Louis C.K. is one of the greatest stand-up comedians of all time, but he’s also a widely controversial figure. Up until 2017, CK would have been widely considered an icon, with amazing stand-up specials, movies and not one but two brilliant TV shows under his belt. While FX’s Louis brought him mainstream success, CK was able to parlay that into a new sideline, making content directly for his audience that he could sell via his official website. One such project was the acclaimed Horace and Pete; indeed, CK was, for a while, on top of the world.
Then, of course, allegations surfaced regarding the comedian’s sexual misconduct, which he admitted to, and overnight his career was seemingly in tatters. But, after taking some time off, CK started appearing in comedy clubs again and reignited his stand-up career. His website, and the audience that was willing to buy content directly from him, proved to be his salvation, and in the years since, Louis C.K. won a Grammy and recently headlined a sold-out show at Madison Square Garden. He’s been used as proof by some, that cancel culture doesn’t really exist, although, to be sure, his mainstream appeal isn’t what it used to be. While still a very successful comedian, you’re unlikely to see him show up in mainstream media outside of the content he sells directly to his fans, but at the end of the day, does it even matter?
In this episode of What Happened to this Celebrity, which is written (with Brad Hamerly), narrated and produced by Taylor James Johnson, and edited by Kier Gomes, we dig into CK’s career. We tackle his early days as a stand-up, his first forays into director (remember Pootie Tang), his breakthrough, and his “cancellation” and then “un-cancelling.”
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