There’s a show on CBS that stars Juliana Marguiles called the Good Wife; it’s about a woman that has to rebuild her life after being publicly disgraced by her politician husband’s sex and corruption scandal. The show was somewhat inspired by the Elliot Spitzer Scandal in New York. Every time this subject arises, whether in fiction or real life I get a bit fired up.
Thursday night I watched the most pathetic display of an apology on the Late Show with David Letterman. “Oh poor you, Mr. Letterman, someone tried to extort you and I do not pity you at all,” I say. Letterman carried on about how he wanted to protect his family and that was why he was using his late night show as a forum to discuss the matter. I fully acknowledge that blackmail and extortion are horrendous crimes. No public figure should be extorted. At the same time, David Letterman could have best protected his family and the sanctity of his marriage by keeping his worldwide pants closed.
If you choose to lead a public life and elect to embarrass those you allegedly love publicly then you had better give a groveling public apology. Self deprecating humor about the women you had your office trysts with is awkward and inappropriate at best. Mr. Letterman should have gone on TV mentioned something about how his lawyers are handling extortion matter and then spent the duration of his monologue giving a humble apology. He chose to give himself a little extortion self pity party and there was barely any accountability in the words that came out of his mouth.
As an aside, HUGE personal pet peeve for me with people, no one is accountable for their actions anymore. Society completely lacks answerability. Masses of people pass the buck and accept no responsibility for their actions in day to day life. Basically, Dave Letterman is atypical of everything that is wrong with the world in my eyes. Not even touching on the fact here that the tabloids are now alleging some of his office exploits were with interns. Not entirely surprised that his moral barometer is broken because a few months ago he thought it fine to make statutory rape jokes.
Why do these women, Silda Spitzer, Dina McGreevey, and even Hillary Clinton stay with these men that publicly humiliate them?, Why are they standing by their men after these very public indiscretions? For some reason, the level of my vexation increases more if the parties involved have daughters. The message is, “As a woman you should allow men to mistreat you, follow my lead girls.” Is this about money? Is this about being on the arm of someone powerful? I am at a loss.
In June, I nearly attacked the television screen as I viewed Mark Sanford confessing to having an affair with an Argentine journalist when he claimed he was hiking the Appalachian Trail. Apparently, Sanford’s Wife, Jenny became aware of the affair in January of 2009, after she found a letter to the mistress. Two weeks prior to the story exploding in the press the two had separated. Again the press conference apology was entirely awkward, with Sanford sounding more like he was begging forgiveness of the mistress, than his wife. He’s given interviews where he has admitted that he has crossed the line with several women over the course of his 20 year marriage.
Infidelity in marriage, both of the heart and in the bedroom is a concept I will never grasp. Perhaps I am an all or nothing person. Why commit yourself to someone or some people or, remain committed to someone if you are going to be unfaithful? Why remain with someone that clearly does not love you if they are willing to trample on your heart? Why would anyone desire to be with someone that wants to be with other persons/people? Everyone is being shortchanged in this scenario, right?
Just once, when these public dramas play out I would love to see revenge exacted publicly by the victim. I wait for the day when the perpetrator’s handlers convince someone to be reckoned with out onto the podium to stand adjacent to aforementioned jackass. Then, I will cheer as the victim becomes the victor, grabbing hold of the microphone and publicly lambasting said offender. This individual would be my hero. If a genuine apology is not forthcoming, matters should be taken into your own hands.
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