(n.b. 2013)
In his new HBO special, comedian Louis C.K. articulates how women have been and continue to be alarmingly at risk of violence from men. “The courage it takes for a woman to say yes [to a date with a man] is beyond anything I can imagine. A woman saying yes to a date with a man is literally insane, and ill-advised,” he says. “How do women still go out with guys, when you consider the fact that there is no greater threat to women than men? We’re the number one threat! To women! Globally and historically, we’re the number one cause of injury and mayhem to women. We’re the worst thing that ever happens to them!”
He goes on to make an apt analogy: “If you’re a guy, imagine you could only date a half-bear-half-lion. ‘Oh, I hope this one’s nice! I hope he doesn’t do what he’s going to do ’”
https://rewire.news/article/2013/05/01/louis-c-k-jokes-that-women-are-courageous-to-date-men-sadly-hes-right/
But he reveals himself completely in his writing and performing! I’d argue that he affords his audience with deep insights into what kind of person he really is.
As for what it would take to reform him, well, that’s the question, isn’t it!
I agree that as a devoted, male fan, my thoughts and feelings on the subject are heavily skewed in spite of my best efforts to consider it fairly. I don’t think I’m alone in wanting him back at work because I feel the world is poorer for his absence. That does make me more willing or even eager to forgive him. I hope and trust he will earn it.
Wrong. He only reveals his true self when he’s alone with a woman over whom he has power.
Right. That’s all part of what he reveals about himself in his writing and performing.
At the time the episode was broadcast, plenty of TV critics and recappers zeroed in on its most controversial scene, where C.K.’s Louie corners his friend Pamela (played by Pamela Adlon, his real-life writing partner) and forces himself on her. Although there had been some sexual tension between the two characters in past episodes, Pamela told Louie in a previous scene that she was no longer interested in him. Nevertheless, when Louie returns to his apartment where Pamela has been babysitting his daughters, he tries to pull her into an embrace. (Moments beforehand, she also says something to him when he looks at her while she seems to be napping on his sofa: “Don’t jerk off. I’m awake.” At this point, I’d like to note that C.K. directed this episode, as he did every episode of Louie , and wrote it, as he did most episodes of Louie .)
Pamela repeatedly tries to get away from Louie as he attempts to overpower her. At one point, she grabs onto a desk and pulls it away from the wall. The whole time, she is saying, “No, no, no.” Then she says, “This would be rape if you weren’t so stupid. You can’t even rape well.” Eventually, after he blocks her from exiting the door, she relents and lets him kiss her, though she barely puckers her lips. As soon as she’s gone, he pumps his fists and says, Yes, as if he’s Lloyd Dobler and has just won the heart of Diane Court.
Another great take on the comeback. Among other things, the column notes that Louis never really even apologized for what he did.
And there’s this:
As Tig Notaro told the New York Times in May, “If a janitor was so great at cleaning the building but also tended to masturbate in front of people, would the people at that building be like, ‘Yes, he masturbated, but I’ve never seen anyone clean so thoroughly, and I was just wondering when he’s going to get his job back, he’s so good at it.’ No, it would be, ‘That’s not acceptable.’” She concluded, “It’s fame and power that people are blinded by.”
This is basically my take as well.
It’s amazing that a guy gets on stage in front of 100 people to tell jokes and people lose their minds and a hundred thinkpiece articles get written about it. Is Louis CK off the hook for what he did just because he performed in front of a small audience? Not at all. Spare me the hot takes until he actually gets hired by somebody and he’s making a lot of money doing significant things. Nobody is going to touch him for quite a while still. He has a lot of amends to make before that happens.
rowe33
3215
You guys really don’t think this was just a quick test case? I don’t think he was ever going to come right back and jump into another TV show or comedy special right away. Have to test the waters, see if what he did has become normalized yet.
Yes, of course. If he performs and nobody raises a fuss, then that clears the way to bigger things. It’s a trial balloon, and that dynamic explains the reaction to it. The reaction has to happen, or the lack of reaction is interpreted as approval, permission.
Timex
3217
It’s his job. I mean, what else is he gonna do? Just die?
