Louis C.K. Has Not Earned a Comeback
By: Alexis Romero
Tags: Culture, Sexual Assault, Comedy, Metoo, Politics

As you’ve likely heard, Louis CK recently returned to the public spotlight to do a 15-minute show at a Long Island comedy club last week. This is less than a year after he publicly admitted to the long-standing rumors that he, on several occasions, masturbated in the presence of his female colleagues.

The reception to his return has been lukewarm, and rightly so. There is little evidence that Louis CK has shown much remorse or paid an ounce of moral or social retribution. And simply disappearing for a few months isn’t enough.

As many have acknowledged already, questions about justice in these situations can be tricky. There is no one set of rules that can properly determine whether an abuser “deserves” anything in the form of retribution. But based on the reaction Louis’ return received, I think we can gain some clarity on a few absolutes — some ‘must haves’ for a public figure to earn a hope of redemption.

The Bare Minimum for a Celebrity Comeback

I’d like to suggest that there are two basic types of actions that Louis CK and the like must do in order to regain acceptance from the public.

Engage in absolute defense of the accusers Create a new body of work that directly confronts their past

First, it is no secret that the women who come out and tell their stories of harassment and abuse are treated exponentially worse than the abusers themselves. This is true in Louis’ case as well.

“Rebecca Corry, one of the women who discussed the behavior of Louis C.K. before he finally admitted to the truth of her claims, has received mockery, death threats, and other assorted tokens of hatred from members of the public who, despite the events of the previous year, still insist on bowing before the hulking altar of male genius.” — Megan Garber, The Atlantic

Doing whatever one can to stop this absurd dynamic from continuing seems like a clear first step for a returning artist. While Louis CK does not have the ability to directly silence or reprimand the myriad of online harassers attacking people in Rebecca Corry’s position, nearly all comedians do have one particular skill that would be helpful in this arena, an ability to shame trolls.

Like the takedown of a heckler at one of his specials, Louis CK does have the power of ridicule — to make it clear to the internet world that not only are the allegations against him 100% true, but also that anyone who considers attacking any MeToo women are idiots and cowards who will be made fun of by Louis CK personally.

“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.” — Louis C.K.

To be clear, it is not Louis CK’s place to come riding back into public view as a form of white male savior to these women. What we are looking for instead is a signal of general giving-a-shit along with a legitimate use of Louis’ public reputation and skillset to try and help. If you’ve spent years using your power to abuse women, it seems absolutely necessary that you now must use your power to help them. Otherwise, you don’t deserve any of the power you’ve amassed — and boycotts should begin/continue across the industry.

Masturbation Jokes & Self-Prescribed Justice

The next part of a public recovery requires using one’s work to directly grapple with their past deeds as well as the broader issue of systemic gender abuse. Unfortunately, the owner of the comedy club Louis performed at described his set as touching on “‘typical Louis CK stuff’ — racism, waitresses’ tips, parades.” This is unacceptable. If Louis wants to come back then he must talk publicly about what he did, both in interviews and also in his comedy work.

These two bare minimums: the public shaming of trolls and a different direction of work, are risky. The allegation that these men are now pandering for a spot back in power would come up. Even worse, some may suggest that by making jokes about MeToo that Louis CK is not taking what he did seriously. Needless to say, what I’ve suggested are not the strategies a public relations firm or an agent would ever come up with, but that’s because they’re not hacks or gimmicks. Real retribution is what’s required here, and it means going beyond apologies (although those matter too) and taking action that actually confronts what one has done.

And let me say this about artistic quality. Not only should a failure to confront the elephant in the comedy room about his crimes lead us as a public to the conclusion that Louis CK is not ethically fit for public life — but for him not to acknowledge what he did would also prove he is now bad at his job.

You see, what made Louis’ work great in the past was his willingness to plunge deep into the depths of real problems in his own life regarding homosexuality, racism, and prescient enough, sex and masturbation. Today, it is the case that a habit of sexual misconduct clearly counts as a problem Louis CK has. So to write and perform comedy that directly engages with sexual power in the workplace is not only an ethically necessary act needed to regain social status, but it is also the defining characteristic as to whether or not Louis CK is even a good comedian anymore. If a joke centered on rape whistle puns would be questionable even without any history of sexual harassment, it is, as an audience member put it, a disgusting joke after you’ve touched yourself in front of five women.

And if it seems unfair or burdensome that Louis CK now has to spend years of his life giving interviews and writing on an issue he’s likely ashamed of and perhaps not interested in rehashing, well then we should remember the most important rule of justice: the person who has committed wrong does not get to set the terms for their consequences. To cheer Louis on outside of a redemptive framework like this one is to cling onto a form of perverted nostalgia.