3108

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3109

There’s no way he ignores it. That would be a cowardly choice.

3110

I am quite familiar with Louis’ work and voice, and while I’d be surprised if he didn’t address it, I’m also not sure if he’s constitutionally able to show the actual contrition that I think many people want or expect. I’m not sure he’s really come to terms with what he’s done in a public way. Now, most likely he’ll express and work through that in his work, but I think there’s a risk that it gets rolled into his I’m-a-monster-but-so-is-literally-everybody persona and not truly understand the impact of his actions.

That being said, in terms of “how much suffering is enough”, I really put that at the hands of his victims. If they’re okay with how he’s handled it, then we should be as well. (I haven’t followed the case as closely since the initial apology, so I don’t actually know to what degree they were satisfied with his apologies).

3111

I think we need to stop using the word honest with this guy. You think he honestly told these women he was going to whip his dick out and go at it in front of them. You think he was honest and upfront about that before it happened? So no, I don’t need to take anyone’s word for it.

I never had any illusions on how some of these would play out.

3112

Oh totally. Can’t wait to hear what this rich-middle-aged-white-man’s perspective is on the #metoo movement. Especially from his front-row perspective as a perpetrator. /s

3113

There’s potential there, self-introspection about why he felt entitled to the bodies of others, that sort of thing. There’s a signal-boosting benefit, and one where other middle-aged-white-men might listen to one of their own and be more willing to analyze their own behavior coming from a familiar source.

I think it’s far from the most important perspective, but it’s not a completely meaningless one.

3114

Yeah, could be. I just feel like really he should just shut his stupid face instead. He did bad. He got caught. He’s an asshole.

3115

Felt entitled to the eyeballs of others? Bodies feels incorrect.

Nesrie, I respect your choice to not support Louis (you never did in the first place) but I feel like I’m talking to you and you’re talking at me or past me. Your emotions are your own but when you anchor them in statements I’m making, it feels like you’re twisting my words and your anger is preventing you from engaging in a discussion. Which is cool, but you don’t have to quote me!

3116

I think it’s pretty clear that I find the fact that you said hallelujah to this man’s return to be kind of disgusting, and then you want to tell me you have some sort of mysterious insight into his character because you know his shtick.

Here is what i know, he tricked women into not only exposing himself to them but then actually masturbated in front of them, and he wasn’t rich and he wasn’t white he wouldn’t be secretly be on stage again he’d probably be in jail.

Maybe you’d feel differently if some guy cornered you into watching him masturbate even if you used to laugh at his jokes.

I can’t imagine anyone having the slightest idea of what it’s like to be in a forced sexual situation who would celebrate someone’s return after less than a year out of the limelight. Hell they were so open and upfront about it they didn’t even tell the audience it was going to happen. Sounds like he learned a lot… I wonder how many people felt comfortable to just leave because he put that burden on them.

3118

Maybe it would help, Nesrie, if you understood that my Hallelujah was meant more as “let the healing begin!” rather than “he’s free and clear!” I hope my subsequent posts clarified my point of view on that.

I understand the sarcasm and anger that’s coming out. I would also ask others to try and understand my perspective. I wasn’t being glib when I likened his comedy to church. I’m not a spiritual guy but I very much need the healing power of laughter to feel better about human nature and the world and my place in it. For over a decade now, he’s helped me be a better dad and to enjoy fatherhood that much more. My students routinely compare my sense of humor or professorial voice to Louis which was the hugest compliment for me. I (used to) teach scenes or episodes from his FX series in the classroom because he was a true innovator in the art of television comedy as short film making. I built my life and career around these things so I’d ask you to appreciate that we’re coming at it from different points of view.

So you can use dismissive, reductive language like “shtick” or “laugh at his jokes” because you’re angry and you’re right to be angry. I was too. But I hope you can understand that my anger has subsided and is moving towards forgiveness.

And I don’t think you need to be as angry at me as you seem to be. We both agree that what he did was loathsome and shameful.

3119

Spoken like someone who hasn’t seen Pamela Adlon’s series Better Things. One of the best shows by and about and for women in recent memory and Louis was a key creative voice behind the writing and in getting it made.

3120

Desire, once again—male desire, enabled desire, empowered desire—triumphs. The world’s physics return to their regressive inertias. The desire of the dudes, once again, becomes the force around which everything else, and everyone else, must spin: It will not be questioned. It cannot be refused. It is its own question, its own reply, and its own blunt truth.

His comeback, though, offers another manifestation of power differentials—more proof of the myriad ways male desire still shapes and moves the world. Rebecca Corry, one of the women who discussed the behavior of Louis C.K.before he finally admitted to the truth of her claims, has received mockery, death threats, and other assorted tokens of hatred from members of the public who, despite the events of the previous year, still insist on bowing before the hulking altar of male genius. The man who inflicted his own wants on Corry, on the other hand, is staging his comeback to comedy at his own leisure, at his own pace, on his own easy terms. On Sunday evening, Louis C.K. strode onstage at the Comedy Cellar, hoping for—trusting in—the applause of a grateful audience. It is profoundly revealing that, in this desire, once again, Louis C.K. was justified. Hereceived, the Times reports, a standing ovation.

3121

I have not seen this series. I may get around to it at some point. From what I understand, he was also a key figure in trapping women in rooms under the guise of professional/career/whatever support and camaraderie, and then masturbating in front of them without their consent. Never saw him do that myself either.

3122

Good point. I hope that once he starts re-assembling his career, all those women he victimized can finally begin the healing process. /s

3123

This, entirely. He’s a cretin, probably an unredeemable one. He certainly won’t get better as long as he’s rich and powerful and easily forgiven. No one experiences a fundamental change of character for the better under those circumstances.

3124

One of those “this forum needs a like button” posts.

3125

Avtar, I and others have already made it clear that the victims’ forgiveness is a critical prerequisite for any kind of return to public view. Also, you don’t need the sarcasm tags. Heck, you probably don’t need the sarcasm either. It’s kind of obnoxious in response to someone who is attempting to communicate openly and honestly about a thorny subject.

Scott, I think he would agree with everything you wrote. That’s why I want to hear him talk about it.

Also, I checked the math and realized Nesrie is right. It’s only been 9 months so I shouldn’t have rounded up to a year. I wish he’d waited those extra months.

3126

My impression is that you want him to be paid to work, whether he talks about it or it. He could talk about it for free, after all. I’m sure someone would book him to come onto a show for no compensation to talk about what a cretin he was. But that’s now how he’s going to talk about it. He’s going to make money, under the assumption that he’s got enough fans ready to forgive him, or who never deplored him in the first place.

3127

Ok, i’ll stop with the sarcasm. Here’s my point of view. To hell with him. He has a long history of this. He got caught. Now we are going to learn from him? Has he changed? Why did he change? Did he just feel shame about getting caught? Is he a fundamentally different person now? I guess maybe those could be interesting things to hear from him.

But we know the real answer. Our society doesn’t dissuade this type of behavior strongly enough. And he did it because he could. I know we are in disagreement here, but as far as I am concerned, he should just disappear from the public eye and we should stop including him in this discussion at all. He is a victimizer and aggressor, plain and simple. This is not his story. He is not a victim. His story should have ended as soon as he was called out and proven to be an offender.

3128

Yep! You have to be seriously fucked up to randomly whip it out and start jerking it in front of someone. And not just once apparently! This was a thing he was known for!

To hell with Louis CK. Cosby had some funny jokes too and I loved his show but fuck him as well.