Louis C.K. acknowledges 2017 #MeToo scandal in first stand-up comedy special since allegations
Louis C.K. addressed his #MeToo accusations in his first stand-up special released since his career imploded following a 2017 New York Times investigation detailing sexual harassment complaints toward the comedian.
The surprise special, titled "Sincerely Louis C.K.," released Saturday and is available only for purchase and download from the comedian's website for $7.99.
Greeted by the Washington, D.C., audience with a standing ovation, C.K. asked viewers about how their "last couple of years" have been.
"How was 2018 and 2019 for you guys?" he asked. "Anybody else get into global amounts of trouble? (Expletive) that was crazy. Man, I was in a lot of trouble. Wait 'till they see those pictures of me in blackface. That's gonna make it a lot worse, because there's a lot of those. There's thousands of pictures of me in blackface. I can't stop doing it. I like it. I like how it feels."
The comedian said he learned "a lot," elaborating that the experience taught him how to be able to eat alone in a restaurant with angry onlookers.
"When you get in trouble, you learn who your real friends are," he said. "People like saying that like it's a good thing. Who the (expletive) wants to know who their real friends are?... It's never who you want it to be. It's not your cool friends and it's not your fun friends."
At another point, C.K. offered the audience "some advice only I can give you" regarding the scandal: Ask a partner for permission and then "check in often."
"It's not always clear how people feel," he said. "Men are taught to make sure the woman is OK. The thing is, women know how to seem OK when they're not OK. So you can't just look at her face and be like, 'Her eyes are dry, we're fine. Let's just keep going.'"
For the majority of the special, it was business as usual for C.K., who launched into his usual irreverent stand-up, wondering whether or not a god exists ("he could clear a lot of (expletive) up with a five-minute press conference"), discussing the death of his mother last year, talking about pedophilia and referencing the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing in a lengthy bit about disability that repeatedly used a derogatory term used to discriminate against those with intellectual disabilities.
"I'm a little bit confused by this, because it wasn't always a bad word," he said. "When I grew up in the '70s, it wasn't bad back then. And most bad words were always bad. (Expletive) never had its day in the sun. There was never a day when Santa Claus at the mall was like, 'Come here, you little (expletive). Tell me what you want for Christmas.'"
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The comedian’s career imploded in November 2017 after he acknowledged complaints of harassment reported by the New York Times, most of which involved him masturbating in the presence of women he knew professionally.
Some of the women said they feared their careers would suffer if they discussed the incidents, which took place more than a decade ago.
C.K. released a statement after the Times report, saying “these stories are true.” He acknowledged abusing his power over others and causing them pain but did not publicly apologize.
The revelations, which came at the height of the #MeToo movement against sexual abuse in the workplace, led to the cancellation of C.K.’s numerous TV contracts and the scrapping of his feature-length film, “I Love You, Daddy,” shortly before its release.
The comedian vowed to “step back and take a long time to listen.” He returned to the stage less than a year later, touring in the U.S. and around the world with several sold-out shows.
Contributing: Associated Press
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Louis C.K. returns with first comedy special since #MeToo allegations