From The Comic's Comic

Trade Grades: C(K)-

Above: Louis CK in his 2020 self-released stand-up special, Sincerely Louis CK

Newsflash! Comedian Louis CK sent out his own email news blast today to fans and followers, announcing a new stand-up tour.

Here’s how the trades lead their coverage of this news…

Deadline: “Louis C.K., the controversial comic whose career all but vanished in 2017-18 amid reports of sexual misconduct, has announced a major U.S. comedy tour that will launch next week with a two-night stand at Madison Square Garden’s Hulu Theatre in New York City.”

Variety: “Comedian Louis C.K., whose career derailed after he was accused of sexual misconduct by multiple women in 2017, is making a return to stand-up comedy in a nationwide tour beginning next week, he announced on his website.”

The Wrap: “Disgraced comedian Louis C.K. will be returning to the stage this month as part of a 24-city comeback tour around the country.”

Really, trades?!? You’re supposed to be an industry resource, and you drop the ball this easily? How did 53-year-old Louis Székely (for those of you just tuning in, the comedian uses CK professionally as a phonetic spelling cheat for our benefit) all but vanish, if I can find three of his stand-up specials on Netflix right now?! (Netflix also offers up Pootie Tang, the 2001 movie he wrote/directed). How is this a “comeback tour” if he was just on tour before the pandemic and released a new special from that tour just last year? How is he “making a return to stand-up comedy”?

You know what. Cancel culture really has gotten out of hand, because the media acts like it’s for real when it comes to show business.

Louis CK never got cancelled. He got forced into a time out.

CK did take a financial bath on his 2017 film, I Love You, Daddy, which frankly seems for the best for him and for us, saving us from watching it when his agents, manager and distribution partners abandoned him that November. CK had fessed up to a New York Times investigation in which multiple women accused the comedian of abusing his power and committing varying acts of sexual misconduct.

But nine months later, in August 2018, CK was back onstage at The Comedy Cellar, and by year’s end, a leaked recording of his set out at Governor’s on Long Island made waves, but in 2019, he received a standing ovation at that summer’s Skankfest and was back on tour, managing to film his theatrical performance in March 2020, just before the first pandemic lockdowns. A few weeks later, he released that performance as Sincerely, Louis CK. It’s still on sale for $7.99. I reviewed it for Decider. TL;DR on my review? I called what happened in 2017 his “comeuppance,” and that while still one of the funniest joke-writers around, “Louis Székely purposely makes it rather difficult for any of us to separate the art from the artist.”

Since then, he has been welcomed by the comedy community at large, and by and large, from multiple performances at Dave Chappelle’s “Summer Camp” in Yellow Springs, Ohio, to a sit-down interview for Mike Binder’s multi-part Showtime docuseries about The Comedy Store.

So please, don’t call it a comeback. Louis CK never got cancelled. He merely took a nine-month time-out from 2017-2018, then another pause like so many of us during the pandemic.

And now he’s back on Madison Square Garden’s Hulu theater (not the arena) for two nights next weekend to kick off his latest tour, with all-new material.

Here is what he wrote, btw:

I am writing to you today because I am going to be touring around the United States of America, performing stand-up comedy in theaters in several different cities. This will begin happening in New York City on August 13 and 14th, at the MSG/Hulu theater, then the first leg of the tour will stop in Boston on Dec 10 and 11th at the Orpheum. (I’m also touring Europe and elsewhere next year. Another email regarding that is coming soon).

Please go here to get tickets to all shows on my website louisck.com.

The cities I am going to, by the way, are: New York City, Albany, Binghamton, Syracuse, Rochester, Peoria, Rockford Illinois, Dubuque, Cedar Rapids, Lincoln NE, Sioux City, Rapid City, Spokane, San Diego, Long Beach, Oxnard, Fresno, Stockton, Wilmington, Keswick, Philadelphia, Reading, Oklahoma City, Kansas City, Minneapolis, Portland, Detroit, Cleveland, Chicago, Boston.

Also just to say: COVID-19 is still a Factor around the country and world. We will see how this goes. Our intention is to do every show we can do. We will comply with the local governments of each city in terms of health standards and practices. Like everyone else, we will just do our best under the circumstances.

I’m really looking forward to seeing your faces as I tell some rather impolite jokes and stories.

Thank you. 

A comedian you have heard of, 
Louis CK 

CK has six Emmy Awards, all for writing: One from his time writing for HBO’s The Chris Rock Show; two for his FX series, Louie; and three for his stand-up specials (Live at the Beacon Theatre; Oh My God; and Live at The Comedy Store).

Whether he’ll ever earn another Emmy nomination is up to the Television Academy, and who has ever known the Television Academy to get anything wrong?

For CK’s comedy fans, of which there remain many, the news of his new tour is great for them — even though this is perhaps not the best time to consider spending a couple of hours indoors with strangers who might not even believe the COVID-19 pandemic is real, still.

For those still traumatized by CK and his past actions, I wish I had better news for you.