posted October 14, 2009 at 11:45 EST in Other Props
Entertainment Betting - David Letterman Props
by Charles Jay
Entertainment Proposition Betting
Everybody knows by now that David Letterman revealed details of an extortion plot, along with his own martial infidelities that triggered it, in a recent episode of "The Late Show" on CBS. Naturally, this brought about some Entertainment Props from BetUS. Here they are:
WILL LETTERMAN LOSE HIS RATINGS LEAD BEFORE DEC 31?
Yes +110
No -150
If you have been analyzing the pop culture world for a while, you are well aware of the fact that this has become a society where scandal creates its own currency. Unless there's some real depravity involved, or murder (and even then, there are exceptions), indiscretion can be something of a ratings booster. You don't think that people are tuning into Letterman to see what will happen next? Plus, take a look at his competition. Conan O'Brien? If you're watching late night television at that point, who do you think most people are going to be watching?
To boot, NBC has really been struggling with its programming as a lead-in to Conan's show, and they have not been winning that battle. Unless they score huge with the fall lineup, and in particular with the Leno show, I don't see sufficient inroads happening. How much Leno is going to be TOO much Leno? NO (-150), I don't see Letterman losing his lead.
WILL LETTERMAN BE DISCIPLINED BY CBS?
Yes +250
No -400
To me, it would seem that a network does not screw around with something that is a winner, at least for the time being. After Jay Leno had Hugh Grant on his show, admitting to his own sexual indiscretions, he had a ratings boom, and overtook Letterman, saying ahead literally till the end of his reign. Now CBS has that lead back, and I doubt they are going to shoot themselves in the foot. The only way I see Letterman being disciplined is if a rash of sexual harassment suits came down the pike, or a legion of sponsors were to boycoot the show, and as of now, I don’t see signs of either of those things happening. NO (-400).
WILL STEPHANIE BIRKITT BE INDICTED IN THE CRIME?
Yes +200
No -300
(Will Stephanie Birkitt be indicted in connection to the extortion attempt?)
There was an interesting revelation this past week, as it came out that Letterman actually went so far as to take Stephanie Birkitt, the former assistant with whom he was having an affair, with him and then-girlfriend Regina Lasko out on family vacations. Someone also got their hands on some "steamy" love letters Birkitt wrote to Letterman.
The romantic involvement between Birkitt and Letterman, or at least part of it, took place while she was living with the alleged blackmailer, Robert Halderman, and lied to him about it when questioned. Halderman supposedly took excerpts from her diary in assembling the blackmail package, and there is no evidence that Birkitt encouraged any of his activities. In fact, to assert that would imply that she was herself engaged in a very elaborate plan to set Letterman up, and that doesn't seem to make any sense. I would say NO (-300).
WILL LETTERMAN'S WIFE FILE FOR DIVORCE BEFORE MAY 1ST, 2010?
Yes +350
No -600
On this one I'm going to say YES (+350). A lot of people, including me, were asking ourselves how Letterman could proceed with the process of opening himself up to the audience, and exposing his infidelities on national television, in that it served as a humiliating experience for his wife, and I guess we were hoping that it was for some other reason than to save himself $2 million.
Actually, it may have had more to do with what she wanted. Based on what she knew at the time, Regina Lasko, who married Letterman in March, reportedly demanded that Letterman apologize to her in that forum; since she had been suffering enough private humiliation she thought a public mea culpa was appropriate, and he eventually wound up providing one. However, when the public starts to hear about live nests, flirtations in the presence of co-workers and love letters that will no doubt become public at some point, that's enough to push her over the edge. In fact, that train may have already left the station.
WILL DAVID LETTERMAN SIGN AN EXTENSION WITH CBS
Yes -1200
No +600
This is actually a better question than may be suggested by the price. While I don't see CBS canning Letterman, especially if he can deliver ratings, he is 62 yards old now, and this whole process has really just begun, despite all the "damage control." It could wind up being rather taxing before all is said and done, and I'm just thinking that Letterman, if he's not hurt all that badly by a divorce settlement, and is a fairly private individual otherwise, may just decide enough is enough. This is where CBS could also seek to punish him, and there are perhaps other outlets for him. I don't know that I wouldn't find some value here with the NO (+600) vote.
WILL SARAH PALIN APPEAR ON THE LATE SHOW BEFORE DECEMBER 31ST 2009?
Yes +500
No -1000
I think we can throw some money down on the NO (-1000) here, although truth be told, Palin is enough of a publicity monger to take him up on it if it were offered. More likely than not, jokes about Palin will be there, but she won't.
WILL ROBERT HALDERMAN BE FOUND GUILTY OF GRAND LARCENY?
Yes -500
No +300
Halderman is the 51-year-old CBS producer who allegedly blackmailed Letterman for the $2 million, and was beaten to the punch. Stephanie Birkitt was his live-in girlfriend, and reportedly she and Letterman were fooling around even during this time. Letterman apparently didn't like Halderman very much before all this happened, and he told Birkitt not to bring him to any staff parties or social functions. Halderman's attorney, Gerald Shargel, who has previously represented the likes of Marc Dreier and John Gotti, claims that "there is more to this case than meets the eye." I was thinking that way too, until I heard that Halderman had actually tried to cash the phony $2 million check Letterman had written him. Maybe he's an undercover agent? Hahahah. YES (-500)