I get why it’s “important”, I just find the whole song and dance exhausting. Can’t we just let the audience use their own brains to decide whether they are willing to give Louis CK money after the things he’s done?
Tman
3220
I’ve been reading all the comments - props to @rrmorton for trying to explain his position while being attacked. I don’t know Louis CK, and haven’t watched any of his sketches, but I came to appreciate the good some bad people can do if he impacted you so much that you’re willing to stand here & try to explain it.
While I can’t imagine anyone condoning the behavior, as it was repulsive and controlling and set back more than a few careers, it really feels like the average response is that he should pay for the rest of his life by removing himself from life.
Which begs the question, if he had been brought up on charges, what would have those charges been, and what would have been the sentence? Indecent exposure seems too weak of a charge, rape is too much.
Note: It really is weird, with all the evidence, and his basically admitting guilt, that charges weren’t brought forward. Any links or discussion on why that didn’t occur?
Do we expect to give people a 2nd chance? Is there a scenario where it would be OK for him to return to comedy? In a world where I would think people can vote with their pocketbooks - if no one goes, then his return will be short-lived, but it seems like social justice vigilantiasm is more the prevailing action.
There isn’t a direct apology in his entire statement on the matter. I think that’s the point, he talks around it for 400 words but never says he’s sorry to the women he assaulted.
rowe33
3222
Maybe charitable work to make up for what he did? Maybe sit around with the piles of money he’s made while he was taking advantage of female co-workers? I don’t really care. Just not insert himself back into the comedy scene that he’s helped taint.
Or fuck, maybe spend lots of time in therapy so he can explain to his daughters why he would do that to women?
Nesrie
3223
It’s been 9 months not five years. The chances of a serial abuser adjusting his behavior in 9 moths is pretty much zero. Let’s keep in mind why he was caught in the first place and the fact he and others around him tried to hide it… that’s right MeToo. The only reason he was exposed. This was not some sort of reformed apology, he was forced from the start.
I mean if he was a natural gas worker sure he can go back to work and maybe no one notices or cares. He’s digging holes and working on pipelines. It’s harder when you’re an entertainer. Your product is yourself, and your product is now known for a history of sexual assault.
So sure book a gig but don’t be surprised when people don’t show up or are upset about it. Maybe he should write jokes for someone else under a pseudonym.
Wtf so the guy does this bit then returns to assaulting women? This is fucked up on many levels. It’s like what Cosby did with the jokes about spanish fly, turns out that’s his thing. Apparently Louis CK’s thing is scaring women with the implied threat of hurting them, so they won’t run while he jerks off in front of them. Once again, FUCK THIS GUY.
I’m imagining him saying this to some woman comedian while he’s got her pinned in a corner at a comedy club, furiously wanking while he does it, and I want to beat the shit out of him.
Why isn’t he in prison?
Timex
3226
Well, to be clear, he’s always been fairly charitable with his earnings. He had some online special a number of years ago, and ended up giving half of the first million bucks it earned away to charities and his staff. I know that some of the groups, like the Fistula foundation (which he also used as a charity when he was on Jeopardy) were pretty ecstatic to get the support.
Eh, just to be clear, Louis CK didn’t actually assault any women, did he? If that’s the case, then I admit to not fully understanding the situation. I thought that his thing was that he exposed himself to women.
The stories told by the women raise sharp questions about the anecdotes that Louis C.K. tells in his own comedy. He rose to fame in part by appearing to be candid about his flaws and sexual hang-ups, discussing and miming masturbation extensively in his act — an exaggerated riff that some of the women feel may have served as a cover for real misconduct. He has all but invited comparison between his private life and his onscreen work, too: In “I Love You, Daddy,” which is scheduled to be released next week, a character pretends to masturbate at length in front of other people, and other characters appear to dismiss rumors of sexual predation.
This is totally his thing.
“It was something that I knew was wrong,” said the woman, who described sitting in Louis C.K.’s office while he masturbated in his desk chair during a workday, other colleagues just outside the door.
Sounds like assault to me.
Timex
3228
Eh… that doesn’t sound like assault at all.
