Louis C.K. is ringing in 2019 on a sour note. On Sunday, audio of a recent C.K. set leaked online, and the comedian can be heard mocking the victims of the Parkland shooting, slamming P.C. culture, and bemoaning the “$35 million an hour” he lost after admitting to masturbating in front of multiple women. While C.K.’s audience laughed at his whiny set, critics online didn’t feel the same: the comedian was immediately dragged for his out-of-touch and insensitive comments.
According to The Daily Beast, C.K.’s set, which was allegedly recorded in mid-December at the Comedy Cellar, began with a direct repudiation of the promise he made after he was accused of sexual misconduct to “step back and take a long time to listen.” The comedian reportedly complained about the “$35 million an hour” he lost after the allegations surfaced, a joke that he’s been repeating throughout his redemption tour. C.K. then launched into a rant about “people in their 20s” and the progressive ideas he feels are being forced upon him.
“I was kind of excited to be in my 50s and see people in their 20s and be like, ‘You’re crazy! These kids are nuts,’ but they’re not!” said C.K. “They’re like royalty. They tell you what to call them. ‘You should address me as they/them, because I identify as gender neutral. Oh, okay. You should address me as there, because I identify as a location. And the location is your mother’s cunt.”
The comedian then went on to attack the Parkland survivors — although not by name — who have committed themselves to pushing for common sense gun laws. “They testify in front of Congress, these kids. What are you doing?,” said C.K. “Because you went to a high school where kids got shot? Why does that mean I have to listen to you? How does that make you interesting? You didn’t got shot, you pushed some fat kid in the way, and now I’ve gotta listen to you talking?”
C.K.’s set was met with wild laughter from his audience, but Twitter didn’t share the sentiment. Social media users blasted C.K. for his “homophobic” and “beyond despicable” set, half-joking that in the last year, he’d turned into the alt-right’s dream.
But not everyone slammed the comic. Some Twitter users enjoyed his set and stepped in to support him.
You can listen to a segment of C.K.’s controversial set above.