On Sunday night, American comedian Louis C.K. reportedly included a rape joke in his first stand-up comedy set since admitting sexual misconduct. Louis performed an unexpected set at Comedy Cellar, a famed club in New York’s Greenwich Village.
The appearance was his first since he admitted last year to sexual misconduct, exposing himself to (and masturbating in front of) multiple women in the comedy world.
Two women who were in attendance at the show, on Sunday, described the performance and how a joke about a "rape-whistle" proved to be extremely annoying. The women were at the Comedy Cellar to see another comedian. However, they were shocked to see C.K. appear onstage after the night's master of ceremonies made a brief introduction.
“It felt like he was being thrust upon the audience without telling them,” one woman, who asked to remain anonymous, told Vulture. “The audience was very loud when Louis C.K. walked in. They were clearly supportive and surprised when he showed up, but there were a number of women sitting in the front row who were shocked,” the woman said.
The woman, from her seat, could notice the women sitting in the front-row who seemed unamused and sported a straight face. Another woman, who asked to be identified with the initials S.B., noticed the same reaction, “There were at least four to five females that I could see, and three or four of them were not having it. They were just looking at him, deadpan, straight, not having it.”
“Our voice is definitely not going to be prioritised in that space…How do you think the women in that room felt? It’s just really frustrating,” a woman told Vulture.
People furious over comedian's return
Several people took to Twitter to call out on the comedian's return. They also criticised other male comedians for backing Louis's return and not taking a stand against it. Here are some reactions:
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