[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7efMXOlpuM]
I don’t know how the legal investigation into the Letterman extortion/affair case will go. Maybe other shoes will drop. The future is uncertain! But with David Letterman’s ratings having maintained a steady level, and with the host delivering a pretty solid Tiger Woods monologue his first night back since Thanksgiving, I think we can for now add “How will Dave be funny again?” to “How will we laugh again after 9/11?” to the library of Overheated Pop-Cultural Concerns.
Arguably, in fact, Dave’s scandal this past summer may have made his monologue funnier. At the least, playing off his own troubles gave his commentary an edge and a fresh angle, when every comedian had been taking whacks at the story for over a week. (See also “Top 10 Ways Tiger Woods Can Improve His Image,” with an assist from Tom Hanks.) His bit didn’t touch Wanda Sykes’ absolutely hilarious imagining of events the weekend of the accident. But I think we can officially stop worrying about Dave having to avoid juicy material for now.