# "I Lost $35 Million in an Hour" - Louis C.K. Comeback **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 17, 2018, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-lost-35-million-in-an-hour-louis-c-k-comeback/823101 "2018-10-17T18:03:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2018, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-lost-35-million-in-an-hour-louis-c-k-comeback/823101/81 "2018-10-20T03:55:41Z")
> [@Icarus](#): > > Yeah, I need more public displays of penance and remorse and apology. As it is, his premature comeback makes him seem narcissistic. (Of course, he is! But he can try to avoid the appearance a little more, yah?) > > But, I guess he’s just going to put himself out there, feel it out, see what comes of it. Brilliant! Maybe I’m reading to much into the wording? “public displays, premature comeback, appearance of a little more, put himself out there, feel it out, see what comes”. ---
**Author:** ![drivekiller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cdc98d/32.png) [@drivekiller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drivekiller)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2018, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-lost-35-million-in-an-hour-louis-c-k-comeback/823101/82 "2018-10-20T05:11:12Z")
> [@pool](#): > > [https://www.thecut.com/2018/10/louis-c-k-makes-masturbation-jokes-at-stand-up-performance.html](https://www.thecut.com/2018/10/louis-c-k-makes-masturbation-jokes-at-stand-up-performance.html) > > I wasn’t sure whether to put this in Cafe Society or IMHO. Well it seems Louis C.K. is taking the steps to come back to the comedy world at least in the arena of stand up. I’ve read complaints online that he can’t make a comeback if he doesn’t at a minimum address his actions in his act. It appears he is now edging closer to doing just that. Anyone have opinions about him performing stand-up again? Honestly I would still pay money to see him and think he is one of the funniest comics of this generation, given the age of the accusations, his admission and apology about what happened, I don’t see a problem with it. If audiences are willing to pay to see him or get their money back if he makes an unannounced appearance then I think it will happen. I don’t know that his career will ever see the same heights that it once did, but I suppose it is possible. I would be more interested in hearing the opinions of fellow fans and if his actions affect their enjoyment of his material but anyone is welcome to comment. I think he mostly appeals to women. Or did. And maybe that’s what all the brouhaha is about? I know I didn’t pay much attention to him, and then he got tangled up in some allegation or other. And then some people were upset that he still wanted to do whatever he was doing before. Post-responsibility ethics is a thing now. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2018, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-lost-35-million-in-an-hour-louis-c-k-comeback/823101/83 "2018-10-20T05:26:45Z")
> [@drivekiller](#): > > I think he mostly appeals to women. Or did. And maybe that’s what all the brouhaha is about? I know I didn’t pay much attention to him, and then he got tangled up in some allegation or other. And then some people were upset that he still wanted to do whatever he was doing before. Post-responsibility ethics is a thing now. That’s a pretty super wrong understanding of the story. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2018, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-lost-35-million-in-an-hour-louis-c-k-comeback/823101/84 "2018-10-20T15:00:13Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > About the only big comedian that I recall who makes a point about his new wealth is Chappelle. The idea that all comedy fans are clueless that the big names are rich is ridiculous. Ray Romano does before and after material. E.g., on his last appearance on _Letterman_ he talked about the huge change in his life caused by Letterman’s production company giving him _Everybody Loves Raymond_. Which immediately leads to _Everybody Hates Chris_, a TV show devoted to Chris Rock’s non-rich childhood. There’s practically a genre of comics talking about their early life struggles contrasting it with their successful life. ---
**Author:** ![Haldurson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/51bf81/32.png) [@Haldurson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Haldurson)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2018, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-lost-35-million-in-an-hour-louis-c-k-comeback/823101/85 "2018-10-21T04:35:28Z")
It sounds like the guy needs therapy at a minimum. I’m not sure he understands that his actions were completely hostile to women. He gets that he was being shocking, but I think that’s how he gets off. In principle, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with people doing what they can do to make a living, even when they’ve done something bad in the past. But making making that living should not include jokes about his foul actions without any sign of understanding that he actually hurt people. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2018, 6:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-lost-35-million-in-an-hour-louis-c-k-comeback/823101/86 "2018-10-21T06:05:24Z")
