Density
Normally, I'm pretty neutral when it comes to Maureen Dowd's NYT op-eds. But her leatest op-ed is downright dense. She insisted there was nothing wrong with what David Letterman did because "Sexual harassment entails pressuring or penalizing a staffer or making the office atmosphere hostile[, and] there’s no evidence yet that Letterman was guilty of that.
Yet two paragraphs later, she says this:"Stephanie Birkitt, his former lover and assistant...was not punished but rewarded with a recurring on-air starring role - despite the fact that she wasn’t funny or charming. As usual, Letterman was living out loud on the show, showing the audience his crush."
Obviously, Mrs. Dowd has never been to one of those harassment classes that us men are foced to attend, because she'd know that showing favoritism to those who have had sex to you IS sexual harassment. It's sexual harassment to every woman on that show who wasn't having sex with Letterman, because Birkitt was being unfairly advanced. Moreover, there was obviously enough hostility amongst Letterman's staff to result in the showman being extorted.
Regardless of CBS's decision as to Letterman's career, his behavior is inexcusable and extremely disruptive to his staff. Mrs. Dowd's apparent ignorance of that fact is simply appalling.
Yet two paragraphs later, she says this:"Stephanie Birkitt, his former lover and assistant...was not punished but rewarded with a recurring on-air starring role - despite the fact that she wasn’t funny or charming. As usual, Letterman was living out loud on the show, showing the audience his crush."
Obviously, Mrs. Dowd has never been to one of those harassment classes that us men are foced to attend, because she'd know that showing favoritism to those who have had sex to you IS sexual harassment. It's sexual harassment to every woman on that show who wasn't having sex with Letterman, because Birkitt was being unfairly advanced. Moreover, there was obviously enough hostility amongst Letterman's staff to result in the showman being extorted.
Regardless of CBS's decision as to Letterman's career, his behavior is inexcusable and extremely disruptive to his staff. Mrs. Dowd's apparent ignorance of that fact is simply appalling.