People Are Not OK With Louis C.K.'s Return to Comedy After #MeToo Allegations
Less than one year after he was accused of sexual misconduct by multiple women, comedian Louis C.K. returned to stand-up during an unannounced set at New York City’s Comedy Cellar on Sunday night.
The comedian is far from the first man accused of misconduct to return to work in the months following the rise of the #MeToo movement, but his reemergence is provoking some strong opinions from Twitter users. After news of his performance circulated the Internet, many people—including comedians and comedy writers—quickly pointed out that not enough time had passed since the allegations against him first came to light. Others questioned what work C.K. had done to recognize the full impact of his actions. As comedian Melinda Hill put it, “Louis CK is spearheading the #MeTooSoon movement.”
According to The New York Times, the audience had a different reaction. C.K. was welcomed with an ovation before his surprise set. He was “very relaxed” before launching into a 15-minute set full of “typical Louis C.K. stuff,” Cellar owner Noam Dworman told the Times. (At least one audience member called the club to object the set, Dworman told the paper.)
“It sounded just like he was trying to work out some new material, almost like any time of the last 10 years he would come in at the beginning of a new act,” Dworman said.
C.K., who is among dozens of high-profile men accused of misconduct since October, acknowledged that stories of his lewd behavior were true last November. Several accusations had been made public in The New York Times, including an alleged incident in which C.K. exposed himself and masturbated in front of women without their consent.
He eventually lost a production deal with FX Networks and canceled a film he’d written called I Love You, Daddy. He has remained largely away from the spotlight and had not performed since issuing his apology.
“These stories are true,” he wrote in a statement, which ended with a promise to take time off to reflect. “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.”
That break, Twitter reveals, wasn’t long enough.
The conversation around C.K. also comes at a time when several of the men accused of sexual assault or misconduct have started to make their way back into the public eye.
Earlier this week Page Six reported that Matt Lauer told fans he’ll “be back on TV,” and comedian Aziz Ansari, who one woman accused of escalating a sexual exchange, also quietly returned to the scene. These scenarios have ignited a conversation about how men atone for inappropriate behavior.
For some, C.K. is a particularly complex figure due to his leadership position in the comedy world. He has been hailed as someone who helped propel female comedians to fame, but many of the women who accused him of inappropriate behavior told the Times that it was this same reputation that kept them from speaking up for fear of career repercussions.
“Louis C.K. being ‘banished’ from stand-up comedy wasn’t some kind of petty punishment, it was a fucking workplace safety issue,” comedian Bris Farley wrote on Twitter.
“One of my fondest memories is singing my song about loving Louis CK right before he did a drop-in. The idea of him doing a drop-in now feels awful,” comedian Allie Goertz shared. “I believe people can grow and change, but this urgency to bring him (and others) back SO soon just sends such a bad message.”
MORE: If We Want Men to Be a Part of #MeToo, We Have to Stop Gendering the Movement