I Love You, Louie
Yeah, we're gonna have "that conversation."
I need to squash this right from the get-go. No, I do not support perverts. Yes, of course I am disgusted with everything that has unfolded and destroyed Louis C.K's career in a matter of weeks. In light of the all-time record of allegations exposing celebrities' sick actions, Louis couldn't escape his fate and karma has now caught up to him, with FX immediately pulling the plug on his TV show, Showtime refusing to air his specials, and Netflix cancelling any and all stand-up programs. And to a degree, most would agree "Good. That's the least he deserves," and I wasn't gonna say shit about any of this, especially now that the dust is starting to settle, but I got around to watching 'I Love You Daddy,' and before any A-hole starts getting the sense that I'm about to shift this conversation into a defense, no I'm not going to make this a conversation about grabbing at straws (when it all went down I immediately made it a point that we elected a U.S. president who at the very least was caught admitting that he tries to "f**k women who are married," and "grab 'em by the pussy" so yeah, I'll always be a little bitter about the hypocrisy of the justice system).
What I'm going to make of this conversation is the tragedy of Louie's latest (and for all we know his last) piece of work, and that was a film that was all too real, in every sense of the word.
If you believe in God, or rather, if Louis C.K. believes in God, one would have to believe that the Lord has a sick sense of humor, somewhere deep down in the heavens. With only a few weeks before the release of his latest picture, these allegations against Louie were exposed and with a film as touchy a subject matter as "I Love You, Daddy" you'd almost have to believe that the entire story surrounding Louie's life amidst the month of November was either an elaborately staged prank or an act of God because I Love You, Daddy indeed might be the most ill-timed film ever made.
For reasons that just sound scripted, the film could not have been promoted at a worse time. For one, the film was set to release mere weeks after Louie was accused and later admittedly announced of sexual misconduct against women. For another, that film was an homage to Manhattan; a gorgeous black & white shot picture featuring a legitimate big-band orchestra, helmed by a writer-director who was also accused of sexual misconduct.
The parallels between Louie and Woody at this time are so similar, regardless of how different their allegations are. For starters, the two films are uncanny (and yes, on purpose). Where in 1979 Allen's Manhattan explores the lead character, a TV writer dating a teenager, 2017 sees C.K. as the father of the teenage daughter who may be dating a much older man. Yes, of course ILYD is intended to be a direct tribute to Allen's classic, as a Broadway-esque depiction of New York City in vain of the gloriously lush 35mm black & white feel of "classic film" backed by a soaring orchestra, but when it comes to the two filmmakers, Allen's accused crimes ring true now more than ever, when being compared to Louie.
But even beyond the terrible, both filmmakers are also some of the most genuine and depressingly honest self commentators in all of comedy. Both men reflect their feelings on the world and who they are in their work. Where Allen has been on a journey of failure with women, while capturing life's smallest grand moments, Louie has spent his entire life building a career that has spoken directly to depressed, middle-aged, out-of-shape, self-loathing men who can't catch a lucky break, and it's Louie's honesty that makes him worth talking about at all.
But even beyond the terrible, both filmmakers are also some of the most genuine and depressingly honest self commentators in all of comedy. Both men reflect their feelings on the world and who they are in their work. Where Allen has been on a journey of failure with women, while capturing life's smallest grand moments, Louie has spent his entire life building a career that has spoken directly to depressed, middle-aged, out-of-shape, self-loathing men who can't catch a lucky break, and it's Louie's honesty that makes him worth talking about at all.
Because who would think to give a second glance to the guy who overtly flourishes on making masturbation jokes; jokes that will eternally feel all too real and for some, will forever hit too close to home? Yes, on the surface Louie appeals to "bro humor" but it doesn't take too much of his content, beneath all the sophomoric, disgusting behavior to see an honest-to-God family man who loves the people around him, even when he divulges in driving home the point that he's often a horrible person and that he can't stand anyone or anything around him, ever. With that, his latest work; the controversial film that may be the swan song of his career might be the most honest, earnest, sincere self commentary the man has ever written.
