# Regarding David Letterman **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 26, 2003, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-david-letterman/164164 "2003-03-26T00:39:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aka\_10003](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@aka\_10003](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aka_10003)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2003, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-david-letterman/164164/1 "2003-03-26T00:39:03Z")
So, what’s the deal with Dave? He was last seen complaining about eye infaction, but that was a month ago! And since we are still talking Oscar–I actually remember enjoying Dave’s hosting, including that silly Uma/ Oprah thing. Any comments as to why it became such a legendary fiasco? ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2003, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-david-letterman/164164/2 "2003-03-26T00:52:36Z")
1. Dave’s shingles condition is under “week to week” review. Don’t expect him back anytime soon. Since it’s March Dumbness time, we’re not losing that much. 2. I _loved_ Dave on the Oscar’s. But Hollywood types aren’t all that bright and certainly don’t get mildly sarcastic humor. So the audience just sat there. Comedians go downhill when the audience is a painting. I laughed at Uma/Oprah. Still gives me giggle. ---
**Author:** ![djf750](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ea666f/32.png) [@djf750](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/djf750)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2003, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-david-letterman/164164/3 "2003-03-26T03:13:17Z")
I agree. I thought he was great and uma/oprah was funny and very dave. ---
**Author:** ![HelloKitty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ecccb3/32.png) [@HelloKitty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HelloKitty)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2003, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-david-letterman/164164/4 "2003-03-26T03:15:03Z")
Didn’t he also do the “Wanna buy a monkey?” thing on the Oscars, too, with all sorts of movie stars saying that famous line? I love Dave, but I think Steve Martin is the perfect Oscars host. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2003, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-david-letterman/164164/5 "2003-03-26T03:56:05Z")
Yes, Dave does not want to return until his shingles is entirely gone. It’s quite embarassing to have it on the face the way he does. It might be a little while still, but he’ll be back. ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2003, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-david-letterman/164164/6 "2003-03-26T05:02:21Z")
I miss Dave. Hope he recovers soon. On the positive side, though, I thought Paul last night and Cosby tonight were/are both pretty good. ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2003, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-david-letterman/164164/7 "2003-03-26T05:08:01Z")
I miss Dave. Hope he recovers soon. On the positive side, though, I thought Paul last night and Cosby tonight were/are both pretty good. ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2003, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-david-letterman/164164/8 "2003-03-26T14:47:42Z")
Shingles can last for months and months. I feel sorry for the poor guy. It must hurt like hell. ---
**Author:** ![Alias](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a88e4f/32.png) [@Alias](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alias)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2003, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-david-letterman/164164/9 "2003-03-26T14:57:27Z")
What exactly are shingles? Someone told me it was like “grownup chicken pox” Is that true? ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2003, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-david-letterman/164164/10 "2003-03-26T15:31:49Z")
I thought Cosby was terrible. ---
**Author:** ![dorkusmalorkusmafia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorkusmalorkusmafia/32/7266_2.png) [@dorkusmalorkusmafia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dorkusmalorkusmafia)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2003, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-david-letterman/164164/11 "2003-03-26T15:36:14Z")
Shingles are like grown up chicken pox that focus only on a single nerve ending or set of nerve endings. They are more painful than itchy like chicken pox. I am not a doctor but supposedly one can only get them if they have had chicken pox at some unspecified time beforehand. I was under the impression that it was more a dormant state of chicken pox that can come back and haunt you. ---
**Author:** ![fiddlesticks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddlesticks/32/18129_2.png) [@fiddlesticks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fiddlesticks)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2003, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-david-letterman/164164/12 "2003-03-26T15:58:53Z")
Shingles also look pretty ugly, and since Dave got them on his face, he’ll probably be out for a while longer. ☹ My dad got shingles and his scars only faded after about nine months! Thumbs down on Cosby last night. I couldn’t stand the endless mugging for the camera, and the “close sitting” with the guests, so I ended up watching Nightline instead. Worst guest host yet, excepting McEnroe who at least had a decent excuse. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2003, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-david-letterman/164164/13 "2003-03-26T18:56:51Z")
Shingles is caused by the same Herpes family virus as chicken pox. The virus burrows down and lies dormant next to your peripheral nerves. Herpes viruses thus stay out of sight of the body’s immune system essentially forever. Various irritations, including _stress_, cause it to flare up again in adulthood. Very painful, difficult to treat, long lasting outbreaks. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2003, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-david-letterman/164164/14 "2003-03-26T22:46:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mahaloth \* > \*\*I thought Cosby was terrible. \*\* Whew! It’s not just me, then. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2003, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-david-letterman/164164/15 "2003-03-26T23:19:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Mr. Blue Sky \* > \*\*Whew! It’s not just me, then. \*\* He blathers on and on with his stand up and refused to sit at the desk! Why is it that some people(and I like Cosby, mind you) can’t just do the normal thing. Do some jokes, sit and interview people, and “WHAM!”, your’re done. ---
**Author:** ![gobear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@gobear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gobear)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2003, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-david-letterman/164164/16 "2003-03-26T23:39:19Z")
Shingles is fucking agonizing! I had it when I was 25 ,and great googly moogly, it felt like my skin had been peeled and then dipped in acid. What’s worse, Letterman has it in his eye, which could result in scarring and the permanent loss of sight in that eye. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2003, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-david-letterman/164164/17 "2003-03-27T04:51:03Z")
You could kind of tell the director wasn’t enjoying the night of Cosby, either. That poor Firestone guy. I don’t know what he was expecting, but I’d wager it wasn’t to be Cosby’s whipping boy. He’s too full of himself. Paul, otoh, did a great job. I loved his 1st Q to that actress! (“Are those real?”) That older guy with the Casey Kasum voice. A real interviewer. Who was he? Bruce Willis was cool. Different. But watchable. I got out an old _Calvin and Hobbes_ collection to read myself to sleep instaed of watching more Cosby. Did I mention Cosby annoyed me? Like watching a mirror universe episode of DS-9. Kelly Preston is cute. I mean, not just the looks. She’s a cute personality. Luke Wilson is holding his own so far. ---
**Author:** ![raisinbread](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8491ac/32.png) [@raisinbread](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raisinbread)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2003, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-david-letterman/164164/18 "2003-03-27T05:03:00Z")
The thing I used to like about Letterman was the fact that he’d either be hosting the show or they’d be showing re-runs. None of this guest host schtick which was abused on the Tonight Show. Now he has guest hosts? Celebrity guest hosts? Why can’t he be like Jon Stewart and get someone on the show to fill in for him? Not that Letterman has been entertaining in the past ten years. He doesn’t even have a foul mouthed Yugoslavian mountain hound with a catchy one liner. ---
**Author:** ![Enright3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enright3/32/2897_2.png) [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2003, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-david-letterman/164164/19 "2003-03-29T15:33:53Z")
Dave’s coming back on Monday! Woo hoo! E3 ---
**Author:** ![Fiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e274bd/32.png) [@Fiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiver)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2003, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/regarding-david-letterman/164164/20 "2003-03-29T16:29:39Z")
How has the _Late Show_’s ratings been with all these guest hosts? I’d imagine the ratings would be high on account of the novelty.