As we learned earlier this week, Louis CK is trying to make a “comeback” roughly nine months after he admitted to sexually harassing multiple women. The harassment was towards coworkers and fellow comedians, and while Louis CK did admit to some of it, there really hasn’t been a reckoning over his campaign to shut down and gaslight his victims for years. It wasn’t just him – it often felt like (and still feels like) the bro-centric world of comedy has always had Louis’s back and those dudes are all too eager to “give him another chance.” The New York Times would have us believe that Louis CK was embraced completely by the audience at the Comedy Cellar, but they were wrong. Vulture spoke to some of the women who were in the audience, and they had a completely different read on the situation:
Two women who sat through C.K.’s set told Vulture that though the small venue’s audience was overwhelmingly supportive of the comedian, one joke about rape whistles was “uncomfortable,” and that there seemed to be a divide between how men and women reacted to C.K.’s presence.
The women were at the Comedy Cellar that night to see another comedian on the lineup when C.K. appeared onstage after a brief introduction from the night’s emcee. “It felt like he was being thrust upon the audience without telling them,” one woman, who asked to remain anonymous, told Vulture. “The audience was very loud when Louis C.K. walked in. They were clearly supportive and surprised when he showed up, but there were a number of women sitting in the front row,” the woman said. From her seat to the left of the stage, she could see a pair of women sitting stone-faced. Her friend, who asked be identified with the initials S.B., noticed the same reaction: “There were at least four to five females that I could see, and three or four of them were not having it. They were just looking at him, deadpan, straight, not having it.”
S.B. said the audience was mostly white, with lots of couples. Both women say the set was awkward, but the first woman was particularly upset by it. “It was an all-male set to begin with. Then, it’s sort of exacerbated by [C.K.’s] presence,” she said. “If someone had heckled him, I think they would’ve been heckled out. It felt like there were a lot of aggressive men in the audience and very quiet women. It’s the kind of vibe that doesn’t allow for a dissenting voice. You’re just expected to be a good audience member. You’re considered a bad sport if you speak out.”
After C.K.’s set, Comedy Cellar owner Noam Dworman said the comedian showed up unannounced, and he didn’t know about the surprise set until later. Dworman told The Hollywood Reporter that he’d only received one email complaining about C.K.’s set, but that the comedian received “a real ovation,” according to audio he heard after the fact. The women agree that C.K.’s reception was warm, with one man shouting that it was “good to have [C.K.] back.” S.B. recalled that the applause at the end of C.K.’s set was a bit quieter than the beginning. “I was actually surprised personally how his exit round of applause compared to his entrance round of applause,” she said. “It was way quieter for sure. There was a huge difference in that volume or in those number of claps.”
The women say C.K.’s set was similar to his usual material, and included a joke about the phrase “clean as a whistle,” which built up to a joke about how rape whistles are not clean. “When he said ‘rape whistle’ people were laughing, and I was just sitting there like oh my f–k. This is so uncomfortable and so disgusting. Everyone around me was laughing. That was just depressing.”
Towards the end of the piece, it was just driven home how Louis CK’s set was so much like his admitted sexual misconduct/abuse: he wasn’t invited to whip it out, it was really gross and uncomfortable, and women were made to feel like they couldn’t speak about how uncomfortable it really was. And then afterwards, all of the dudes just started gaslighting women about how NO ONE had any problems with it and EVERYONE should be so grateful that it happened. Ugh, I’m going back to bed.
Photos courtesy of Getty.
Roxane Gay wrote a great piece about this in the NYT. As she put it: this guy may have fallen from grace, but he has had a mighty soft landing.
F*ck this guy. I would have stood up and walked out when he came on stage.
Agree.
He tests new material for his comeback tour and unsuspecting women are tricked into paying for it. It’s so gross.
There is a kind of magical realism element to putative claims about continuing injury. because he was supposed to have been excised, vanished in a ritual purge. and he is back, so it’s like a scary zombie or ghost out and about. a shape shifter. an alien who got through the portal or whatever.
he went away for a while and he shouldn’t be banished for life because of his offense. there needs to be some sense of proportionality. The idea that a woman’s hopes and dreams could be so dashed forever because of the sight of his penis does a disservice to women I think. Dave chappelle was right when he called it brittle-ass spirit.
Read Roxane Gay’s piece in today’s NYT. She has some very specific recommendations for restorative justice for the women he abused. If he took her advice, I would say, ok, you can come back. But the idea that laying low for a few months and thinking all is forgiven is total BS.
Ugh, just ugh at your whole attitude. First of all, he has not actually professionally suffered for his vile actions. And he has done no penance and there is no reason to believe he has actually considered what he’s done and how wrong it was. So why should he be forgiven?
