Late Show with David Letterman

Lesbian comedian Suzanne Westenhoefer appeared on The Late Show as the first openly lesbian comedian to perform lesbian-themed stand-up on the program. She acknowledged the significance of her appearance for the LGBTQ+ community. Prior to The Late Show, on 'Late Night with David Letterman' in 1993, Letterman made a joke during his monologue about J. Edgar Hoover being gay and liking to dress as a woman, referring to him as 'Debbie'.

Letterman's monologues and guest interviews often included jokes or remarks with sexual undertones. For instance, an early episode featured a 'Sexual IQ Test' segment that included lines like 'When I make love, I like to talk or scream or say something obscene.' David Letterman also publicly admitted to having affairs with female employees in 2009, a topic discussed on the show itself, though he described it as having 'done terrible terrible things' and causing embarrassment.

Audiences generally expect late-night shows to contain some mild curse words, like 'damn' or 'hell', used in casual or humorous contexts. While not explicitly stated for 'Late Show', general late-night talk show content often includes occasional moderate language, with stronger expletives typically censored for broadcast television. This is evidenced by audience expectations for similar programming and the show's TV-14 nature. Comedians or guests might use profanity that would be bleeped, as implied by the general standards for network television. For example, during Bill Murray's appearance on the first episode, his chaotic and irreverent behavior could imply the use of some uncensored language, though it would likely be bleeped for broadcast.

David Letterman openly discussed his past alcoholism, stating he started drinking around age 11 and quit in 1984 because he 'knew I had a problem' and 'didn't want to screw up the show.' Guests on the show would sometimes appear with or consume alcohol, for example, during the first episode with Bill Murray, celebratory drinking could be implied. Additionally, a segment from a 1993 episode included a joke about someone smelling like beer, and an earlier segment on 'Late Night' featured a doctor discussing 'The Pleasure Addicts,' which included alcoholism and smoking.

Comedian Bill Hicks, known for his controversial material, had an entire performance cut from The Late Show in 1993 because producers deemed jokes 'involving religion and the anti-abortion movement' unsuitable for broadcast. This indicates the show encountered and censored content that could be seen as religiously offensive. While not a direct example from the show itself, David Letterman's broader comedic style, particularly his 'cynical' and 'surly' humor, could lead to satire of any institution, including religious ones, though typically in an indirect manner rather than explicit mockery of core Christian tenets. One source describes a speaker discussing how 'modernism' involves 'throwing off the traditions of christianity,' which while not directly from Letterman, reflects cultural ideas that a talk show might touch upon.