Joni Mitchell has spoken candidly about disliking the way the entertainment industry treated musicians, singling out chat show host David Letterman for particular criticism. She felt he sidelined the performers on his programme in favour of celebrity guests, and voiced her frustration that musicians were rarely given the respect she believed they deserved.

Mitchell drew the ire of critics and industry figures for straying from expected pop conventions, notably with her jazz-influenced album Mingus, made with Charles Mingus, and later voiced disdain for the MTV era and stars such as Madonna. Of Letterman specifically, she said: "Letterman treats musicians like the armpit of the industry. He tags you on at the end, never talks to you – while he talks to the dimmest actress." The article notes this wasn't the full picture of Letterman, however, pointing to his later efforts to get Warren Zevon inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as evidence of genuine respect for musicians.