The Apologies: A clarification

by Brian McKim & Traci Skene on June 16th, 2009

Through all of this, we’ve been monitoring Twitter and Facebook and blogs. And here and there, we’ve seen some folks express the opinion that Dave shouldn’t have had to apologize.

We concur.

But we also acknowledge it was necessary.

It’s an important distinction to make.

Does he absolutely have to apologize? Hell, no. He’s a comedian. He could have gone down, boots on, comedy guns blazing, telling one and all that they can kiss his Hoosier ass.

But there was a sizable controversy (and a somewhat reluctant media that kept the story going).

And Letterman, if he wanted to keep his job– and CBS, if they didn’t really feel like finding a substitute– felt that an apology was necessary. And, when the first apology wasn’t enough… both parties agreed that a second apology was in order. Such is the aversion to losing one’s job as the host of show on an American television network. (And such is the aversion to going through the laborious process of launching a new host in that position.)

So, did he absolutely have to? No, not all.

Did he think it was necessary to keep his job? He did.

It comes down, not to a free speech issue, but to an “I want to keep my job issue.” (And, not to be harsh about it, but the man is not entitled to the job. He serves at the pleasure of Moonves and the sponsors.)

Not so much a matter of freedom as a matter of commerce.

And the folks who expressed their outrage? They, too, had the right to express their feelings. And, since they fully grasped that it was a matter of commerce, they expressed their feelings to the advertisers and to the network executives.

The ultimate decision, as we’ve said in a previous posting, comes down to Les Moonves.

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