Janeane Garofalo

Janeane Garofalo says, "leave Louis C.K. alone"

Janeane Garofalo wants people to “leave Louis C.K. alone,” she said in the latest edition of BUST’s “Poptarts” podcast. Speaking with hosts Emily Rems and Callie Watts about the impact of #MeToo on stand-up comedy, Janeane was adamant on the subject, despite Louis admitting to sexual misconduct, saying “he’s been my friend since 1985, and I think he has suffered,.”

And again, there are so many issues we gotta be motivated on. He’s been my friend — and I stand by that — he’s been my friend since 1985, and I think he has suffered. And when he performs at the Comedy Cellar and people get all irate, if nothing else, care about his daughters. If nothing else — if you can find no compassion for him, which I think you should — think about how his daughters, who hear all of this stuff, feel. Why don’t you leave him alone for them if you’re so women-empowering?

Emily and Callie disagreed, but Janeane pressed on, telling them they “don’t understand what it is like to be a public pariah” and to “have people in the street yell things.” She continued:

I don’t think you know the full story … and nobody talks onstage in their stand-up more than him [about] everything he’s ever done throughout that whole time. I don’t want to get caught up in this, because clearly you take a strong position on this, and it doesn’t win me any friends. This is like talking about Israel. But I do believe when you’re a friend with someone, and if you think that they have suffered — I don’t believe in kicking a person when they’re down.

Janeane asked the hosts what their “stake” is in condemning Louis, and they replied, “when I [am] in a room and you have a bigger position than me, you don’t just get to wag your dick at me because you can.” Janeane again disagreed, saying, “ok, first of all, that’s not what he did,” and insisting that he “paid heavily, heavily, and his family has paid heavily” for his sexual misconduct.

Janeane also brought up Comedy Cellar, the first venue to host Louis’s “comeback” and one that has controversially continued to do so, leading to a “swim at your own risk” door policy being implemented:

Oh my God. Do you know how much offensive material goes on at the Comedy Cellar? You know what? If you don’t want to listen to him, get up and leave the room. You are acting like Mussolini has walked into the room, and it is not. This is a human being.

Louis came under fire most recently for mocking school shooting survivors and the usage of gender neutral pronouns in leaked audio from a Long Island, NY set. He referenced the set at his most recent performance, at Albany, NY’s Funny Bone Comedy Club on Thursday (1/10). According to Times Union‘s review, Lewis said, “if you ever want people to forget that you (masturbated) in front of some women, you make a joke about kids getting shot.”