Oh, Mr. Letterman.

He's buddy, he's my pal, he's my platonic friend - okay that's not at all true, but he is David Letterman, and he's hogging the spotlight again. It's not that Dave wants to hog the spotlight, as a matter of fact, watching him, you get the idea that he hates the spotlight with all of his being. He is a curmudgeon, he is grumpy, he doesn't seem like a happy guy - and it's widely known in entertainment circles that he, well, isn't a happy guy. So last night on his show, he added to his mystique as a real-life comedian, a guy who goes through some untoward situations that most other late night hosts would not even come close to (we hope) - for no other reason than because he is who he is.

Before we go into last night's show, there have been a few other sobering Late Show moments in recent memory, when Dave had to veer from his desk monologue and be serious with the audience. The first came after his heart surgery in 2000, when he had to take a few months away from his desk and relinquish his show to repeats and guest hosts. When he returned, he came on, and was a little teary-eyed when he thanked the doctors and nurses who save his life. It was a tender moment as he realized he was lucky to be alive, his father having passed away from similar health issues.

The second was the week after September 11, 2001 - when the terrorist attacks were still fresh in the air - literally. Dave just sat there and said they didn't have anything to joke about except Paul's lack of hair. As he memorably remarked ' If we live to be 1000 years old, will this ever make any goddamn sense." No humor, just passion and concern.

After that episode, a reprieve of sorts until early 2005, when a handyman at his house in Montana was arrested for conspiracy to kidnap his then toddler son, Harry, along with the nanny, for $5 million ransom. Dave came on the show, and without getting into any details, took a brief moment to thank the law enforcement agents who had successfully protected his family.

It would appear that everything in Letterman land was all well and good, controversies behind him, until Sarah Palin and daughter reared their ugly head in the summer of this year. Letterman made a somewhat inappropriate joke in his Top Ten list - it really wasn't inappropriate, he said that her daughter who had been knocked up during the campaign had been knocked up during the 7th innning stretch by A-Rod. The daughter is 18, and it was known that she was having irresponsible sex with her then boyfriend, Levi Johnston. But Sarah Palin needed to get her name out there, so she complained about the joke and called Dave a pervert, and he was forced to apologize on-air for the poor taste in humor. If you ask me if was poor taste in wanting attention for sucking as a politician, but I digress.

So Dave got that out of the way, even used it to his own comedic advantage, as would be the case when comedians offend someone. He was riding high, he had kicked Jay Leno to the curb, or at least NBC did, and his ratings were topping those of the Conan-led Tonight Show. And then this, the 'bombshell' or at very least surprising revelation that Mr. Letterman was the victim of extortion because he has had sex with his staffers. So if you're a Dave fan and loyalist like myself, all you can do is laugh, and think, what next? I know he's not the nicest guy, he has a reputation for being a jerk and abrasive, and a lot of his interviews become contentious because he doesn't let people get away with anything. Think Bill O'Reilly and Joaquin Phoenix. And now we have Dave stuck in a scandal that he usually makes fun of other people. He was sleeping with his staffers while dating his current wife, Regina, for 20 years mind you. I think if you're dating someone for 20 years - you should be a little suspicious, there might be reasons for non-commitment.

His on-air apology, while getting a little too common in recent years, was both sobering and entertaining. He explained in not so many words, that he was ashamed of his behavior, all of his behavior- he was filled with midwestern guilt, and just wanted to move on to protect his family and his workers. It's known through and through that he isn't the nicest person, he probably has a very unpleasant side - and we have no idea how he treats his underlings. The fact that his staffer, Stephanie Birkitt, who he used to call up on the phone and bug to do favors for him, is involved in this scandall, is creepy to me. But then again, there are many untowards events and relationships at late night television shows, so I guess it shouldn't be all that suprising.

His apology seemed sincere, and heartfelt, and lord knows the drama he is going to be going through now that this episode has hit the newsstands. As Dave himself might say, "I wouldn't give his troubles to a money on a rock."