What Comedians Are Saying About Louis C.K.'s Return

By Kristy Puchko | Industry | August 28, 2018 |

Monday night, admitted sexual harasser/comedian Louis C.K. returned to performing when he surprised an unsuspecting audience with an unscheduled stand-up set in New York City. This has ignited the debate about what the Me Too movement wants to happen to abusers and if it’s too soon for C.K. to seek a revival or redemption. Comedians are weighing in on the matter through Twitter.

Many are firmly Team Too Soon.

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.

I believe people can grow and change, but this urgency to bring him (and others) back SO soon just sends such a bad message.
— Allie Goertz (@AllieGoertz) August 28, 2018

The answer to “but how long should [insert male celeb who sexually assaulted multiple women] have to wait before he gets his career back?”

UNTIL EVERY WOMAN WHOSE CAREER HE RUINED TO KEEP HIS ASSAULTS SECRET GETS HERS BACK, plus the # of years she had to wait.

That’s just math
— Ashley Nicole Black (@ashleyn1cole) August 28, 2018

Remember episode 1 of Better Call Saul where Saul is forced to work at Cinnabon under a new name, twitching and afraid, going home to watch his old commercials with pathetic reverence? That's better than Louis CK deserves. Get the fuck offstage.
— Dan Telfer (@dantelfer) August 28, 2018

I thought about it and the appropriate punishment for Louis CK is to come back as a woman in comedy backstage with Louis CK.
— Bess Kalb (@bessbell) August 28, 2018

Are women who were driven out of comedy by having a co-worker assault them getting spots anywhere?
— Mike Drucker (@MikeDrucker) August 28, 2018

For a little context, he admitted to sexual assault 9 months ago and those assaults happened TWELVE YEARS before that. I don't think that life banishments are necessarily the answer, but nine months ain't it either.
— rhea butcher (@RheaButcher) August 28, 2018

many good, well-employed comedians regularly perform at the Comedy Cellar. they all have the power to make it clear that Louis CK's return is not acceptable pic.twitter.com/8fBkfOXatB
— Seth Simons (@sasimons) August 28, 2018

I knew he’d be back, but I honestly gave him too much credit; I really thought he’d just drop an hour set, Horace & Pete-style, and most of it would be about what happened and what he “learned” from it and so forth. But naw?
— Paul F. Tompkins (@PFTompkins) August 28, 2018

Then there’s Michael Ian Black.

Will take heat for this, but people have to be allowed to serve their time and move on with their lives. I don't know if it's been long enough, or his career will recover, or if people will have him back, but I'm happy to see him try. https://t.co/QmqdGJnIjy
— Michael Ian Black (@michaelianblack) August 28, 2018

The #metoo movement is incredibly powerful and important and vital. One next step, among many steps, has to be figuring out a way for the men who are caught up in it to find redemption.
— Michael Ian Black (@michaelianblack) August 28, 2018

For his supporting of C.K. being welcomed back into the very environment where his abuse was long an open secret, Black got a lot of pushback from fans, Pajibans, and fellow-comedian Rhea Butcher.

And also: do you/we know the comics name that he do this to? No, we mostly don’t. But we know Louis. Has she been redeemed back into comedy?
— rhea butcher (@RheaButcher) August 28, 2018

We are friends and I just wanted to bring up my view of the situation because I genuinely believe you could see it from my perspective.
— rhea butcher (@RheaButcher) August 28, 2018

Let’s end with a thoughtful thread from LA-based stand-up comedian, Ian Karmel.

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

Sorry to blather on, but this shit just really fucking makes me sick.

It seems so obvious that we shouldn't let these people back into our communities without them putting in a lot of work to get better.

My next long tweet thread will be about basketball or Taco Bell I swear.
— Bris Farley (@IanKarmel) August 28, 2018

Did we miss a comic’s response? Include it in comments.

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