By now we’ve all heard about David Letterman’s confession that he had consensual sex with several female staff members of “The Late Show.”  He publically confessed to his actions on Thursday night’s show in front of his audience who at times both laughed and applauded.  

While no action from advertisers on the show have been taken as of yet, Andy Donchin, director of media investment at Carat, a unit of Aegis Group PLC, says that “we have to see how this thing develops.”  Specifically, many analysis’s are waiting to see if advertisers decide to pull from the show just as P&G, GM, Amex and Staples did after Don Imus’s racists remarks about the Rutgers women’s basketball team, or Yum Brands did after “Dog the Bounty Hunter’s” racial slurs.  

However, comparing the Letterman on-air confession with the Imus and “Dog” remarks isn’t a plausible comparison.  Family values aside, Letterman’s actions were consensual and legal. Although they probably greatly hurt his wife, there is not a large contingency of the general population that is negatively affected by his remarks. 

As a comedian, Letterman is paid to poke fun at people and that includes himself.  Although he has said that this is the last he will say on the subject, you can bet that with the popularity of extramarital sex as a reoccurring theme with most high-profile individuals, this certainly won’t be the end.  

As commentary and reactions continue to amass there is still time for advertisers to pull out, but my prediction is that they won’t.  Letterman’s ratings are just too good. And who knows – this may be just the boost the show needs.