If you take into consideration his entire body of work (and not just his recent controversy), Louis C.K. is probably one of the smartest, most creative, and honest comedians on the planet. That sort of creativity and honesty led to “Louie” becoming one of the best series in FX history and paved the way for shows like “Atlanta” to push the boundaries of typical 30-minute comedies and take risks. And this is why the recent downward spiral that C.K. has been so troubling. Because it appears that his demons have been ensuring that the comedian will never rise to prominence again.
Recently, a full recording of a comedy club appearance from Louis C.K. in December has surfaced online. And during the 46-minute stand-up set, it would appear that the comedian has put the final nails in his career coffin.
“Ever have an entire year that sucks 365 s— c— days in a row?” C.K. says to the crowd (via Variety).
And thus begins the sad, self-destructive comedy set that goes on to make fun of school shootings and gender identity, as well as a variety of other topics. Oh yeah, and he fully commits by using racial and gay slurs. It’s a doozy.
Here are a couple of the “greatest hits” from the comedy set:
“You’re not interesting because you went to a high school where kids got shot,” C.K. says about the Parkland school shooting. “Why does that mean I have to listen to you? How does that make you interesting? You didn’t get shot. You pushed some fat kid in the way. Now I gotta listen to you talking?”
“They tell you what to call them. ‘You should address me as they them because I identify as gender neutral,’” he says about the idea of gender identity. ”‘You should address me as there because I identify as a location and the location is your mother’s c—.’“
Ultimately, he seems to give the reason for his anger, and apparent career suicide, by saying, “What are you going to do, take away my birthday? My life is over. I don’t give a s—.”
It’s that last line that really sticks out to me. That desperation and anger that Louis C.K. feels right now are clouding his judgment and creating this situation where any hope of a comeback is almost surely out the window. And what is all the more tragic is that it could have been avoided. (And yes, it could have been avoided if he kept his pants on, but that’s another discussion, altogether.)
I’m normally against being the person to somehow pretend I know better than the people going through a situation, and by no means, am I saying that C.K. is right for what he did to get him in this situation and what he does to keep himself in the headlines, but I feel that a man as creative and smart as he is could have done so much to get himself back in the public eye, the right way.
Imagine that C.K. took all of 2018 off. And during 2019, he secretly writes and films an entire new season of “Louie.” However, instead of focusing on the “sad sack comedian” story that kept that series going, he decided to do what he does best and use his talent as a meta-commentary on his situation and society, in general. Allowing time for the anger to subside (both inside him and coming from the general public), he could return with a season that focuses on the marginalized characters in his story, allowing the character (and actor) to take a step back and listen to those around him discuss the situation he’s in and how he should handle it.
Remember that scene in “Louie,” where C.K. sits with Dane Cook and they hash out a feud they had for years? It was incredibly awkward and cringe-y, but it also was beautiful and poignant (and was born out of a real-life situation). Take that inspiration, set it across an entire season, and allow other characters in the show the chance to speak up about why they agree/disagree with C.K. and why he should sit back and listen for once, instead of supposing he has all the answers. Perhaps then, people would accept him back and he could prove his forgiveness.
As I said, this is surely not the only answer, but it would be something. And without a doubt, it’s a lot more creatively fulfilling and therapeutic than reverting to the easy way of being angry all the time and carelessly making fun of people that are not responsible for the situation he’s in.
That’s what trolls do on Twitter. That’s not what comedic geniuses do, who have plenty of money and a platform.
For those not familiar with the Dane Cook scene from “Louie,” here it is: