Late last year, comedian Louis C.K. was accused of sexual misconduct by several women.
Since then, FX Networks has cut all ties with C.K., and Netflix canceled any of his upcoming comedy specials on their service. C.K.’s film, I Love You, Daddy, which
he wrote, directed, and starred in, was dropped from international distributors and any plans for releasing the film was scrapped.
The past few years have seen many high-profile celebrities accused of sexual misconduct or harassment, most notably, Kevin Spacey, Harvey Weinstein, and Bill Cosby.
Some of the accused have managed to keep a low profile and stay out of the public eye. Others, like Bill Cosby, have been tried and are now serving prison time.
However, on August 26, 2018, after nine months of radio silence, C.K. made a surprise appearance at the Comedy Cellar in Manhattan, New York and performed a set without mentioning the controversy.
Then, a month later on September 30th, he performed another unannounced stand-up set at the same comedy club.
It is clearly evident that C.K. is trying to make a comeback, and while he was greeted with cheers and applause at the comedy club, he was also faced with criticism online.
Many say that while they would love to see him back onstage, C.K.’s comeback was premature and handled very poorly.
During his first performance back, C.K. made a joke pertaining to rape.
In this age of #MeToo, Harvey Weinstein, and Brett Kavanaugh, a comedian, especially one such as Louis C.K., should think twice before telling a joke about rape.
While C.K. initially admitted to his actions, and apologized for them when the scandal first broke, he should have taken the time to address the controversy during his first performance back instead of avoiding the subject entirely.
Also, forcing an audience to sit through an entire set by a person they might not feel comfortable with is a sleazy tactic.
If he had approached things a bit differently, there may have been a slight chance that critics could have forgiven Louis C.K. He may have already been on his way to rebuilding his career by now.
However, this also begs the question of whether or not C.K. should be forgiven at all.
Some say what he did wasn’t that bad compared to what other offenders have done, and are perfectly fine and happy with him performing again.
Others are not so quick to forgive, and say he should never perform again.
It hasn’t even been a year since these allegations came out, and C.K. is already rushing back to the stage with mixed reactions from the public.
Those who are willing to acknowledge what they have done wrong, and work to learn and grow from it, deserve a second chance.
Right now, Louis should spend more time away from the limelight, provide a genuine apology when the time comes, and get himself together. From there, his fans can only hope for a true comeback and redemption.
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