And you have no right to say what women who experienced trauma should have been able to do. Especially in the context where that trauma was perpetrated by someone with a huge amount of power in the industry. And a lot of what I’ve heard is that these women were bullied out by people more powerful than them bc they knew CK’s dirty little “secret.”
And the thinking that the man’s reputation should be able to be redeemed while his victims are dismissed as “weak-spirited” whiners is indicative of how our society handles these things. As long as the man is able to maintain his position…the rest can go to hell.
Nah. If I was in the front row I’d have pulled out my phone and started surfing and ignored him. WAY more painful to his ego.
I read a comment from a woman at the show, and she said that the males in the audience were fully with Louis, and she felt if she walked out she would be mercilessly heckled.
Agreed! Though I have the balls to have asked if he’s whipped it out lately, consequences be damned! I have NO f*cks left to give when it comes to scum like him!
The comments of some guys at the Vulture’s article are disgusting. They are defending him and discreting the victims’ allegations even after the guy confessed. Men are choosing to not listen and learn.
Uh-huh. I read some of those out loud to my husband last night. And I told him, “I don’t hate Louis CK a tenth as much as I hate these guys.” CK intentionally, directly hurt a handful of women (that we know of), and he’s slime for sure. But these comedy bros would jeopardize the health and wellness of every woman on Earth, shove them out of every public space, if it means they can welcome in their ol’ buddy Louie. I hate them. I actually, actually hate them.
Louis CK hasn’t learned a thing, apparently. Still a predator.
No doubt. His first comedy set back from being outed as a sexual predator and he made a rape joke? He has not changed.
I’m surprised no one stood up and left.
If the first set he did after his “punishment” time off included a rape whistle joke, I don’t want to hear anything about him being sorry, learning, growing, etc.
I would have left.
Just reading this makes me angry. When will things ever change? And frankly, if I had been there with a guy–a boyfriend or a date–and he didn’t leave with me and support my reaction…? That would have told me something unforgettable about my date or boyfriend. The result being: no more dates and/or the beginning of the end with the boyfriend.
This is serious.
And I sincerely appreciate everyone here at Celebitchy. This is such a great place for conversation, thought, support, and learning. I’m here more for these threads than for the gossip ones.
I second your thought re: the community at Celebitchy. The commenters here are so thoughtful and insightful, make keen observations on certain celebrities, and just generally look deeper and talk about more important issues than your average gossip site. That’s why it’s my one and only!
You know what I think it is? In situations like this individual women are sitting there frozen, like what should I do? Everyone seems fine with this. If only they could communicate telepathically with the other women in the audience, probably 80% of them would have gotten up and walked out.
@Darla, I agree with you and that is one reason why I love Celebitchy so much. As you note, @Case, this is the place where we can really have the good conversations and support and learning and sharing.
I think this is a good opportunity for all of us to ask ourselves what we would have done, and then mentally rehearse how we’d handle something like this. I look back on all the times I sat there and allowed something that should have been firmly stopped and am trying now to think ahead and ask myself hypothetical what-if questions. Because yes, freezing and not knowing quite what to do, then looking around and seeing that nobody is doing anything so staying frozen is a natural response. But now, more than ever, it seems like that natural response isn’t serving any of us.
IDK. I hope there is backlash against this situation, though.
Well said Frida, you are so right, we all have to practice in our minds. I have done this with racism, what will I do if it happens in front of me? You know, because all of these awful videos that have come out from all over the country, of POC being harrassed in places like supermarkets, since trump became president. We really do have to think it through a lot so we are prepared when these things happen, because they will.
100%. And I would be afraid of being called out by him for my exit (as comedians sometimes do). And if the women were there to see another comedian they might not have wanted to leave the whole show. I don’t think you can come back in once you leave that venue.
Re: Celebitchy community. This is the only celebrity gossip that I even bother to read – I stumbled on to it accidentally and kept coming back because of the commenting community. People here are thoughtful and intelligent, for the most part. Even when I suspect someone of being a little trollish, my first thought is usually, “Wow that’s one articulate fn troll.” It is literally the only website I visit that I look forward to reading comments on. Every other site, I avoid them at all costs.
Comedians like John Mulaney show time and time again that you don’t need to be raunchy and offensive to be incredibly funny. There’s absolutely no excuse for these kinds of “jokes.” None.
and If you do those kind of jokes then don’t be mad if someone calls you out, if you make racist or sexist jokes then go on, I don’t think you should go to jail or something but people should and will call you what you are
I highly recommend you check out Jack Whitehall’s special on Netflix. Also proof that you don’t have to make jokes like that to be funny.
It will be interesting and telling to see how his “comeback” continues after this. I feel sick to my stomach over how this went down, this whole coordinated dudebro, silencing, gaslighting affair. I’ve been in those kinds of environments, most women have, and it makes me furious that this sick little twist has enough support from willfully ignorant men to even try it so soon after his sheep’s clothing got ripped off. He’s proving what a predator he is. I have no idea if there will be enough outraged women and woke men to keep this creep from being somewhat successful, but I hope there are.
