Former Female Staffer Alleges Sexism at 'Letterman' Office

By PopEater Staff Posted Oct 27th 2009 02:00PM

It's common knowledge that the comedy writing business is still a boys' club, but a woman's uphill climb in the writers' room is more steep than you might realize. A new article in Vanity Fair, written by former 'Letterman' staffer Nell Scovell, points out: "At this moment, there are more females serving on the United States Supreme Court than there are writing for 'Late Show with David Letterman,' 'The Jay Leno Show,' and 'The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien.' Out of the 50 or so comedy writers working on these programs, exactly zero are women."

Though many have dismissed Letterman's conduct - namely, his admitted workplace affair with another former staffer - to be largely harmless on a professional level, Scovell remembers a sexually-charged environment further marred by discrimination and demeaning situations.

Scovell writes, "Was I aware of rumors that Dave was having sexual relationships with female staffers? Yes. Was I aware that other high-level male employees were having sexual relationships with female staffers? Yes. Did these female staffers have access to information and wield power disproportionate to their job titles? Yes. ... Did I believe these female staffers were benefiting professionally from their personal relationships? Yes. Did that make me feel demeaned? Completely. Did I say anything at the time? Sadly, no."

Scovell was the second female hired to write for David Letterman in his tenure as a late-night talk show host. The writer points out that, as of today, Letterman has employed only seven women in 27 years on the air - Scovell compares the 17 cumulative years of Letterman's female writing staff to a collective 378 years men have spent writing jokes for Dave.

Why speak up now, nearly two decades after leaving the show for pastures with fewer sexual politics? "People who have no knowledge of the situation are voicing opinions, so why not me?" Scovell writes.

She adds, "Letterman himself opened this up to a public discussion ... I'd like to pivot the discussion away from the bedroom and toward the writers' room, because it pains me that almost 20 years later, the situation for female writers in late-night-TV hasn't improved."

http://xml.channel.aol.com/xmlpublisher/fetch.v2.xml?option=expand_relative_urls&dataUrlNodes=uiConfig,feedConfig,entry&id=736708&pid=736707&uts=1254831579

http://www.popeater.com/mm_track/popeater/movies/?s_channel=us.moviespop&s_account=aolnews,aolsvc&omni=1&ke=1

http://cdn.channel.aol.com/cs_feed_v1_6/csfeedwrapper.swf

All About Dave

This image rendered from video shows David Letterman on the "Late Show" Monday Oct. 5, 2009 days after revealing on air that he'd been sexually involved with women from his television program. During the show Letterman apologized to his wife and to his staff. (AP Photo/CBS)

CBS

David Letterman Snapshots

NEW YORK - OCTOBER 05: "Late Show with David Letterman" audience members wait to enter the Ed Sullivan Theater on October 5, 2009 in New York City. (Photo by Ray Tamarra/Getty Images)

Getty Images

NEW YORK - OCTOBER 05: New vans park outside the "Late Show with David Letterman" at the Ed Sullivan Theater on October 5, 2009 in New York City. (Photo by Ray Tamarra/Getty Images)

Getty Images

NEW YORK - OCTOBER 05: Musician and actor Steve Martin visits the "Late Show with David Letterman" at the Ed Sullivan Theater on October 5, 2009 in New York City. (Photo by Ray Tamarra/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Steve Martin

Getty Images

NEW YORK - OCTOBER 05: Actor Jon Hamm visits the "Late Show with David Letterman" at the Ed Sullivan Theater on October 5, 2009 in New York City. (Photo by Ray Tamarra/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jon Hamm

Getty Images

Actress Lea Michele visits "Late Show with David Letterman" at the Ed Sullivan Theater on October 5, 2009 in New York City. Steve Martin, Jon Hamm, Martin Short And Lea Michele Visit "Late Show With David Letterman" Ed Sullivan Theater New York, NY United States October 5, 2009 Photo by Jeffrey Ufberg/WireImage.com To license this image (58565454), contact WireImage.com

Jeffrey Ufberg/WireImage.com

Tags: David Letterman, DavidLetterman, Late Show with David Letterman, LateShowWithDavidLetterman, Letterman, Nell Scovell, NellScovell, The Jay Leno Show, The Tonight Show with Conan OBrien, TheJayLenoShow, TheTonightShowWithConanObrien

Comments

(98)

Tuesday 27 October

By Trind

Vote down Vote up Report this

Scovell probably should have kept her mouth shut or spoken up 20 years ago. She shows herself to be a coward that could only speak up because some man spoke up first. Speaking out now only says, she needed a man to lead the way for her. Sad.

