Content Advisory: Rape and Sexual Assault
Louis C.K.‘s sexual misconduct revelations are examined in Sorry/Not Sorry. At his peak, Louis C.K. was one of the biggest comedians in the world, though there were always rumours about the way he acted around women. Finally, a New York Times expose from 2017 revealed accusations of sexual misconduct from five women, many of whom were fellow comics. However, after the commotion died down, Louis C.K. resumed his career as if nothing happened.
Sorry/Not Sorry Synopsis
Sorry/Not Sorry is a documentary by Caroline Suh and Cara Mones, which examines the rise, fall, and, more cynically, rise again of comedian Louis C.K., who at his peak had popular Netflix specials and a successful FX TV series. As Louis C.K. didn’t respond to requests to participate, the documentary is told from the point of view of the women he victimized over the decades, including Jen Kirkman, whose release of a podcast fueled the early sexual misconduct rumours, and Abby Schachner, who was one of the accusers in the New York Times article. However, despite all but killing his mainstream career, Louis C.K has bounced back from the revelations, after delivering half-hearted apologies.
My Thoughts on Sorry/Not Sorry
Sorry/Not Sorry is infuriating not only in how it depicts how Louis C.K. got away with sexual misconduct, thanks to him self-producing all his specials and comedy albums, and even incorporating the misconduct into his standup set, but also the overall sense of male toxicity in the comedy world. This includes clips from a David Chappelle Netflix special, where he made fun of the accusations made by Abby Schachner, about Louis C.K. making unwanted sexual advances to her on the phone. While the film doesn’t add much to the story, Sorry/Not Sorry is still a documentary worth checking out.