Im here…..white male (who used to admire his comedy). I CANNOT ABIDE this D**K! Truly DISGUSTING! (I’m entirely anonymous on a gossip website and this is in no way said with any agenda to sound “woke”). I just genuinely find this DISGUSTING AF and I am truly sorry for all women right now.
What I find most appalling is that the women
( and hopefully some men ) were hostages.
At the very least his appearance should have been on the marquee or announced well in advance so those that wanted to leave could do so with out condemnation!!! I know he probably wanted a low key on boarding but f^<k him and his desires….
ITA. It should have been announced so that people could have a choice. That was not a real choice (stay, or be heckled on the way out). Gross.
The women could have walked out. I certainly would have. If he really did get a standing ovation, screw that entire audience.
I wonder if this was the first set of the night. I would be pissed if I paid for my ticket and was looking forward to seeing a particular comedian, then they trot this a**hole out first. I’m honestly not sure if I would leave. I do, however, find it impossible to believe the owner only got one email complaining. Give me a break, Check your inbox again now, buddy.
This is really unfortunate but I think in that situation I would have wanted to leave but stopped myself for fear of drawing attention. And, as much as I hate to admit it, part of me would stay for fear that I would be perceived as “not being able to take a joke.”
But those weren’t even jokes. Rape whistles are not a joke. I don’t know where he gets off – excuse the language- being so cavalier about all of this.
I’m glad these women spoke to Vulture. I haven’t read the piece yet but I sincerely hope some of the men quoted had the same reaction.
Let me tell you people think this country is divided by race, religion etc. Nope the biggest divide is between men and women. It’s wasn’t until the internt/social media that I saw the hate and ignorance men truly have for women.
Re: the hate and ignorance men truly have for women – yes –
And the fact that so few men are truly here to be our allies. Certainly not, this f$%king guy, who makes a joke about a rape whistle on his first set back. A rape whistle is meant as a level of defense/safety for women who are being sexually assaulted. He sexually assaulted women and went away for 9 months only to return to make a joke about a rape whistle in his first set back?
I am admittedly crying a little right now because I am so disgusted by this entire situation and how it is a reflection of our society right now. Gross.
Absolutely. It’s repulsive. If we complain about it we are mocked about being frigid, gay or un-bleepable. I was sexually assaulted when I was young and I have no patience for it. Social media has convinced me that the majority of men are pigs. I’ve stopped dating because of it.
@heylee – This: And the fact that so few men are truly here to be our allies.
To me that is THE most disheartening thing of all. Because, it’s true.
If there were loud and aggressive men in the audience I would have wanted to leave but been scared to. Men are scary. They have shown time and time again that they can abuse and hurt and kill women with impunity. We shouldn’t have to constantly put ourselves in even more danger to take a stand against the dangers we are already constantly in. Im mad at the men. The women didn’t want him there and they had so much less power in this situation in every way. If one dude had stood up and yelled for him to get off the stage or go home and f$ck his house plant – that would have been something else. People would have listened. Women are already screaming and dying and being threatened for the privilege of having done so. Ughghhh
I would have gotten up and left. Eff him.
He doesn’t care what women think…his audience is white young to middle aged men. They will continue to support him and make him feel vindicated. Part of me wish those women had walked out, but I think it’s even better that they sat there stone cold. Gotta try to make HIM and his male audience members feel uncomfortable!
I applaud the women for their efforts, but I’m sure both Louis CK and the men in the audience didn’t care. That’s the sad thing. As someone said above, so few of them are actually allies. It’s depressing.
If I went to a comedy show and Louis CK was a surprise guest, I’d give him a few minutes of my time to listen to his new stuff and judge for myself if he had grown or matured as a person. I used to be a fan, I’d give him that much. But really, still doing rape jokes? He’s obviously learned nothing, still thinks he’s so cute and funny and edgy, get out. Done for good.
So, you are telling me that after this guy admits to sexual misconduct, he is still actually telling sexually charged jokes about rape?? What a massive ahole!! What is wrong with him?? He is the one that has no f*cks to give on the subject, except for the ones he will likely force on someone else in the future in a very hideous, real way.
“If someone had heckled him, I think they would’ve been heckled out. It felt like there were a lot of aggressive men in the audience and very quiet women. It’s the kind of vibe that doesn’t allow for a dissenting voice. You’re just expected to be a good audience member. You’re considered a bad sport if you speak out.”
Just speak out! I hate how people invent an entire scenario in their head like it’s fact. What’s the worst that could happen? Men yell or ignore you? Fuck em.
Most places don’t “allow” for dissenting voices. That’s why the voices are dissenting by definition!