Dave Letterman and women writers

[elastic_spam]

So my nervousness about Letterman has kinda been realized: Apparently, there was sexism going on: http://www.popeater.com/2009/10/27/david-letterman-staffer-sexism?icid=main|aimzones|dl2|link4|http%3A%2F%2Fwww.popeater.com%2F2009%2F10%2F27%2Fdavid-letterman-staffer-sexism

Jesus fuck, Dave. Jesus.

Comments

[rocza]

Well, one person who worked there two decades ago asserts that there was. A lot of other people of both genders, working there through all the years, have said that there wasn't.

I don't find much terribly convincing about her claim, to be honest. She made an assertion that got her media attention, which is never a bad thing for a writer or producer - especially one who appears to be between jobs. And her claim is getting more attention because it's goes against what everyone else is saying.

As for the writer-hiring practice of late night television, that is a pretty separate issue from a sexist work environment.

[cicipsychobunny]

As for the writer-hiring practice of late night television, that is a pretty separate issue from a sexist work environment.

I think there's a pretty obvious line between the two.

[rocza]

And I think that it's a lot more complicated, and an industry-wide issue that people have been working on and debating over for years.

When the talent simply isn't available in large enough quantity for everyone to hire female writers, it's disingenuous to say that a place that doesn't have female writers on staff is automatically sexist. Even moreso when you're talking about late night comedy writers and shows, which are plagued by other problems, including network poaching, and the fact that at least in Hollywood/on the networks (as opposed to the Bus Boys of Comedy Central) many writers are under contract with a studio rather than a show, and are often moved between projects at a moment's notice. A show that this week has 5 women on the writing staff could have none next week.

It's not so simple or cut and dried as "they're just sexist."

[cicipsychobunny]

I think we read the situation differently. I'm not saying "they don't hire women writers because they're just sexist", I was going for "if the workplace is already a sexist environment they are less likely to hire women writers", OR women writers are going to try to find work elsewhere if they can.

[elastic_spam]

For fuck's sake, Rozca just disagrees: is that so wrong? Granted the quote about "this is why people aren't drawn to femnism" was uncalled for, but this?

"
You're awesome, please never change. Keep jerking your faux-academic non-relevant credentials, keep shutting down people who are responding to you with sexist language, keep refusing to acknowledge that the pervasive sexism in our societies actually has an impact on how people make decisions and are treated."

I didn't know people needed a certain credentials to defend an opinion. She's expressing her own fucking theory.