…and the Unchecked Power of Predatory Behavior in Entertainment
There’s a video circulating—one I reposted—that reveals a profoundly disturbing moment between musician and bandleader Paul Shaffer and a young 23 year old Whitney Houston. In the clip, Shaffer repeatedly makes inappropriate comments, physically encroaches on Houston’s space, and exudes a level of unchecked entitlement that is both uncomfortable and revealing.
At first glance, some might attempt to dismiss this as “harmless” flirting, a relic of the past when men were given more leeway to behave as they pleased. But what we’re witnessing isn’t just an awkward moment—it’s a glaring example of the lack of discipline, the entitlement that accompanies power, and the imbalance in social dynamics that allow men to operate this way without consequence.
The Power Dynamic at Play
The elephant in the room is Paul Shaffer’s positioning in life—not just as a musician but as David Letterman’s right-hand man. That association, that level of visibility, that “sidekick” role wasn’t just a gig—it was a position of influence. It entitled him to behave however he saw fit, unchecked. It empowered him to make advances on a young, blooming artist who, at that moment in her career, didn’t have the industry clout to push back forcefully.
Yes, Whitney was on her way to becoming a legend, but she wasn’t Whitney Houston just yet. The industry was different then—fewer avenues for exposure, limited platforms for artists to propel themselves to greatness. The wrong reaction, the wrong refusal, the wrong rejection of a man in a powerful position could result in career setbacks.
So, what was she supposed to do? Laugh it off? Endure it? Pretend it wasn’t happening?
The Civilized Animal: When Do We Check Ourselves?
Strip away the suits, the stage lights, the cameras, and what are we? Animals, driven by impulse, performing under the guise of civility and diplomacy. But at what point do we demand better?
- At what point do we call out foul behavior so that workplaces—entertainment or otherwise—are safe and acceptable for all?
- At what point do we discipline our thoughts and actions so that men aren’t simply creatures of impulse, acting without accountability?
- At what point do we enforce good behavior, ensuring that spaces meant for artistry and collaboration don’t become breeding grounds for unchecked entitlement and predatory conduct?
It’s easy to dismiss this as “the way things were,” but that’s a cop-out. The truth is, this is how things still are. We’ve just gotten better at hiding it, at packaging it under the guise of “entertainment,” at excusing it when it’s dressed in charm.
Sex and the Social Blueprint
From the moment we’re born, we are conditioned to pursue connection—marriage, childbirth, family structures reinforced by every cultural cue around us. Commercials, movies, TV shows, books—all of it operates under the assumption that men must pursue, and women must be pursued.
And in that space—the pursuit—there are no clear boundaries. What is flirting? What is courting? What is playful, and what is predatory? When does “pursuing” cross the line into coercion?
The problem is that for generations, men have operated under the belief that if a woman is in their presence, she is fair game. That her comfort is secondary to his attraction. That she must navigate, endure, and soften his advances rather than have the right to outright reject them without repercussion.
This isn’t just about Paul Shaffer and Whitney Houston. This is about every instance where a man, emboldened by power, assumes that a woman must entertain his interest, even when it makes her uncomfortable.
The Camera as an Excuse
There’s an added layer of deception in this clip: the camera.
The presence of a recording device often acts as an excuse for poor behavior. “Oh, it was just a bit.” “It was for laughs.” “It’s just entertainment.” But we now live in a time where everyone has a camera, and that logic no longer holds.
Cameras don’t create excuses—they create evidence.
The argument that something was “for show” doesn’t erase what we see with our own eyes: a man taking advantage of a young woman’s position, making comments about her body, physically imposing himself onto her, reducing her presence to something sexual when there were a million other things he could have been asking her about.
What’s the Takeaway?
Whitney is gone. Paul Shaffer is 75, well on his way to irrelevance. This moment in time is decades old, but what do we do with it?
- How do we separate entertainment from predatory behavior?
- How do we identify the gray areas that allow men to continue crossing lines unchecked?
- How do we ensure that environments—especially in entertainment—are safe for all?
Because the truth is, while this specific clip may be old, the behaviors, the entitlement, the unchecked imbalance still persist.
So, the real question is: When do we finally say enough is enough?
Afterthought: What If We Had Protected Whitney?
What if we had taken better care of Whitney Houston while she was here?
What if we had protected her, uplifted her, and treated her like the priceless jewel that she was, instead of allowing the industry to devour her? What if we had respected her artistry, nurtured her spirit, and surrounded her with the same level of care and reverence that was given to legends like Dionne Warwick, Nancy Wilson, Etta James, Sarah Vaughan, and Aretha Franklin?
Instead of preying on her—sexualizing her, diminishing her, and as Paul Shaffer does in this video, casually pairing her with a rockstar as if she were just another plaything for the entertainment machine. Paul even inferred and imposed his own narrative about “the fast life, swingin” he then went deeper to try and virtually pair her with a rock star, and if that wasn’t enough he suggested a “drink at a bar” after the filming. Sheesh. Whitney even pushed back: “My mother didn’t allow that–I wasn’t into that kind of thing.” You know, that wholesome upbringing? Protected. What if we all had honored her and the direction she was going as apposed to forcing our own narrative on her such that Paul did?
Would she still be alive today?
It’s impossible to know, but it’s a question worth sitting with. Because Whitney Houston wasn’t just a voice. She was a once-in-a-generation phenomenon, a woman who should have been cherished, not consumed.
And maybe if we, as a culture, had done better by her—not just in the moments where she shined, but in the moments where she struggled—we wouldn’t be having this conversation in the past tense. Instead, we’re left with dumb dark moments like these where the industry was knocking on her walls, trying to dig in, damage and ultimately destroy her. SMH.