> [@elbows](#): > > Actions that fully warrant public **approbation**. “You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.” ap·pro·ba·tion, /ˌaprəˈbāSHən/, noun approval or praise. Perhaps you meant opprobrium? op·pro·bri·um, /əˈprōbrēəm/, noun harsh criticism or censure. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2018, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-lost-35-million-in-an-hour-louis-c-k-comeback/823101/87 "2018-10-21T11:08:24Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > Dave Chappelle had a bit to say on th[e Louis CK incidents as well.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hK14oYP40js) Whoa. I give people a pass for stuff like the first part, where they question what happened and how bad it is, given they were colleagues or even possibly friends. But that second part is just horrible. It’s victim blaming bullshit that actually makes me think he’s probably assaulted some women. I googled, and I see no indication of an apology. I’d tuned into the Netflix special and just didn’t find it all that funny, and I thought he had some ideas I didn’t care for. But I had no idea he went this far. And then left it in his specials, so that it would be repeated. A woman is not weak because sexual assault and harassment that she is unable to talk about no longer wants to pursue a career where that happens. Damn it. I thought I could still like him. Guess not. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2018, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-lost-35-million-in-an-hour-louis-c-k-comeback/823101/88 "2018-10-21T11:11:31Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > By all appearances, Richards is, today, is exactly where he was right before that video came out. Which is absolutely fucking nowhere. Seinfeld ended in '98. The video came out in 2006. Look at his IMDb page. Between Seinfeld and his “career ending” outburst, he had a part in a TV movie based on a Dickens novel, and a failed television vehicle that got cancelled after seven episodes. Then there’s a solid six years of absolutely nothing happening to this guy before the tape comes out. So, it’s hard to say that his apology didn’t matter, because his career appears to have largely been over already. I just assumed that, since the video existed, he must’ve been at least doing stand-up rounds. IMDb isn’t going to cover that. Now, my understanding is that he doesn’t do that. ---
**Author:** ![Batano](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b487fb/32.png) [@Batano](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Batano)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2018, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-lost-35-million-in-an-hour-louis-c-k-comeback/823101/89 "2018-10-21T11:50:06Z")
I’d pay to see Louis CK, Michael Richardson, and Roseanne perform together. ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2018, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-lost-35-million-in-an-hour-louis-c-k-comeback/823101/90 "2018-10-21T15:18:03Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > In Lucky Louie he wasn’t playing himself. It was his version of a Ralph Kramden character. He was a mechanic in the series. In Louie he played a fictional version of himself. I would guess it’s a pretty close approximation. Successful but not extremely well off. A decent apartment on the Upper West Side is not going to look extravagant to most of the country but it’s extremely expensive. I don’t get where you think he was hiding things in order to be some sort of man of the people. He never did and his comedy never had anything to do with that. > Netflix gave him a lot of money but I think he got dumped before he got paid a lot of it. He took a much lower salary to maintain creative control of Louie. He got divorced after he got famous. He took a bath on Horace and Pete. He got zero return on his new unreleased movie. No one here knows if he’s any good at investing or saving. I doubt he’s any where near the $35 million in assets level. I’m assuming he’s much better off than me. But it’s possible he’s in bad financial shape if he had too much money invested in projects. > > Max Bialystock: The two cardinal rules of producing. One: Never put your own money in the show. > > Leo Bloom: And two? > > Max Bialystock: NEVER PUT YOUR OWN MONEY IN THE SHOW! I don’t think it’s all that grim for CK. The distribution rights for _I Love You, Daddy_ were bought for $5 million so he made back his investment. According to [Forbes,](https://www.forbes.com/sites/maddieberg/2017/11/10/louis-c-k-s-losses-how-much-the-sexual-misconduct-scandal-may-cost-the-comedian/) he