Ex female writer Nell Scovell for David Letterman – atmosphere was hostile, sexually charged

david-letterman-is-a-pervertNell Scovell was one of the few women ever to write for Late Night with David Letterman. In a Vanity Fair article she writes how about she remembers a hostile, sexually charged working atmosphere. Scovell was the second female writer ever fired for Letterman’s show, and in its 27 years on TV, the show has had a whopping total of 7 female writers. Scovell also says that these seven women have spent a combined total of 17 years on the staff, while compared to male writers who have a combined total of 378 years. Nell Scovell then goes into more details:

Two years after they received my submission packet, I got the call: Dave wanted to meet me. By then, I was living in L.A. and had already written an episode for The Simpsons and served as story editor on Newhart during its final season. Still, Late Night was my dream job, so when I got the offer, I left the sitcom I’d just started on and moved back East. Walking into 30 Rockefeller Center on my first day as a Letterman writer was one of the happiest moments of my life—right up there with the births of my two kids. But it was all downhill after that. (I’m talking about Late Night, not my kids. They’re great.)

Without naming names or digging up decades-old dirt, let’s address the pertinent questions. Did Dave hit on me? No. Did he pay me enough extra attention that it was noted by another writer? Yes. Was I aware of rumors that Dave was having sexual relationships with female staffers? Yes. Was I aware that other high-level male employees were having sexual relationships with female staffers? Yes. Did these female staffers have access to information and wield power disproportionate to their job titles? Yes. 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. Did I say anything at the time? Sadly, no.

Here’s what I did: I walked away from my dream job. The show picked up my option after 13 weeks; then, about two months later, while looking for a nicer apartment, I realized I didn’t want to commit to a yearlong lease. I’d seen enough to know that I was not going to thrive professionally in that workplace. And although there were various reasons for that, sexual politics did play a major part.

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October 27, 2009 · Filed Under David Letterman, liberals


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