I can barely keep up with all of the attempted “comebacks” of all of the sexual predators who were outed last fall and winter. I feel like some of these douchebags coordinate, because on the very same morning that we’re dealing with this fakakta Matt Lauer story – he told some old ladies that he’ll “be back on TV soon” – we’re also dealing with this fakakta Louis CK story. Is there strength in numbers or something? Do high-profile predators have some kind of undercover forum where they trade tips on PR? Will we get through the day without Charlie Rose announcing some kind of Hulu deal? Anyway, back to Louis CK – he went to a comedy club. He performed a set:
Louis C.K. made his first public appearance onstage at a comedy club Monday night since admitting to sexual misconduct last November, the New York Times reported. C.K. made a surprise appearance at the Comedy Cellar in New York City, one of his regular haunts before he disappeared from the public eye after admitting to inappropriate conduct such as masturbating in front of women.
According to the report, the disgraced comedian made an appearance at around 11 p.m. and performed a 15-minute set. He did not address the current scandal that surrounds him during his performance. He was greeted with an ovation by the crowd.
Following claims made by five women that C.K. had performed inappropriate sexual conduct in their presence, and the comedian’s own admission of the alleged misconduct, C.K. lost his production deal with FX (home of his comedy series Louie) and the canceled release of the film he directed, wrote and starred in, I Love You, Daddy, last year.
Pro-tip: don’t refer to it as “alleged” or “allegations.” HE ADMITTED IT. I realize no one wants to get sued, but why are people walking on eggshells about calling him a predator flat-out? He admitted it. Even if he didn’t admit it, multiple women came forward to accuse him of sexual harassment, abuse and misconduct. His film was shelved, he was thrown off a half-dozen projects and TV deals, all because of those victims and because he admitted it. He never denied it. The thing that bugged me was that he never addressed the fact that he publicly gaslighted his victims and actively sought to hurt their careers when his victims tried to speak out about him. But here he is… attempting a comeback. I’m sure some crisis manager thought it was a good idea. And hey, I’m sure a ton of his comedy bros are happy to see him back.
Photos courtesy of Getty.
My first reaction on seeing the title (even before reading the article) was: I’m not surprised
It also doesnt surprise me that Louis forces his comedy upon unsuspecting people. Seems to be his MO.
Same. I honestly am sad that I cannot find him funny anymore. I’m irritated that I didn’t know sooner (especially since it all happened so long ago; I feel that I should have dug deeper into his past than just learning where he was born, etc.). When Roseanne said he was a pervert back in 2016, I believed her (even though I dislike her) and couldn’t watch his comedy anymore. I’m pretty sad, since his analyses and observations were so intelligent, but…uh, no. The gaslighting is what did it for me, ultimately. Had he simply responded to questions about it with “No comment,” I might be willing to take his apology seriously. He didn’t. He said, “That’s not real.” Yes, Louis, It very much was real. I used to laugh, but this sh*t just ain’t funny. If you want redemption, you must pay for it. You don’t get a free pass by saying, “Sorry.”
Of course he is.
This was my exact response too. I mean he’s suffered enough, amirite? /s
he’s a garbage human. that is the reality. his preoccupation with jokes about sexual assault, pedophilia etc are bad enough. they are bottom barrel. on top of this, he sexually harassed several women and is an overall scum bucket. i’m not here for his comeback.
@cate – +1000!
Standing ovation? Yuck. I would have walked out.
I’m surprised he didn’t whip it out in response to all of the adulation.
Just gross.
Eff you, Louis C.K.
By the way, he looks heavily medicated.
Everyone needs to reach out to the Comedy Cellar and let them know they’ll never get your business. It HAS to be done. These places that support men like him have to know they will lose business by allowing him to perform. If you don’t take action and make it known – don’t complain and whine.
Having worked there in the past, I have to say I am totally not surprised. They are run by old-school enablers who work to make all comedians feel like they are extremely important people. (In fact, CK was a regular when I worked there.) The work environment is a strange one where a lot of the waiters, bartenders feel almost too much of a sense of pride about their job so much so that though there was a lot of sexual harassment happening during the time I worked there, if you’d ever dare to make a report, the management/ownership would have simply fired you and the cliquey staff would have shunned you. I’d be happy if someone gave their owner Ava a piece of their mind about this, but no one should expect anything to change about the environment they’ve created unless something begins to seriously affect their bottom line.
I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that the upper management/owners at the Cellar welcomed him with open arms and made diminishing comments to him in private about his accusers.
Somehow it bothers me even more finding out that the owner is a woman.
Well, Lainey has a good quote from one of the owners, it’s kind of a family-owned business in a way, but there is definitely a strong, albeit old-school and disappointingly regressive female presence in the manner in which that place is run.
His “punishment” has been the equivalent of a time-out.
Lauer’s hubris is astounding. He made my skin crawl long before the public was made aware of his egregious piccadillos and made him persona non grata. I’ve always wondered why the powers that beed thought that weasel faced milquetoast had “IT”. I don’t know why he doesn’t just slink off into the darkness and count his money.
I totally agree Floydee. I stopped watching anything he was in many years ago because he gave me the creeps with his smug ugly mug.
#MeToo has gone too far !!!! /s
I took pleasure in dragging Michael Ian Black for filth this morning for his asinine…tone def statement regarding sexual predators needing a path to redemption… (it’s a perfect way to work off my Chantix rage)
He can miss THE UNIVERSE with that BS!!!!
Michael Ian Black is THE WORST. His takes are always tone deaf and terrible.
But this is also a reminder that white, rich men will always be just fine.
And f— Dave Chapelle and Sarah Silverman for defending him too.
This honestly makes me sick to my stomach. I went through something similar where a man did that to me. It still haunts me. I can’t even imagine what these women have gone through. To the gaslighting, having their careers destroyed, etc. I feel that some people deserve redemption. He does not. He has never apologized or atoned for the awful things he repeatedly did to MULTIPLE women. Simply admitting he did it is not enough imo. He needs to crawl back under the rock he’s been hiding in because it’s not nearly enough time for him to be staging this gross comeback.
Maybe I’m not up to date but the women’s careers got destroyed? I thought they were told to shut up by his manager. to not spread it around
I am not at all surprised by this. The comedy stations that I listen to on Sirius XM still played some of his bits on their channels. I would always flip them because I don’t think he was ever that funny.
Isn’t it strange how some public figures sort of seep back into their profession after they have been caught doing something wrong? Look at Michael Vick. He went to FEDERAL PRISON and still played professional football after he got out. I am certainly not comparing their crimes, I am just pointing out how some people think that everyone will forget what they have done.
Pig.
I went to a local comedy club (for the first time!) to see the very fabulous Nicole Byer recently, and saw in their line-up that TJ Miller is headed to town in a few weeks. Guess I won’t be headed back to a comedy club for a while…
My husband thought Louis CK was done after the allegations. I said just to give it time – he’d be back.
The standing ovation doesn’t surprise me. White men love him, his career will not suffer…unfortunately.