The stories that led to the downfall of beloved and admired comedian Louis C.K. are unique for many reasons. Chief among them is that, when confronted with the allegations, C.K. admitted that the stories of him exposing himself and masturbating in front of multiple women (many of his fellow comics) were true. Some found his admission refreshing in this age of denial, denial, denial, but with the help of a front-page 2017 New York Times investigative piece (co-written by one of the same reporters who broke the Harvey Weinstein case) that gathered allegations from five different women, C.K. lost his successful TV series, comedy specials, and a feature film that he wrote and directed that was days away from being released. But C.K.’s “cancellation” was something of a litmus test in measuring how long a person must face repercussions before they’re allowed back in the spotlight, even if on a smaller stage.
The new documentary Sorry/Not Sorry, from directors Caroline Suh and Cara Mones, makes the case that because C.K. didn’t commit actual sexual assault, many forgave him faster than others in similar circumstances—he was back on club stages nine months after the story about him broke. But others put forth the more unsettling theory that it’s because he was considered by his peers and many fans a true comic genius that he got a pass. The film interviews many C.K.’s accusers, including established comic Jen Kirkman, who had similar experiences with Louis but continued to work with him on occasion because he was a person with power in the industry and was known for boosting the careers of many female comics and comic actors, such as Pamela Adlon and Tig Notaro.
Several women who received the same treatment from C.K. share their often complicated stories with the filmmakers, and it’s almost sinister how C.K. deliberately didn’t cross certain lines to make any retelling of these stories about him fuzzy and perhaps not worth recounting. The film also looks at reactions to these allegations from others in the standup world and long-time C.K. fans who were just happy to have him back. It also takes a look at how C.K. has addressed the stories in his act, never apologizing and more sorry he got caught than anything else. Not surprisingly, it was the accusers (who also include Abby Schachner and Megan Koester) who suffered the greatest personal and professional consequences for daring to speak out, and there lies the deepest wounds in the film.
Meanwhile, in recent months, C.K. sold out Madison Square Garden and won a Grammy, and his entire rise-fall-rise again phenomenon is examined by the likes of Michael Ian Black, Michael Schur, Aida Rodriguez, Andy Kindler, Wesley Morris, and the three Times reporters who broke the original story. The film also plays clips of comics like Dave Chapelle, Bill Maher, and Joe Rogan, who basically all put forth various version of “What did he do that was so wrong?” stories and even going after the victims for thinking they even had dreams of making it in the comedy world that were ever going to come true.
But the broader themes of power in the workplace and who gets to make a comeback (and why) are perhaps the most disturbing discussion in Sorry/Not Sorry, a thorough, smart documentary that asks all-too-familiar questions about behavior that will seemingly never go away.
The film is now available on VOD.
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