his power. Damage control was his only mode of operation here. He got caught and now he is merely showing how masterful he is in saving his own skin. Yes, he could teach lessons in how to put on a good act for the media. Politicians would flock to his classroom. Remorse, however, is never just an act for one's own personal benefit.

By Jersey Dame

conservatives do have done this are ridiculed on a national basis - particularly by Letterman and everyone laughs up a storm.

But when liberals get caught - like Letterman - we all have to look at his words and his body language and really know that he is sorry and paying penance for what he has done: thus, we must forgive and forget.

Double standards and major BS! As with Sarah Palin and others, this too should be a story in every comedy routine, on the talk shows, on the cover of every magazine.

Same crime = same time!

By Chuck

Letterman is soooooo sorrrrrry he was caught with his pants down!! He has tried a comical approach regarding his fake apology! His actions require serious restitution and punishment. If these actions took place in any responsible company he would have been immediately suspended and probably fired. Is there no shame???

By Tom Briglia

David wasn't married at the time of the "discretions", so who's business is it. He didn't have sex with a minor and he didn't force himself on anyone. This sort of thing happens everyday "Who Cares" I watch Letterman everynight and will continue to watch. I like his style. I wish him well in repairing his relationship, if anything he should be commended on his willingness to keep his marriage together. Tom B.

By Nonnie

If I hear one more time that Mr. Letterman was "single" at the time of this I think I'm gonna scream! He'd been with his now wife for 23 years! They already had a son. That isn't how I define single. He was cheating, and possibly intimidating very young women into sexual liaisons. There is no way to white wash this ... no matter how hard you try!

If I hear one more time that Mr. Letterman was "single" at the time of this I think I'm gonna scream! He'd been dating his now wife for 23 years! They already had a son. That isn't how I define single. He was cheating, and possibly intimidating very young women into sexual liaisons. There is no way to white wash this ... no matter how hard you try!

By cher

The disher outer cant take it.

By icemanle

As a public figure, how many have come forth as readily as Dave and said publicly what Dave has said with sincerity? My memory seems to say that most deny until the 11th hour ("I never had sexual relations with that woman") or finally admit to maybe an indiscretion with their "supportive" wife standing silent beside them. I give Dave credit for how he is handling it.

By annoyed

Someone has WAY too much time on their hands to sit here and analyze apologetic gestures. I mean, really??? WHO CARES?! Find something meaningful to do!

By Denise

People just amaze me. David Letterman is not only witty, sarcastic and funny, but he's also a very smart man. Anyone bashing him either doesn't 'get' him or they're envious of him and all he has. He's also a human being and like it or not, we're prone to weakness and mistakes. The true test of character after making those mistakes is how we decide to handle them. Dave did the only thing that makes sense, the smart thing to do. Never lie to cover up something you've done that people view as wrong. Admit it, face it, take your punishment and move on. I wish the couple the very best in working through this tough time and hope that they can heal and put it behind them quickly and with finality.

By Sue

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Get rid of him. He's a disgrace.

By greyhawk

My opinion of Letterman has not changed. I did not like this guy from the very start of his idiotic career. He is typical of the Hollywood-New York industry, and that is, he has not values, no morals, and makes a living out of trashing decent and honest people, and what I dislike even more than Letterman, and his type, are those Americans who watch this Drivel and actually like what they see and hear. David Letterman is a public display of what is wrong in this country today. No moral compass.

Saturday 10 October

By art

You hit it right on. I didn't care for him' an example of marketing someone with who can read. and worked on his delivery.

By JOANNA

No matter how you slice it....he was blackmailing the female staff for sexual gatification. That...is a HYPOCRIT AND A TURD.

SO KARMA came back on him, and HE got blackmailed. Seems fair to me. As for his wife, well....she married him. His apology? bull! He is just doing the same thing the politicians do when the get caught.

I have not, and won't watch him anymore, and I don't care if I am the only one that dosen't.

AN extortionist is BENEATH CONTEMPT.

By Aboona Joe

Don't people understand? Whether you're a fan of Letterman or not, whether you think this all occured "before he was married" and so is nobody's business or whether your think he's just a lech, even whether or not you think the relationships were "consensual": all of this is BESIDE THE POINT! The point is, this is WORKPLACE; and every workplace has ONE OVERRIDING RELATIONSHIP: BOSS AND SUBORDINATE: PERIOD. There is NO WAY that this kind of behavior by the "boss" is not going to effect all the subordinates in terms of feelings of job security, in-house competition, etc. etc. No wonder it has been reported that the workplace atmosphere in that lion's den was "toxic".

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