made $52 million in “the year leading up to June 1st, 2017.” The first Netflix special had already been released and the second was in production when the shit hit the fan. The money from “Louie” wasn’t chickenfeed, either. He wrote, directed, produced, starred in, and edited that show. He might go back to doing his own stand-up production and distribution. In 2011, his _Live as the Beacon Theater_ was posted on his website for five bucks and cleared a million in the first ten days. That’s remarkable, but if he was [always so generous](https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/movie-news/sales-of-louis-c-k-s-standup-download-top-1-million-96746/) with his earnings, maybe he doesn’t have a high net worth. The whole thing is so fucking disappointing. There was a decency (I thought) underneath the provocative and absurd comedy. Bleh. ---
**Author:** ![Royal\_Nonesutch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecb155/32.png) [@Royal\_Nonesutch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Royal_Nonesutch)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2018, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-lost-35-million-in-an-hour-louis-c-k-comeback/823101/91 "2018-10-21T16:47:52Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > There was a decency (I thought) underneath the provocative and absurd comedy. Bleh. I will admit I am not too familiar with Louis C.K.'s comedy, but I remember one of his bits was centered on how incredibly sexually satisfying pedophillia must undoubtedly be, as child molesters are willing to risk so much to indulge in it’s taboo, forbidden carnal delights. HAW HAW HAW ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2018, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-lost-35-million-in-an-hour-louis-c-k-comeback/823101/92 "2018-10-21T17:13:03Z")
> [@Royal\_Nonesutch](#): > > I will admit I am not too familiar with Louis C.K.'s comedy, but I remember one of his bits was centered on how incredibly sexually satisfying pedophillia must undoubtedly be, as child molesters are willing to risk so much to indulge in it’s taboo, forbidden carnal delights. > > HAW HAW HAW That was the SNL monologue I described and linked above. That kind of uncomfortable topic humour has been a big part of his routines. I did indeed “haw haw haw” when I saw it. I don’t think you have to assume there’s no decency underneath it all because of this. His exhibitionist predilection, for me, is just more pitiable than say a power abusing bastard like Weinstein. And afaik, the bad stuff CK did all happen a while back so it seems he was self correcting before it all blew up. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2018, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-lost-35-million-in-an-hour-louis-c-k-comeback/823101/93 "2018-10-21T17:30:46Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > There was a decency (I thought) underneath the provocative and absurd comedy. Probably there is. I don’t think much of his clumsy attempts to rehabilitate himself in public, but people are complicated. He had an awful lot of friends and seems to be a genuinely generous person. That’s coming from somewhere - one doubts that _all_ of that was just a false front to cover for his creeper behavior, even if some of it might be. He was a selfish prick who exploited his fame for cheap gratification and far, far worse at the very least passively let his manager intimidate people into not calling him on it( at the very worst he actively encouraged him to do so ). That makes him a fucking dirtbag overall. But there is no contradiction there with him being a decent human being in other respects. You can be the kind of shitheel who exposes himself to teenagers on the bus and still be that “decent” guy who will stop and help someone with their flat tire and volunteer at homeless shelters. ---
**Author:** ![Royal\_Nonesutch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecb155/32.png) [@Royal\_Nonesutch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Royal_Nonesutch)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2018, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-lost-35-million-in-an-hour-louis-c-k-comeback/823101/94 "2018-10-21T17:59:52Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > His exhibitionist predilection, for me, is just more pitiable than say a power abusing bastard like Weinstein. Everyone is different, but I for one do not have too much pity for a multi-millionaire who, with a young daughter and pregnant wife waiting at home, pulls out his penis in front of two unsuspecting female colleagues and then proceeds to masturbate to orgasm and afterwards, when the story gets around the comedy circut, has his manager make it clear to their manager that they ought to keep quiet about what happened with the clear implication that any continued “exposure” of the incident would be detrimental to their career. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2018, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-lost-35-million-in-an-hour-louis-c-k-comeback/823101/95 "2018-10-21T18:37:57Z")
I doubt he was a multimillionaire at the time but whatever. Like I said, I am certainly not arguing that you should forgive or pity him ---
