Louis CK Uncancels Himself
He's always been a do-it-yourselfer
Five years ago, comedian Louis CK was cancelled.
A few weeks before the scheduled release date of his 2017 film I Love You, Daddy, several women accused CK of sexual misconduct.1 For years, rumors had been swirling about his behavior with women, and Tig Notaro had already condemned him without giving specifics. Several other female comedians were now making more detailed claims.
It went like this: CK invited female stand-up comics to his hotel room, where he asked if he could masturbate in front of them. They thought he was joking, but then he went ahead and did it. Until he was, y’know, done. They didn’t know what to do, because he was a famous man who could make or break their careers. So they didn’t leave, they didn’t complain, and they kept quiet about it for years.
CK admitted to all of it. Here’s part of his statement:
“I want to address the stories told to the New York Times by five women named Abby, Rebecca, Dana, Julia who felt able to name themselves and one who did not.
“These stories are true. At the time, I said to myself that what I did was okay because I never showed a woman my dick without asking first, which is also true. But what I learned later in life, too late, is that when you have power over another person, asking them to look at your dick isn’t a question. It’s a predicament for them. The power I had over these women is that they admired me. And I wielded that power irresponsibly…
“I’ve brought pain to my family, my friends, my children and their mother. I have spent my long and lucky career talking and saying anything I want. I will now step back and take a long time to listen.”
CK didn’t make any excuses. He admitted he was wrong, plainly explained why he was wrong, and apologized. He had abused not just himself, but his power and privilege, and he knew it.
Then he went away for a couple of years. Then, gradually, he started doing stand-up comedy again. Just small clubs at first, and then bigger and bigger venues.
And over the weekend, this happened:
See, because beforehand he asked the crowd to boo. Because that’s funnier.
I paid to watch Louis CK: Back to the Garden live. It was hilarious, because it was a Louis CK stand-up comedy show. And the 20,000 people in attendance agreed. They laughed for an hour straight, because that’s why they were all there. That’s what he does, and there’s nobody better.
Let’s be clear: Nobody’s wrong to hate him for what he did to those women. It still bothers me when I think about it. Legally speaking, his only crime was skipping out on a few carpet-cleaning bills. But ethically and morally, putting those women in that scenario was wrong and he shouldn’t have done it.2
And, also, in addition to that: Louis is one of the funniest comedians in the world right now. Maybe one of the greatest ever. You know who agrees with me? A sell-out crowd at Madison Square Garden, and an even bigger online audience watching it live. They all paid cash money to laugh their asses off.
Because laughter doesn’t care. A funny joke is a funny joke, even when it’s told by a creep. A trenchant observation can make you see the world in a different way, even if the messenger is imperfect to say the least.
Louis CK didn’t stop being funny just because you started hating him. If you can’t forgive him, then don’t. The rest of us will continue to enjoy his comedy.
One last thing. Not to pick on this guy specifically, but a lot of people seem to genuinely believe this:
Incorrect.
It’s been over five years since Louis CK’s professional career was destroyed. Every movie studio and television network that ever paid him a dime has disavowed him. He hasn’t been on a late-night talk show in half a decade. He was on SNL four times in five years, but it’ll never happen again. He was even retroactively scrubbed from a voice role he’d done for a children’s cartoon. When he wins an award because his work is still excellent, everybody gets embarrassed and quickly moves on. The entertainment industry has turned their backs on him, and it’s nobody’s fault but his own.
But he can still stand on a stage and say words. All he needs is a microphone, a room, an audience, and someone to record it all. So he just did it himself.3 His comeback4 has been completely self-financed. He pays out of his own pocket to produce all the comedy specials he’s made since his cancellation, and he distributes them himself. He’s the one taking all the risk. And if he starts being bad at comedy, he’s the one who takes a loss.
Louis CK has uncancelled himself. Which doesn’t mean he was never cancelled. If you shoot a guy and he doesn’t die, you still shot him. You don’t get to say something stupid like, “This proves attempted murder doesn’t exist.”
Most people don’t have Louis’ resources. They can’t just go independent. If they get cancelled, that’s it. They gotta go find another way to make a living.
When a talented person does something bad, it doesn’t suddenly make him untalented. It might change your opinion about his character, and you’re probably right. But if he’s still good at what he does, and if people want to pay him for it, they don’t care that you disapprove. You’re not as powerful as you thought you were. And that’s what actually rankles you.
Cancel culture lost one. Louis CK defeated it, at great personal risk, through sheer force of will.
If you’re angry about that, don’t worry. You’ll find someone else to destroy. You always do.