Someone once said Louis C.K. was perhaps the only comedian who could joke about 9/11 and get away with it. That conceit must have gone to the comedian’s head, cause he’s back on the scene with more controversial material. This time, he’s going after the Parkland shooting survivors. Audio has leaked, and some are shocked that he would tackle such a sensitive subject. Others who know the comedian well and have followed his stand-up career aren’t so surprised. As he tries to make his way back to a wider stage, it’s all rather expected.
But is it too soon? There is already a big backlash brewing over Louis C.K.’s comments, where he pointedly bashes the survivors of the Parkland school shooting and their efforts to gain stricter gun laws in America. The leaked audio of Louis C.K. making fun of the high school students has leaked. The audience can be heard laughing at his most recent comedy set. He goes after the kids for testifying before congress. He starts of the routine talking about how unbearable kids have become these days before leading into the Parkland material. This is what he had to say.
“Testify in front of Congress, these kids, what the f***? What are you doing?” asks the man in the audio clip. “Cause you went to a high school where kids got shot, why does that mean I have to listen to you? Why does that make you interesting? You didn’t get shot. You pushed some fat kid in the way and now I gotta listen to you talking?”
This past February, 17 students and adults were gunned down and killed inside Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. Right now it’s not clear when, how or why the audio was released. The clip began circulating on social media over the weekend. Louis C.K. has been unavailable for comment.
Last weekend, Louis C.K. found himself in the middle of another controversy. An old video surfaced showing Louis C.K. jokingly using the N-word, as Chris Rock discussed the actual usage of the word with fellow comedians Jerry Seinfeld and Ricky Gervais, who also says the word. Out of the four, Seinfeld is the only one who claims to have never used the word in his life. The video is from 2011, and it has been taken out of context in some circles discussing Louis C.K.’s participation in the conversation.
Related: Louis C.K. Comments on Misconduct Scandal in Latest Stand-Up Set
Louis C.K. has stayed out of the public light since being accused by 5 different woman for sexually pleasuring himself in front of them. The comedian admitted to wrongdoing at the time, and apologized for his actions.
“These stories are true. At the time, I said to myself that what I did was okay because I never showed a woman my (penis) without asking first, which is also true. But what I learned later in life, too late, is that when you have power over another person, asking them to look at your (penis) isn’t a question. It’s a predicament for them. The power I had over these women is that they admired me. And I wielded that power irresponsibly.”
Louis C.K. said he was ‘remorseful’ about his actions, and was trying to learn from past mistakes. He swiftly lost almost all of the projects he was working on at the time. His movie I Love You Daddy was quickly shelved, and FX fired him from several shows he was starring in or producing, including Better Things, Baskets and Louie. Netflix canceled his upcoming standup special, and The Secret Life of Pets replaced him with Patton Oswalt. In the year since, he has slowly started to make his rounds on the comedy circuit with new stand-up material that mostly shies away from his sexual misconduct accusations. This report originated at CNN.
Louis C.K. faces new backlash this morning after a taped performance was leaked, showing him mocking survivors of the Parkland school shooting and joking about gender identity.@jamieyuccas is here with the fallout: https://t.co/CXEKort1NJpic.twitter.com/SwzGO2PkCZ
— CBS This Morning (@CBSThisMorning) December 31, 2018
Louis C.K n’a jamais été drôle !
–
Louis C.K. s’en prend aux survivants de Parkland, aux trans et non binaires, dans des propos de vieux grincheux extrêmement déplacés et vulgaires. pic.twitter.com/Jt3ZnrsdNR— Kunta van den Kinté (@DenKinte) December 31, 2018