Conversation so far:
What was this incident about?
Mason allegedly gave host Ed Sullivan the finger on air.
What happened because of this?
Sullivan was clearly infuriated by this, and banned Mason from future appearances on the show.
Are there any other interesting aspects about this article?
Because of Sullivan's influence, he was branded as unreliable, volatile, and obscene, and he failed to get substantial TV work for the next two decades.
Was he able to work elsewhere?
Mason was given a single comeback appearance on Sullivan's TV program two years later, and Sullivan publicly apologized to him.

Question: Did that help his reputation?
Self-contained rewrite: Did the public apologize to Mason by Sullivan help Mason's reputation after ''Middle finger'' incident?