All of the Above with James Brown
The James Brown Commentary
Sorry Not Sorry
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Sorry Not Sorry

How long should someone be canceled?

Comedian Louis C.K. was accused of and admitted to some awful things.

The incidents include lewd activities in front of female comedians in his apartment.

louie ck

I'll spare you the details, but frankly, I think they're disgusting.

While the incidents fell short of criminality, some, like the directors of a new documentary called Sorry Not Sorry, argued that the punishment wasn't steep enough.

As the world learned of the details, CK, like Charlie Rose, Matt Lauer, Brett Ratner, and other stars accused of sexual misconduct, were cancelled in the midst of a wave of Me Too allegations.

CK lost a lot, likely millions of dollars.

He was producing multiple TV shows, including his own FX show, Louie.

He had films in the pipeline and an increasingly high profile.

He presented at and was rumored to host the Academy Awards.

But unlike others, CK had a direct pipe to his audience.

He'd been selling movies and comedy shows through his website for years and accumulated a massive email list.

In a pluralistic society full of choices from cereal to scented candles: Why not let the market decide here?

And I'd argue that the market has.

So far, CK hasn't come close to the heights he reached before the allegations.

He's now a niche act, and as far as I see, nothing's going back to the way it was.

Is that enough, and how long should someone be cancelled?

Let me know what you think at jamesbrowntv.substack.com or email me at jamesbrowntv@gmail.com.

You can also leave me a message at 585-484-0339.

‘Sorry/Not Sorry’ Revisits Louis C.K.’s Sexual Misconduct Scandal, Which Sidelined The Comedian, But Only For A Few Months – Toronto: https://deadline.com/video/louis-c-k-documentary-sorry-not-sorry-clip-toronto-international-film-festival/

The Most Revealing Part of the Louis C.K. Documentary Isn’t the Allegations—It’s What Came After: https://slate.com/culture/2023/09/louis-ck-doc-sorry-not-sorry-tiff-movie-review.html

At TIFF, a new doc explores how the comedy world enabled Louis C.K.: https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2023-09-10/tiff-2023-sorry-not-sorry-louis-ck-cara-mones-carloline-suh

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All of the Above with James Brown
The James Brown Commentary
Musings on news, life, and television. A few minutes a day, five days a week. Proudly based in Rochester, New York. Brought to you by Modern Fire Studios.