On Thursday, the New York Times reported that five women came forward to allege that world-famous comedian Louis C.K. crossed the line into sexual misconduct with them.
In the story, comedians Dana Min Goodman and Julia Wolov said that Louis C.K. invited them to his room, asked them if he could pull out his penis, and then proceeded to undress and masturbate in front of them. Abby Schachner said that she heard the comedian masturbating while speaking to him over the phone. Rebecca Corry, another comedian, turned Louis C.K. down on the set of a television pilot after he asked her if he could masturbate in front of her.
These are deeply disturbing and lewd revelations that finally materialized years after Gawker attempted to report on it back in 2012. They’re particularly unnerving if you’re a fan of his comedy given how he’s sold out shows at venues like Madison Square Garden. In 2014, GQ magazine regarded Louis C.K. as “America’s Undisputed King of Comedy” in a cover story.
If you followed his comedy specials (like I have), Louis C.K. peppers his sexual practices, particularly masturbating, throughout his set. The only problem with it is that he obviously never detailed that he pleasured himself in front of other people. And while, at this time, it appears that Louis C.K. hasn’t raped anyone that we know of, he’s joked about it quite often.
“You should never rape anyone,” Louis C.K. says in one of his specials. “Unless you have a reason. Like you want to fuck someone, and they won’t let you.”
He even joked about how men are a threat to women simply by existing in 2013, saying, “We’re the No. 1 threat to women! Globally and historically, we’re the No. 1 cause of injury and mayhem to women. We’re the worst thing that ever happens to them. You know what our No. 1 threat is? Heart disease. That’s it. Just our own heart going, ‘Dude, I can’t keep doing this. I told you three strokes ago that this is not smart.’”
Looking at the bigger picture, the type of sexual misconduct (allegedly) exhibited by Louis C.K. almost pales in comparison to what we’ve (allegedly) discovered about Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey, and, most recently, Alabama Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore. However, they’re horrific for the women involved who should have never had to go through what they went through.
Louis C.K. deserves to be admonished for his behavior and should seek help as soon as possible.
You can’t masquerade as a feminist the way Louis C.K. has and then turn around and attempt to victimize every woman near you. It’s sad that a great comedian is falling from grace, but it needs to happen. Men need constant reminders to not abuse their power when they have it and victimize those more vulnerable than them. Take this as a lesson to be a better person.
