Arianna On Leno: Memo To Men: Don't Have Affairs With Your Employees Unless You're Letterman

Arianna appeared on the "Jay Leno Show" Friday night alongside Stephen Baldwin, Meghan McCain and Jim Norton for a segment called "Who Cares What They Think?", in which Jay and his guests discuss ridiculous stories that have been in the news recently.

At one point, the group decided to talk about the mayor of Sheboygan, Wisconsin, who was recently forced to apologize after being overheard making fun of his sister-in-law at a bar. Arianna pointed out that the same mayor had had sex with one of his female employees, leading her to observe, "if you're going to be having sex with the people who work for you, you've got to be David Letterman. Otherwise, forget it."

Comments

[iw]

it's just generally a bad idea to get your meat where you get your bread...

[wagadog]

They all think they're Letterman, that's the problem.

Why do you think they're called narcissistic womanizers?

[attilathehoneycom]

Regarding Ms. Huffington's remark on Leno . Re: her memo to men stating that they should not have sex with their employees unless they are David Letterman. Frankly, I'd rather diddle with a rock than even think of being intimate with Letterman. But then again, I've never found him funny - perhaps seeing him naked might give me a laugh or two before I passed out.
I agree with Ms. Huffington (first time ever) and for the following reasons. Anyone in corporate America knows that the PC crowd is wide awake and loves to sue any man who:
1) calls a woman honey ( I like that), sweetie, darlin, etc (I like those too)
2) touches her in an indiscreet place - like on her shoulder at the water fountain
3) Make a gender based joke or remark
What happens? She files a lawsuit, settles out of court, and buys a house in the Bahamas.
As ridiculous as all this sounds - it is a fact and any man who is stupid enough to sleep around with his female co workers should be aware of the fact that she can turn it around, make a case for herself that she was taken advantage of and Bingo - Yep! PC crowd wins again and she makes a bundle. Both men and women are pretty stupid when it comes to familiarity in the workplace.
AttilaTheHoneyCom

[FunPie]

The worst part about David Letterman's confession is that it forces me to picture him having sex. I don't want to do that. Look, Letterman's job is not to be a morality standard bearer. It's to make us laugh. Who cares who he slept with? Ugh. Now I'm picturing it again. Gross.

http://thefunpie.wordpress.com

[dingmanschoice]

thank you, thank you, thank you.

[GoDogGo]

Exactamundo.

[Martel]

I've been employed by - and done consulting work for - many corporations in my lifetime. I'm not sure I could add up the number of boss/employee sexual relationships I've known about in that time without using a calculator. In most of them, of course, the boss was a male; but that is certainly not always the case. The reality is that it's a common practice.

Is it wrong? Any answer to that would be both speculative and very subjective and it would obviously depend upon whether or not the employee felt in any way coerced. It is generally a very bad idea? Oh yeah. Either the employee or the boss can be, or become, the victim in such a relationship...or someone outside the relationship can attempt to victimize one or both.

[gjoh]

I agree. It probably was a bad idea. Office relationships usually work out badly.

Letterman was unmarried when these flings took place. Isn't that what single people do?

If he were married and cheating on his wife, I could understand the outrage. If the women involved started suing him for harassment, I could understand the outrage. But when a single man or woman engages in "sexual play" what is so outrageous about that? A bad idea. OK. Outrageous!
I don't think so.

Unless and until we find out more details about this Letterman fling with his female employees, I think that we all need to get off of our high horses. Most of us know someone who is cheating on his or her spouse right now. OMG!

[RachelMc]

he was in a long term relationship. thats hardle single. so is everyone single up until they say I Do. would it still be ok to sleep with some1 the day b4 the wedding and the morning before saying i do? i mean according to your definition no commitment has been mad and all relationships are bogus until the actual wedding day or exchange of vows. didn't letterman himself say he was wrong and admitted to the "affairs" ? y cant u accept that?

[RachelMc]

hardly* hopes other post makes it through.

[FPElitist]

it is, and never was, any of our business.

[minkia]

I hear this a lot: "Dave was in a position of power so even if it was not forced on her, one has to wonder if there is an inherent pressure because she was an employee."

This is a good point but on the other hand, there are people who "choose" to sleep with their superiors in the hopes of getting a leg up.

Works both ways. It's 2009, monogamy is a farce, get over it.

[Bloggerrogr]

"...in hopes of getting a leg up..."?

I hope I didn't see you write that.

Oh, yes. I was just too fixated on Arianna. What was the question again?

FWIW

[TOOO]

Okay, SOME men make sex a requirement for hiring and promotion. If David Letterman is such a cad, what kind of APPROPRIATE punishment goes with this?

As an aside: So, "Save the boobs" isn't about the GOP? (*rimshot!*) Seriously, though, men should be thinking about breast cancer not just in women, but in ourselves, as well. Granted, most men don't get it (cancer, I mean) until 60 or 70, but the threat is there.

[So Calif Indpdnt]

What would happen to most bosses if they did this?

There's your answer.

[gawd]

Letterman wasn't even married. Who gives a crap??

[Libby48]

Civil human beings care, that's who!!!

[wildervine]

I'm civil, and I still don't give a crap. Sounds like Dave was just livin' life and I don't think the intern was complaining. The man who tried to blackmail him is a boob.

[newsyone]

Evidently the guy was not married at the time. It may have been inappropriate because he was a boss but it appears the women were consenting single adults. I mean, I know I'v done inappropriate things in my life, but was lucky enough not to have to spill the beans on national t.v. The crime here is the blackmailer. http://newsy1.wordpress.com

[rankola]

Who really cares if letterman had an affair or two. That would have been more interesting if the affairs were with men...

[kushka53]

What a mess. It's time for Letterman to leave. He's had a good run. Now make way for Craig Ferguson, a major talent who deserves the time slot at last...

[JakeMontero]

letterman is a classic liberal.

[gawd]

yes classic liberals have sex. We have lots and lots of sex. All the while not trying to take those rights away from other consenting adults.

Classic conservatives have sex too. Lots and lots of sex. All the while trying to pass laws and take rights away from other consenting adults.

[wildervine]

Couldn't have said it better myself.

[blueknight41]

they would love to see letterman gone as he gave the GOP hell for 8 yrs of the Dubya regime

[KayDGee]

And I'm willing to bet, when they start peeling away all the layers, that is exactly what is at the bottom of all this. Timing is just a little bit suspect.

[revhatchell]

rove.

[rssrai]

David Letterman is not a politician. Also, I don't think he was married at the time he had these affairs. If these women come forward and say he forced sex on them then you have a problem.

[AlphaDragon]

Here is the thing that most people have not managed to grasp.

David Letterman was the boss in every exchange. It is actually immaterial if the women hit on him and actually wanted to have sex with him, or if he initiated the relationship.

He should have known that he should not have had that kind of personal relationship with anyone who works for him. Ultimately he is in control. Once you hit the slipperly slope none of the women could reasonably control the relationship. They could not break it off with out fear of losing their job. Hell, they might have even feared denying him one night out of many, because he could have gotten them demoted or fired at any time.

I like Letterman as a comic, don't know him personally. However, even he admits that he was wrong. It was unprofessional.

I still wish he stays on. He still has a lot of good years left in him. I guess he might get out of this relatively unscathed if he at least showed some sense and picked women who hold nothing against him even now.

[timkit]

Hardy Har Har. Is it supposed to be funny? Plus, by Friday night, the Letterman news was already old news.