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Josef Adalian
TheWrap.com
That's the question of the moment in TV circles these days. Conversations usually dominated by talk of ratings and new fall series now inevitably end up focusing on the future of CBS "Late Show" host David Letterman.
Letterman has now tackled news of his sexual dalliances head-on in two extraordinary on-air explanations. He's won raves from critics, most of who have spent the last 25 years worshipping at the altar of Letterman. And his ratings, so far at least, have remained high.
There's a case to be made that the Letterman story should now wind down -- unless or until Letterman's extortionist, Joe Halderman, is brought to trial.
And yet, this is the era of neverending, non-stop media coverage of events. Never mind a Michael Jackson death, these days even minor stories can spawn weeks of play on the Internet and in the tabloids.
To try to figure out where Davegate goes next, TheWrap solicited the help of 10 of the nation's top TV critics and media reporters.
Our questions: Do you think the Letterman scandal will go away now? Is the media being too tough on Dave -- or too easy? And how should Letterman proceed next?
Maureen Ryan
Chicago Tribune
I don't think this goes away at all. In fact, given what Joe Halderman's lawyer has been saying the last few days, I foresee this becoming an ongoing spectacle, which very well could result in weeks or months of tabloid scrutiny.
If he continues to make jokes about the situation, he runs the risk of trivializing it and making it seem as though he just doesn't care.
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