Yes, I finally got around to watching I Love You, Daddy and I watched it because I wanted to; because I was genuinely curious in watching it no matter what. The film was protested and ultimately pulled, making the entire project a complete bombshell but amidst all the allegations and the touchy content of the film, I wouldn't have felt that the rejection of the film could be justified without having seen what all the fuss was about. That said, the film is fine; it's funny as hell. It's an overextended overture of themes that ran with his FX TV show; dad issues, daughter issues; issues that use sexual jokes as a masquerade for an all-too touching, all too realistic commentary of the average American sloth. And yes, the film is frighteningly ill-timed.
Aside from the fact that the sexual tones are just uncomfortable, the whole thing just feels sleazy, down to the child-like innocence of Chloe Grace Moretz, every time she sweetly refers to C.K. as "Daddy." At the end of the day it just feels wrong.
Roughly ten minutes into the picture, Glen (Louie), a big business TV producer, has a dispute with co-worker and friend Ralph (Charlie Day) in regards to Glen's daughter, China (Moretz), his seventeen-year-old daughter, spending a disclosed time in Florida for Spring break. Ralph goes on about "what girls do on Spring break" and goes into morose detail in regards to a sexual game called 'Mother May I' which involves young college kids naked, jacking off into buckets and it usually takes place in a hotel room (reality check: yikes). Day makes multiple masturbation jokes throughout the film, but more so it's when Day pretends to mime-masturbate during a big-business phone call Glen receives in regards to a big break in their upcoming TV show, while his assistant Paula (Edie Falco) is in the room; a scene that feels a little TOO real, having Charlie "finish" by the end of the phone call.
Granted, anyone could pick apart ILYD scene for scene, line by line, and provide an explanatory thesis as to how Louie's been perverted all along and how he's been a disgusting hack from day one, but it's also undeniable that there's more to the surface than masturbation jokes (even if they are the ones that currently sting the most).
In fact, the entire central plot to the film; the one where Louie fears his minor-daughter is having sexual relations with a near 70-year-old John Malkovich; is far less unsettling than the sexual undertones, overtones and all the juvenile dick jokes in between, because at least the characters in the film are addressing the age-discrepancy dispute.
Louie writes himself in the character Glen as a father who's genuinely mortified by the idea of his high school daughter sleeping with an old man, while his love interest Grace (Rose Byrne) points out just how much of a hypocrite Glen is once he makes the argument that the details of his divorce are part of "his own personal business." The running themes of letting a person "be who they are no matter what" are congruent and explicit throughout the entire film but the film also paints the parental struggle of dealing with a kid who's becoming an adult as so unbelievably realistic. Sure, the blinders might still be up due to how disturbingly close the dialogue is to some of Louie's real-life behavior, but in time (if ever a time), it will be undeniable to acknowledge just how accurately Louie depicts the wholesome issues of being a struggling parent; a struggling man and just to be struggling in general.
The catch 22 is that none of the film's outstanding attributes excuse his behavior but for how honest and sincere the picture is, it's a shame that it will go down with Louie's reputation as a sinking tank of a mightily honest comedian who flew too close to the sun. Granted, Louie admitted to the allegations, apologized and agreed to step down from the spotlight to evaluate who he really is, it doesn't dismiss how he horribly affected the women he hurt and as I said, I'm not going to make this a defense case for the man.
I guess what I'm really getting at is that perhaps (PERHAPS) Louie has been wrestling with his demons, desperate to let these horrors out from day one. Maybe I'm reading a little too in between the lines but my biggest takeaway from ILYD wasn't the perverted nature of Louie, but the man's continuous, admittedly faulted behavior. Save for the fact that nearly every character in the film; his daughter, his ex-wife, his co-workers, his love interest, all remind him how much he sucks as a human being, the character of Glen is practically pleading forgiveness for his pathetic, sluggish behavior to everyone who he's hurt.
There's a moment during China's 18th birthday party where Glen is being hazed by family friend Maggie (Pamela Adlon) in regards to him being a bad father, and in a desperate plea of justifying the situation, Glen bursts out, "I'm sorry! To all women!" to which Maggie questions (along with the audience) the confusing response, "to ALL women..?" It is a moment that, for me, speaks volumes about the underlying cry for help that Louie has been shouting since Louie ever first aired on FX. I believe that not just the film but everything C.K. has ever done is a commentary on men; the nature of sexist pigs, and the reality of misogynistic people, and the prices they pay by being assholes. It's absolutely not okay but it's an all-too-real reality check.
