Disgraced comedian Louis CK is back, performing his first new stand-up routine since admitting to numerous instances of sexual misconduct and harassment of women just 10 months ago.
Social media has been on fire with discussion over whether Louis CK has served enough time away from comedy. Some suggested he should continue working in the industry while others pointed out that he didn’t pay any real price for his past behavior.
Indeed, the comedian’s banishment from the comedy world didn’t last long. He made his post-scandal debut at the Comedy Cellar in New York’s Greenwich Village where, according to the owner of the venue, Noam Dworman, his set consisted of “typical Louis CK stuff” like racism and tipping in restaurants – but no mention of his past misconduct.
Louis CK released a statement last year during the height of the #MeToo campaign movement, confirming that allegations made against him by five women, including that he masturbated in front of them, were in fact true and saying that he could never forgive himself for the “scope of hurt” he had caused.
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Unfortunately for some of the guests who would rather not have seen him, Louis CK’s appearance was unannounced and was not listed on the bill when people bought their tickets, which prompted some on Twitter to suggest it would have been better for the comedian to receive “consent” before dropping in unannounced. Despite that, however, Dworman said he received a warm reception from most of the audience.
News of Louis CK’s return didn’t go down too well with his fellow comedians and others in the entertainment world, however, with some expressing their disappointment on social media.
Comedian Bris Farley tweeted that Louis CK’s “banishment” from stand-up comedy “wasn't some kind of petty punishment, it was a f*cking workplace safety issue” while screenwriter Jason Filiatrault pointed out that Louis CK would “be a f*cking pariah” and would have less chance of being forgiven so soon if he had “stolen jokes” from someone else.