**Author:** ![Pantastic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3bc359/32.png) [@Pantastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pantastic)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2018, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-lost-35-million-in-an-hour-louis-c-k-comeback/823101/96 "2018-10-21T18:50:55Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > I don’t think you have to assume there’s no decency underneath it all because of this. His exhibitionist predilection, for me, is just more pitiable than say a power abusing bastard like Weinstein. And afaik, the bad stuff CK did all happen a while back so it seems he was self correcting before it all blew up. Threatening to shut down a woman’s comedy career if she told people what he did to her qualifies him as a power abusing bastard to me. The fact that someone is decent in some area, especially things like ‘being nice to people who are friends and/or who will do stuff for you’ is pretty meaningless; Hitler was very kind to animals and passed a bunch of animal welfare laws, but I don’t think anyone thinks we need to rehabilitate his image even though the bad stuff he did happened really far back also. The idea floated in this thread that this rich boy who used his power to hurt people deserves another chance just doesn’t fly for me at all. His career isn’t over because of people being mean to poor widdle Louis CK, it’s damaged because people finally had enough of him being a power-abusing asshole to other people and spoke up. And it’s not like he’s even stuck working a boring retail job, he’s still working in his chosen field, just not making huge money at it. Pardon me if I fail to shed a tear for him. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2018, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-lost-35-million-in-an-hour-louis-c-k-comeback/823101/97 "2018-10-21T19:02:09Z")
I didn’t predict this thread would be Godwinized, but I guess that’s why it’s an internet law. I guess we’re done here. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2018, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-lost-35-million-in-an-hour-louis-c-k-comeback/823101/98 "2018-10-21T19:36:26Z")
> [@Pantastic](#): > > Threatening to shut down a woman’s comedy career if she told people what he did to her qualifies him as a power abusing bastard to me. The fact that someone is decent in some area, especially things like ‘being nice to people who are friends and/or who will do stuff for you’ is pretty meaningless; Hitler was very kind to animals and passed a bunch of animal welfare laws, but I don’t think anyone thinks we need to rehabilitate his image even though the bad stuff he did happened really far back also. Well, this is a totally reasonable response that I’ll waste time responding to. ---
**Author:** ![Pantastic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3bc359/32.png) [@Pantastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pantastic)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2018, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-lost-35-million-in-an-hour-louis-c-k-comeback/823101/99 "2018-10-21T21:06:23Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > Well, this is a totally reasonable response that I’ll waste time responding to. Yes, it is certainly reasonable, and I agree that it would be a waste of time for you to respond, as there’s no reasonable comeback to it. Everyone, even one of history’s greatest monsters, does some nice stuff for people close to them, but Louis CK being generous to people who helped him silence his victims doesn’t negate that he has victims. The ‘but Hitler was nice to dogs’ defense is a bad one in general, and especially doesn’t work when there was a clear ulterior motive for the generosity. Before the situation blew up, Louis CK’s ‘generosity’ ensured that he had a whole parade of people including big-name comedians defending him and claiming there was no-way he would have actually done what he talked about in his routine. So no, I’m not going to take it at face value. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2018, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-lost-35-million-in-an-hour-louis-c-k-comeback/823101/100 "2018-10-21T21:41:43Z")
> [@Batano](#): > > I’d pay to see Louis CK, Michael Richardson, and Roseanne perform together. I’d pay to see a cage match, but I’m sure Roseanne would win. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-lost-35-million-in-an-hour-louis-c-k-comeback/823101.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-lost-35-million-in-an-hour-louis-c-k-comeback/823101.md?page=6)