Bootleg Betty Video – Bette Midler – Angst On A Shoestring – David Letterman – 1985 By Mister D Feb. 19, 2026
“Angst on a Shoestring” is a hilarious, campy comedic segment featuring Bette Midler that aired as part of David Letterman’s Holiday Film Festival in 1985. This was a Late Night with David Letterman special where celebrities created short, quirky “films” or skits for the holiday-themed broadcast.
In the piece (often nicknamed “Why Bother?”), Bette Midler delivers an over-the-top, dramatic monologue/song about existential despair, futility, and low-budget misery—perfectly capturing a mood of dramatic resignation with her signature theatrical flair. Accompanied by Marc Shaiman on piano, she belts out lines emphasizing “why bother” with life’s efforts when everything feels pointless, all while embodying exaggerated angst on a literal “shoestring” budget (simple staging, no frills). It’s pure camp comedy, blending her Divine Miss M persona with satirical world-weariness.
