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'Letterman' writer Nell Scovell quit due to sexism
Nell Scovell, a former writer on "Late Night with David Letterman," has revealed how the show's hostile, sexually charged atmosphere drove her to leave her dream job.In a piece for VanityFair.com, Scovell details how she was the second of only seven women to be hired as a writer on "Late Night" and how she was aware of the various affairs the high-level male employees and Letterman himself had with female staffers.
"Did these female staffers have access to information and wield power disproportionate to their job titles? Yes," Scovell writes. "Did that create a hostile work environment? Yes. Did I believe these female staffers were benefiting professionally from their personal relationships? Yes. Did that make me feel demeaned? Completely."
Instead of speaking up at the time, Scovell quit her job without telling Letterman her real reasons for leaving.
"On my last day at 'Late Night,' Dave summoned me to his office and pressed me on why I was quitting the show. I considered telling him the truth, but with Dave's rumored mistress within earshot, I balked."
So why is she writing this piece now?
"I decided to speak up now for three reasons: 1. People who have no knowledge of the situation are voicing opinions, so why not me? 2. Letterman himself opened this up to a public discussion. 3. I'd like to pivot the discussion away from the bedroom and toward the writers' room, because it pains me that almost 20 years later, the situation for female writers in late-night-TV hasn't improved."
Today, on the "Late Show With David Letterman" and the Conan O'Brien and Jay Leno shows, none of the writers are female.
"Now, I don't want a lawsuit. I don't want compensation. I don't want revenge," writes Scovell. "I just want Dave to hire some qualified female writers and then treat them with respect. And that goes for Jay and Conan, too."
Scovell is the creator of "Sabrina, the Teenage Witch" and has written for "The Simpsons," "Monk," "Murphy Brown," "Coach" and "NCIS."
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Ms. Scovell makes a good point. Everyone talks about how Dave's involvement with some of his female staffers would affect (help or hurt) those staffer's positions. But not many people are considering how it might disadvantage other female staffers who are NOT involved in such "affairs" with him, or other high level males on the show.
Can we fire Dave now? By the way, is it just me, or does this guy talk about his kid now as often as Kathy Lee Gifford used to talk about Cody?
It's too late now. NBC had its chance to fire him. And stars are still lining up to appear on his show.
This woman shows up after
20 years? She is bitter with men in general.
So, a person just claims that there was hostile work environment, and automatically it’s true? Maybe she was there just a short time because she was a crappy writer. Who knows? It’s just “he said, she said†at this point. This is the biggest problem with the internet – words are spread out into the electronic ether and they become “trueâ€. Unverifiable, but “trueâ€. Remember Goebbels and the Nazi big lie theory of propaganda? Say a lie enough times and it becomes true. The internet makes it instantaneous – with no filters.