Louis CK announces shows at San Jose Improv on Jan. 16 and 17. Details here.
Give Janeane Garofalo credit for being consistent.
After saying that it was fair to question the accusers in sexual abuse cases, Garofalo then stuck out her neck for longtime friend and disgraced comedian Louis C.K., as reported by Vulture.
“Leave Louis C.K. alone,” she said during an interview for Bust Magazine’s “Poptarts” pop culture podcast. “Enough with that.”
In November 2017, the New York Times published an article in which several women accused C.K. of sexual misconduct. A day later, the comedian admitted to having exposed himself to the women and masturbating in front of them.
The subject of C.K., whom Garofalo said has been her friend for more nearly 35 years, set off a tense exchange with podcast hosts Emily Rems and Callie Watts.
At the very least, Garofalo argued, C.K.’s critics should consider his family’s feelings.
“He’s been my friend — and I stand by that — he’s been my friend since 1985, and I think he has suffered,” she said. “And when he performs at the Comedy Cellar and people get all irate, if nothing else, care about his daughters. If nothing else — if you can find no compassion for him, which I think you should — think about how his daughters, who hear all of this stuff, feel. Why don’t you leave him alone for them if you’re so women-empowering?”
Garofalo added that C.K. has “paid heavily, heavily, and his family has paid heavily.” She tried to change the course of the interview, but the hosts pressed on with questions about C.K.
When they said that he “chose to be a public person, and then he chose to take advantage of that,” Garofalo didn’t back down.
“Also, I don’t think you know the full story … and nobody talks onstage in their stand-up more than him (about) everything he’s ever done throughout that whole time,” she responded. “I don’t want to get caught up in this, because clearly you take a strong position on this, and it doesn’t win me any friends. This is like talking about Israel. But I do believe when you’re a friend with someone, and if you think that they have suffered — I don’t believe in kicking a person when they’re down.”
C.K. laid low for a few months following the Times article, but he began his return to the stand-up stage in August 2018. Some comedians criticized him for making too early a comeback.
Last month, C.K. drew more ire after leaked audio of a set showed him mocking the survivors of the Feb. 14 Parkland, Fla. high school mass shooting, which left 17 people dead.
“You’re not interesting,” he said, “because you went to a high school where kids were shot.”
He then asked, “Why does that mean I have to listen to you?”
Garofalo knew that her defense would be controversial, telling the hosts that “there’ll be nothing but vitriol coming at me about this.”
Earlier in the podcast, Garofalo, who is scheduled to appear at SF Sketchfest 2019, gave her opinion on the #MeToo movement.
“When it comes to the #MeToo movement, I think it’s okay to question the source, ” she said. “It should transcend gender. It’s human rights. Cause if you don’t, anyone can be accused of anything at any time.
“And if you’re not allowed to question that — I can say right now ‘I’ve got pictures of you molesting a child. Don’t question me!’ You know what I mean?” she continued. “Don’t question the questioner! Then it’s a Twilight Zone episode. And I think in any movement, for human rights, you’ve got to transcend gender, and you’ve got to consider who’s making the accusation and why and when, because it matters.”