Wednesday 28 October

By travlinda

I stopped watching him when he used to cut up John McCain and Sarah Palin. I thought it was kind of funny that he got miffed when President Obama invited Oprah Winfrey to a get-together at Martha's Vineyard, but didn't ask Letterman. Gee, he loves to cut people up so much - why isn't anyone cutting crude jokes about him like he does to everyone else? He deserves a dish of what he heaps out about others every night. What goes around, comes around.

By rickskbc2112

A democrat has no right to talk about what is sexual harrassment in a work place............Remember Clinton? Enough said

By addie

rickskbc2112 get over Clinton already!! How boring can you be?

By Addie

I love how all of you are pointing fingers and have no clue of what the real story is! Were you there? Letterman is a multi millionaire and these people are trying to milk whatever they can from him! If things were so bad, don't you think that the women would have spoken up when all this occurred 20 years ago!!! Why are you saying things about David Letterman like he's an evil rapist? You people need to get lives and stop worrying about things that are really non of your business!

By chuck

What a joke, I would bet the female staffer started the whole thing.

By catquick

wow... even Rush Limbaugh has a much better track record of women staff members... and he doesn't bed them. So much for the commie lib Rush haters and their hipocratic ways! LMAO....

By jewbag

Dave has writers? I thought he was unfunny by himself, I had no idea he was unfunny with help.

By Janet Thought

She wants her 15 minutes. She got it. She should shut up. Look, none of these women were forced! They chose to do what they did. This needs to go away now - Old news!

By Inga

What adults whose to do is their own business PERIOD. Why didn't Miss Thing blow the whistle on the sexual harassment in Letterman's studio BEFORE this story broke? He must have bypassed her why she is now griping. PEOPLE PLEASE REALIZE THIS FACT, WHERE COWS ARE TIED THAT'S WHERE THEY WILL GRAZE. TWO SINGLE ADULTS CAN HAVE A RELATIONSHIP IF THEY SO DESIRE...WORKPLACE OR NOT! THIS IS THE 21ST CENTURY THOSE WHO DISAGREES WITH LETTERMAN'S RELATIONSHIP ARE INVITED TO JOIN THE 21ST CENTURY.

By amifishhead64

Why does every discussion and topic nowdays have to turn into a "liberal Democrat" against "conservative Republican" topic. The hate you Americans draw across the political battlefield is appalling. Intolerance is destroying this country and it will always be "the other guy`s" fault. What does David Letterman`s situation have to do with politics other than give a few haters (mostly conservative Republicans) a chance to spew their venom at the administration?

amifishhead64, beautifully put! Thank you!

By msskt

Letterman is getting away with things that would not be accepted by most companies. Even the hint of this taking place would bring down several people from the personnel dept. to investigate and if it was determined to have occurred fire the man involved. But Letterman brings in money for the network so they will look the other way. I am surprised by the acceptance of women, it is like I had to do it so you can too. Rewarding someone who works for you and is giving you sex is simply wrong. And Letterman making a joke out of it still does not make it right. The treatment he is receiving makes it seem like a perk from his employer.

By Phil

I'm glad all this crap is coming out about this creep. He get's off on demeaning Sarah Palin and her family and many other people. I hope these females burn his azz good financially and he get's his azz fired.

Rush Limbaugh was too busy popping pills and probably couldn`t even "perform" to please a staff member! A fine example that was....

By tampa

LETTERMAN IS A SICK MAN, SO AS CBS. 'SHAME ON YOU"
IF THIS WILL BE A REPUBLICAN, UP TO NOW WILL BE THE TALK OF THE TOWW. LETTERMAN A WRONG EXAMPLE FOR AMERICA....PLUS LETTERMAN NEEDS PSYCHOLOGY HELP.

SHAME ON YOU CBS.

WHAT???

Sarah Palin deserves whatever she gets! She brings it all on herself! It's called comedy but the right had to spin that out of control too! It's amazing how the right thinks what they do is OK but everyone else is wrong! It must be nice to live in your own world!!

Page 5 of 5