Louis C.K. Did A Surprise Stand-Up Set In New York And People Are Fucking Pissed
"Fuck this guy with an active volcano."
Comedian Louis C.K. made a surprise appearance at the famous Comedy Cellar in New York City on Tuesday. And understandably, people were pissed.
C.K. has been keeping a low profile since November last year, when he admitted to multiple allegations of sexual misconduct, including several incidents in which he masturbated in front of women without their consent. At the time, C.K. apologised and said he would “step back and take a long time to listen”, which we now know meant, eh, around ten months.
According to Comedy Cellar owner Noam Dworman, C.K. received a largely positive reception from the crowd, including a standing ovation when he first walked onto the stage. The venue did however receive a message from one person the next day who said they wished they’d known ahead of time that C.K. would be performing so they could have made an informed decision over whether or not to attend.
The response on social media has unsurprisingly been much less rosy, with a number of other comedians leading the backlash. Kathy Griffin was especially vocal, posting a thread on Twitter criticising the comedy “boys club” and called the situation “fucking pathetic”.
A) You know how many talented women and POC comics are knocking on doors trying to get some time in front of audiences or powerful people in this business? And Louis just gets to glide back in on his own terms? Gosh, does it payoff to be in the boys club..the white boys club https://t.co/hewlglA2a7
— Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) August 28, 2018
B) I’m so used to the boys club in comedy things like this don’t shock me…but that doesn’t mean situations like this don’t make me angry and frustrated for the people who have struggled to be heard and seen in a business that appreciate diversity.
— Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) August 28, 2018
C) Just like executives at major companies have golf..which is where business gets done, men get promotions, but people who don’t golf are left out…in the comedy business male comics hang out with each other and cover for each other. They write jokes, give each other gigs
— Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) August 28, 2018
D) And they also cover up for each other. It’s a sick, cruel cycle and right now I can only imagine what the survivors of Louis’ predation are thinking. All I know is we should all be outraged…the boys club won again…
— Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) August 28, 2018
E) Louis just went on a long vacation and didn’t do anything to show that he has reformed/changed. He’s a multi-millionaire who finally got some sleep after working nonstop for years. This is how we are making people are paying penance in the #MeToo era?
Fucking pathetic.
— Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) August 28, 2018
Others echoed this sentiment, questioning whether C.K. had done anything to deserve another chance.
Louis CK being “banished” from stand-up comedy wasn’t some kind of petty punishment, it was a fucking workplace safety issue.
— Bris Farley (@IanKarmel) August 28, 2018
Can you imagine the bank you’re working at hiring back the guy who jacked off in front of women without their consent because it had been like, a year or something?
— Bris Farley (@IanKarmel) August 28, 2018
louis ck getting a standing ovation for dropping in to a comedy club less than a year after admitting to sexual misconduct tells you all you need to know about how society applauds powerful men for doing less than the minimum of decency
— Aparna Nancherla (@aparnapkin) August 28, 2018
There goes another room, one less space that women can freely step into to do jokes, make a living in. Thanks a freaking lot @ComedyCellarUSA
— Aditi (hot takes 4 koolkidz) (@awryaditi) August 28, 2018
Cool cool so it was a drop in cool so the audience didn’t get a chance to consent to this shit either cool cool love my job love my workplace great to feel valued and protected!! FYI I ran the light at the Cellar once and that was enough for them to never have me back https://t.co/WMpUHbvGCx
— Emily Heller (@MrEmilyHeller) August 28, 2018
If Louis CK had jerked off in front of most of the dudes currently defending Louis CK, they would have murdered him and then gotten off with a gay panic defense.
— Siobhan Thompson (@vornietom) August 28, 2018
Me online before the Louis CK news. / Me now. pic.twitter.com/tv0jwcNzOS
— Julia Prescott (@juliaprescott) August 28, 2018
I’m still on the same shampoo bottle as when louis ck’s time out started
— Sarah Lazarus (@sarahclazarus) August 28, 2018
You know the old saying “if you don’t want to do the time, don’t do the crime. Alternatively be a man in comedy, and you can do the crime, give it a minute and everyone is chill” https://t.co/Tj8GtNIs2v
— Nish Kumar (@MrNishKumar) August 28, 2018
I’m amazed Louis C.K. is even awake enough to do standup after all the time he must have spent volunteering at shelters for abused women. Seriously, fuck this guy with an active volcano
— Jason (@longwall26) August 29, 2018