Louis C.K. Withdraws From Washington Gig Amid Protests
Comedian Louis C.K. has dropped out of his role as host of the upcoming Radio & Television Congressional Correspondents dinner, with his agent claiming C.K. “just didn’t want to do it anymore.” But his withdrawal follows a threatened boycott by Fox News anchor Greta Van Susteren, who called C.K. a “pig” who denigrates women.
To prove her point, Van Susteren cited C.K.’s repeated use of the word “cunt”, and highlighted several exaggerated descriptions of violence in his act. But all of the examples involved C.K.’s comments about Gov. Sarah Palin; and coming from a Fox News anchor, the complaints got a decidedly partisan feel.
Supporters of C.K. fired back that Susteren has made no such observations about misogyny and violence towards liberal women, an especially relevant issue in light of the recent controversy over Rush Limbaugh‘s comments about Sandra Fluke.
But opponents of the choice of C.K. existed all across the political spectrum. Feminist site Jezebel acknowledged that the comedian “says an awful lot of terrible shit about women.” And Christine Pelosi, Democratic activist and daughter of Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), tweeted “Good that Louis C.K. out of DC Media Dinner … now DC media should lift up #women as guests & hosts.”
The Radio & Television Correspondents Association intentionally chose an edgier figure than has appeared at Washington functions in recent years- and got more than they bargained for. When the choice was announced in December, the chairman of the RTCA told Politico, “The fact that we got Louis C.K. is just a pretty good thing… It gives the dinner a bit of an edge, shakes it up a little, which is what we wanted to do.
Shaken, indeed. What do you think? Were C.K.’s comments out of line?
Louis CK says himself at multiple times that words like “cunt” and “fag” are in his vocabulary because he’s a comedian, and what he says on that stage should be more or less forgivable. He’s not raising your children, he’s got his own to contend with. He’s an entertainer, and let’s face it, no matter the connotations behind it, cunt’s a funny word.
I don’t know how anyone could watch his standup, truly watch it, and think of him as anything other than a thoughtful and intelligent man frustrated with society and the values it places on irrelevant things. This is a perfect example. A man who is a comedian, more or less accepted as pure entertainer, gets put down for using a word, whereas a radio talk show host can show a deep misunderstanding and disrespect for half of our population without women like Susteren in his party even speaking up for themselves.
Everyone wants their views on life and others boiled down to one thing, packaged in an easy answer. Context matters people.
Using fowl language, insulting and denigrating people is not necessary to be funny. Saying that you can only be funny by using offensive words, means you’re not really funny. Look at Bill Cosby, Johnny Carson and others. There is no reason to be insulting and calling people 4 letter words because you don’t agree with their agenda. You can be funny and stay classy.
Big Ups to Tanya for “fowl language.”
+1 for the brain-dead people of America.
And good luck with the Bar Mitzvah’s, Louis.
This is what we all wanted right? No one with controversial jokes or opinions get to be heard. Lets just keep attacking conservative pundits’ advertising until the backlash wipes out the Daily Show, Colbert Report, and Bill Maher