I think the real issue isn't that Louie never confessed his feelings on what he's lived with, rather that he never knew how to confess. The man never knew how to say what was going on deep down and so he scraped the surface by making dick jokes, masturbation jokes and jokes that just hit too close for him, for years, because he's been facing the guilt of struggling as a grown-ass man who has a family and tries to be an "adult," and at the end of the day, just tries to be a good person. All the while, he must accept the reality that he really f**ked up with some women in the past, and now it's caught up to him.
Perhaps that's giving him too much credit but it's what resonates with me when I look at Louie, not as the smitten comedian, but as the man; the average American man who just let fame get the best of his behavior.
Do I think Louie deserves to pay for his crimes? Of course. Do I think we need to pair him up in the same conversation as Harvey Weinstein? Absolutely not. What matters is that it doesn't matter what I think because then we'd be going back to the "grabbing at straws" conversation. What matters is that I would never waste my time writing about a brilliantly honest comedian who's been deemed a "disgusting pig" at break-neck pace, unless I truly thought he was brilliantly honest. I love Louie and thinking about Louie hurts because for years I worshiped the man's honesty. His commentary spoke to me even though I'm not a middle-aged man dealing with depression, family and fame, and now that he's been exposed as this pervert; as he takes time to evaluate who he is, I must evaluate who I am.
But in the end, who are any of us? Some of us enjoy masturbation too much. And for some, it might get the best of us. But if that's all it boils down to then perhaps we're not looking at the bigger picture here (I'm aware that this is about far more than "just masturbation"). If I'm being honest with myself, yes, of course Louie needs to take this time to step away and regain his life and his direction, and in the end maybe he needs to end it all. Perhaps after all of this he'll finally put down the mic and just be done. Maybe that's what the world needs and that's what he deserves.
Maybe this is how Louie will be remembered and we must all use this as an example in moving forward, as to how to be a "good person"...
Or MAYBE...
Maybe...
We're all just much bigger assholes deep down than any of us are willing to admit.
That's it.
I accept all consequences.
Signing off.
Yours truly,
Aside from the fact that the sexual tones are just uncomfortable, the whole thing just feels sleazy, down to the child-like innocence of Chloe Grace Moretz, every time she sweetly refers to C.K. as "Daddy." At the end of the day it just feels wrong.
Roughly ten minutes into the picture, Glen (Louie), a big business TV producer, has a dispute with co-worker and friend Ralph (Charlie Day) in regards to Glen's daughter, China (Moretz), his seventeen-year-old daughter, spending a disclosed time in Florida for Spring break. Ralph goes on about "what girls do on Spring break" and goes into morose detail in regards to a sexual game called 'Mother May I' which involves young college kids naked, jacking off into buckets and it usually takes place in a hotel room (reality check: yikes). Day makes multiple masturbation jokes throughout the film, but more so it's when Day pretends to mime-masturbate during a big-business phone call Glen receives in regards to a big break in their upcoming TV show, while his assistant Paula (Edie Falco) is in the room; a scene that feels a little TOO real, having Charlie "finish" by the end of the phone call.
Granted, anyone could pick apart ILYD scene for scene, line by line, and provide an explanatory thesis as to how Louie's been perverted all along and how he's been a disgusting hack from day one, but it's also undeniable that there's more to the surface than masturbation jokes (even if they are the ones that currently sting the most).
In fact, the entire central plot to the film; the one where Louie fears his minor-daughter is having sexual relations with a near 70-year-old John Malkovich; is far less unsettling than the sexual undertones, overtones and all the juvenile dick jokes in between, because at least the characters in the film are addressing the age-discrepancy dispute.
