To say that it’s been a chaotic few weeks in the entertainment industry would be an understatement. Just when it seemed things couldn’t get any weirder than the slap seen round the world, comedian, Louis CK, arose from the cancel culture graveyard to collect the Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album.
The award is a huge step forward for CK whose career was nearly derailed in Nov. 2017, after he publicly confessed to sexually harassing five female comedians over the course of his career. “These Stories Are True” the comedian wrote in response to the New York Times article that brought the comediennes’ stories to light. Although CK gave no formal apology he ended his admission by promising to, “step back and take a long time to listen.”
That “long time” lasted about nine months before CK made his return to stand up during a surprise appearance at his home club, The Comedy Cellar in New York’s, Greenwich Village. The appearance, which led to protests outside the venue, was just the first step of CK’s attempt to rebuild his career.
In the years since, CK continued his rebuild by performing in small clubs around the U.S. as opposed to the theaters and arenas he had been accustomed to. The comedian also went international. Selling out large venues all throughout Europe and Asia.
CK’s comeback culminated in the release of his first special since the New York Times article came out. Released April 4th, 2020, “Sincerely Louis CK” saw the comedian in his usual form, cracking jokes on everything from his mother’s recent death, to falling in love with a French comedian during his escape to Paris.
After opening the special by discussing the legalization of gay marriage, and wondering if some gay couples miss when it was illegal to get married, the comedian transitioned into a discussion of the New York Times article and what he learned in the fallout from it. While still not formally apologizing to the women in question, CK admitted he used poor judgment and should’ve taken his victims feelings into account.
Almost exactly two years to the date that CK put out his comeback special, the performance earned him the Grammy Award for Best Comedy Album and perhaps more importantly a tacit indication that Hollywood may be ready to work with him again.
Many on the political left have used CK’s Grammy victory to argue that cancel culture does not exist, now I’ve argued in a previous article that cancel culture does exist, but only in the most clear cut instances of wrongdoing.
In the week since the Grammys the two most common arguments I see online are “Did Louis actually get canceled?” and “Does Louis deserve a mainstream comeback?”
To answer the first question, after the New York Times article came out Louis lost $35 million in a single hour, got dropped by his agents, had all his projects canceled, and no production companies have worked with him since.
Although he may not have been punished severely he was effectively shut out of the industry. Since then he has financed, produced, directed, and distributed all of his projects himself. We can argue forever whether that’s actually cancel culture or just a pretty fair punishment for his actions.
It’s important to note that Louis may not need or want industry backing. His comeback alone has proven that he’s perfectly adept at creating and putting out his projects on his own. But let’s say he does want to make a formal comeback in the industry. Does he deserve to?
The part of me that’s been a fan of his since I was thirteen would say yes. I mean Louis is one of the best creative minds of this generation, and besides people in Hollywood have certainly gotten away with much worse while still being allowed to work.
But also I understand that other than his nine months out of the spotlight he’s done little to nothing to rectify the wrongdoings that led to his punishment in the first place. Once he has actually attempted to make things right with the women he’s hurt or at the very least apologize then and only then should the industry consider working with him again.
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