The alleged sexual harasser talks down non-binary people and school shooting survivors in leaked audio
If they hadn’t before – which many, truly had – people have finally had it with Louis C.K.
A leaked audio recording of the comedian’s new material features C.K., who was accused of sexual misconduct by five women in 2017 in the wake of allegations against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, talking down non-binary people and survivors of school shootings.
“I‘m 51 years old, and when I was in my 20s, we were idiots, we were getting high, doing mushrooms and shit and older people were like ‘you better get your shit together’ and we were like ‘f**k you’,” C.K. says in the leaked skit.
“I was kind of excited to be in my 50s and see people in their 20s and be like ‘you’re crazy’. But they’re not,” he continues, before comparing young people to “old ladies”.
i mean he's like a RW comic now. hes milo pic.twitter.com/QYOGI7TrGa
— jack allison (@jackallisonLOL) December 31, 2018
The comedian then takes people who identify as gender-neutral, saying: “They’re like royalty, they tell you what to call them. ‘You should address me as they/them, because I identify as gender-neutral.’ Oh okay, well you should address me as there because I identify as a location and the location is your mother’s c**t...”
Turning to school shooting survivors, the comedian then says: “They testify in front of congress these kids. What are you doing? You’re young, you should be crazy, you should be unhinged, not in a suit saying ‘I’m here to tell’… f**k you. You’re not interesting because you went to a high school where kids got shot, why does that mean I have to listen to you? How does that make you interesting?”
From his time finally being up to being accused of “punching down” some of society’s most vulnerable people, social media-users said what they thought of the leaked audio. Commentary included comparisons to former Breitbart editor Milo Yiannopoulos and United States President Donald Trump.
One Twitter user said C.K. was “basically Donald Trump”, comparing the perceived lack of ability to acknowledge wrongdoing of both the president and C.K.
In his speech following the February 14, 2018 shooting at a Florida high school in which 17 were killed and 17 were injured, the US President didn’t acknowledge the dangers of the abundance of guns in America.
what Louis CK makes me think about is how easy and safe it is for just about any rich white dude to pivot, instantaneously, all the way to being Basically Donald Trump Now the very moment any other pose becomes even slightly less personally gratifying than he feels entitled to
— Auldbert Langsyneko (@AlbertBurneko) December 31, 2018
Louis CK, 2017: "I have spent my long and lucky career talking and saying anything I want. I will now step back and take a long time to listen"
— Mike Pearl (@MikeLeePearl) December 31, 2018
Louis CK, 2018: pic.twitter.com/2qN1RrbgPH
Others see the turn as finally showing the true colours of the comedian, who has enjoyed a lengthy career and loyal following.
“He thinks it’s wrong to use ‘they’ as a singular pronoun,” says user Emily C. Heath. “I, on the other hand, think it’s wrong to sexually assault people.”
#LouisCK’s new set apparently has a section attacking #nonbinary people. He thinks it’s wrong to use “they” as a singular pronoun. I, on the other hand, think it’s wrong to sexually assault people.
— Emily C. Heath (@emilycheath) December 31, 2018
#louisck has a leaked set, and it’s the definition of bad writing and punching down. The plea for relevance really gives the whole 2 minutes a sour undertone - sorry, dude, but the red light means your time is officially up.
— Emma Smith (@CoachHerbie) December 31, 2018
so Louis CK apparently thinks that he had a harder year than a group of high school students whose friends were massacred, which is kind of just a fascinating place for a human adult to end up
— Julia Carrie Wong (@juliacarriew) December 31, 2018
Sad montage of Louis CK jacking off in front of smaller and smaller audiences
— complete lyrics to Auld Lang Syne knower (@pixelatedboat) December 31, 2018
While mocking the Parkland shooting survivors was described as “beyond despicable”, some defended Louis C.K. and the expression of comedy through jokes that may be offensive to the people at the centre of them.
The footage, which first appeared on YouTube but has since been deleted, according to TMZ, can now be found on Twitter.
This Louis CK bit would have never made headlines before his scandal. This is in line with the same stuff he did before.
— Emma Vigeland (@EmmaVigeland) December 31, 2018
Move along, people. Leave outrage over comedy to the right wing.