Louie writes himself in the character Glen as a father who's genuinely mortified by the idea of his high school daughter sleeping with an old man, while his love interest Grace (Rose Byrne) points out just how much of a hypocrite Glen is once he makes the argument that the details of his divorce are part of "his own personal business." The running themes of letting a person "be who they are no matter what" are congruent and explicit throughout the entire film but the film also paints the parental struggle of dealing with a kid who's becoming an adult as so unbelievably realistic. Sure, the blinders might still be up due to how disturbingly close the dialogue is to some of Louie's real-life behavior, but in time (if ever a time), it will be undeniable to acknowledge just how accurately Louie depicts the wholesome issues of being a struggling parent; a struggling man and just to be struggling in general.
The catch 22 is that none of the film's outstanding attributes excuse his behavior but for how honest and sincere the picture is, it's a shame that it will go down with Louie's reputation as a sinking tank of a mightily honest comedian who flew too close to the sun. Granted, Louie admitted to the allegations, apologized and agreed to step down from the spotlight to evaluate who he really is, it doesn't dismiss how he horribly affected the women he hurt and as I said, I'm not going to make this a defense case for the man.
I guess what I'm really getting at is that perhaps (PERHAPS) Louie has been wrestling with his demons, desperate to let these horrors out from day one. Maybe I'm reading a little too in between the lines but my biggest takeaway from ILYD wasn't the perverted nature of Louie, but the man's continuous, admittedly faulted behavior. Save for the fact that nearly every character in the film; his daughter, his ex-wife, his co-workers, his love interest, all remind him how much he sucks as a human being, the character of Glen is practically pleading forgiveness for his pathetic, sluggish behavior to everyone who he's hurt.
There's a moment during China's 18th birthday party where Glen is being hazed by family friend Maggie (Pamela Adlon) in regards to him being a bad father, and in a desperate plea of justifying the situation, Glen bursts out, "I'm sorry! To all women!" to which Maggie questions (along with the audience) the confusing response, "to ALL women..?" It is a moment that, for me, speaks volumes about the underlying cry for help that Louie has been shouting since Louie ever first aired on FX. I believe that not just the film but everything C.K. has ever done is a commentary on men; the nature of sexist pigs, and the reality of misogynistic people, and the prices they pay by being assholes. It's absolutely not okay but it's an all-too-real reality check.
I think the real issue isn't that Louie never confessed his feelings on what he's lived with, rather that he never knew how to confess. The man never knew how to say what was going on deep down and so he scraped the surface by making dick jokes, masturbation jokes and jokes that just hit too close for him, for years, because he's been facing the guilt of struggling as a grown-ass man who has a family and tries to be an "adult," and at the end of the day, just tries to be a good person. All the while, he must accept the reality that he really f**ked up with some women in the past, and now it's caught up to him.
Perhaps that's giving him too much credit but it's what resonates with me when I look at Louie, not as the smitten comedian, but as the man; the average American man who just let fame get the best of his behavior.
Do I think Louie deserves to pay for his crimes? Of course. Do I think we need to pair him up in the same conversation as Harvey Weinstein? Absolutely not. What matters is that it doesn't matter what I think because then we'd be going back to the "grabbing at straws" conversation. What matters is that I would never waste my time writing about a brilliantly honest comedian who's been deemed a "disgusting pig" at break-neck pace, unless I truly thought he was brilliantly honest. I love Louie and thinking about Louie hurts because for years I worshiped the man's honesty. His commentary spoke to me even though I'm not a middle-aged man dealing with depression, family and fame, and now that he's been exposed as this pervert; as he takes time to evaluate who he is, I must evaluate who I am.
But in the end, who are any of us? Some of us enjoy masturbation too much. And for some, it might get the best of us. But if that's all it boils down to then perhaps we're not looking at the bigger picture here (I'm aware that this is about far more than "just masturbation"). If I'm being honest with myself, yes, of course Louie needs to take this time to step away and regain his life and his direction, and in the end maybe he needs to end it all. Perhaps after all of this he'll finally put down the mic and just be done. Maybe that's what the world needs and that's what he deserves.
Maybe this is how Louie will be remembered and we must all use this as an example in moving forward, as to how to be a "good person"...
Maybe...
We're all just much bigger assholes deep down than any of us are willing to admit.
That's it.
I accept all consequences.
Signing off.
Yours truly,
