When #MeToo causes stars to fall, who decides if they should rise again?

If there’s one thing Americans like more than watching celebrities fail, it’s watching celebrities stage a comeback. The Triumphant Return plays to our “up from the bootstraps” national narrative, trumping the more primal schadenfreude impulse that can give us a sick thrill.

But when the hyper-compressed modern news cycle, where controversies come and go faster than we can keep track, meets the #MeToo movement head on, it can be difficult to determine when a celebrity comeback after a sex scandal is too soon. And who really holds the keys to release a problematic artist from the prison of public shame – their fans, their accusers, or Hollywood power brokers?

Comedians Louis CK and Aziz Ansari both recently began making moves back into the entertainment industry. Their trajectories are similar; both men’s public personae were that of a sensitive, thoughtful artist in contrast with other comics that held a defiantly anti-PC stance. Both men faced accusations of sexual misconduct after the #MeToo movement gained traction and more women became emboldened to come forward with stories of sexual abuse and harassment within the entertainment industry and beyond.

The accusations were shocking, and credible. CK admitted to masturbating in front of female colleagues on several occasions after five women shared their stories with the New York Times. TV network FX, which aired his popular sitcom “Louie” and employed him as a producer for several other shows, fired CK, and a forthcoming movie written and directed by CK lost its distribution deal. 

A powerfully-written anonymous account of an encounter with Ansari that concluded with the comic pressuring his date into oral sex after she repeatedly told him she wasn’t interested pumped the brakes on his career, as the third season of his popular Netflix show “Master of None” has yet to begin production (though recently Netflix has voiced interest in working with Ansari again). Both men quickly ducked out of the spotlight; there would be no performances and few if any public appearances.

But in recent weeks, both men returned to where their careers began – the standup stage, albeit under different circumstances. CK popped onstage unannounced at a New York comedy club for a short set, reportedly receiving an ovation from the small audience. And Ansari has embarked on a tour of comedy clubs starting earlier this month. Both of these returns to the stage come around nine months after facing accusations.

Some don’t find the duo’s return to performance problematic, with art least one colleague lamenting the extent to which their careers were affected. Comedian Norm Macdonald, who is friends with CK, has said he is “happy the #MeToo movement has slowed down a little bit” and that “There are very few people that have gone through what (CK has), losing everything in a day. Of course, people will go, ‘What about the victims?’ But you know what? Thevictims didn't have to go through that.” A writer for “Vulture” reported that, after attending one of Ansari’s comeback performances, “My sense during the show was that the crowd was aware of the saga, but not judgmental about it. A woman sitting in front of me told me she saw it as ‘very low on the scale of “bad date” to “Harvey Weinstein.”’”

But if (and when) Ansari and CK make a transition back to the entertainment industry – undoubtedly with a few tearfully apologetic speeches thrown in – what message does this send to victims of sexual abuse, and indeed, the men who could perpetuate this abuse, both within and without Hollywood? That public shaming, some lost wages and several months of seclusion is enough penance for a man whose actions could cause deep psychological scarring to his victims?

To be clear, I don’t believe that men like CK and Ansari should never work again. I do, however, think that their returns, in this case, seem premature. It displays, on their part, a lack of self-awareness and sensitivity to the cultural moment that #MeToo has brought forth. Their returns could signal that the entertainment and pleasure of a mass audience outweighs the displeasure and trauma that their presence could (and I’m not a fan of this term) trigger in victims of sexual violence, harassment or coercion.

I also worry that their relatively swift returns to the stage reinforce the long-running narrative of woman as false accuser or that the victims in these cases have something to gain from coming forward. Ansari’s accuser has been mocked in an Atlantic editorial, and his return tour can be viewed as a signal from audiences that his time away from comedy was enough penance for his bad behavior. The same could be said for CK’s comeback, though his steps seem more tentative. What message does this send to both abusers and victims? That with enough power and popularity, a triumphant comeback is always possible, even after committing heinous acts? Judging by Hollywood’s history, this appears to be the case – just look at “Rosemary’s Baby” director Roman Polanski, who has continued to make films in Europe even after pleading guilty to charges stemming from his rape of a 13-year-old girl in 1978.

It’s cold comfort that the sheer quantity of #MeToo scandals will likely keep this important conversation on who deserves to be accepted back into the public consciousness, and the appropriate manner of their return, in the news and Internet forums for quite some time. Ideally, the perspective of the victims should be valued and honored on this matter. As it becomes more acceptable for victims to speak out on the topic, we can hope to hear many measured, thoughtful responses. We must bear in mind that victims of sexual abuse are not a monolithic block with the same thoughts and feelings about their experiences. Some may be willing to allow accused abusers second chances, some may not. And obviously, the nature of the offense plays a part in the narrative of forgiveness. A drunken grope at a Hollywood party is not commensurate with Harvey Weinstein’s alleged escapades – as Ansari’s fan at his comeback show noted.

Comedy club owners, film and TV producers and other media gatekeepers need to carefully consider the power they wield and the message they send by allowing those facing allegations of sexual misconduct back into the spotlight. While no perfect formula exists for determining the correct timing, or if someone’s conduct is so egregious that they deserve to sink into obscurity forever, following a moral compass and listening to female voices about the matter are good places to start.

ARTICLES CITED

Ryzick, Melena. “Louis C.K. Performs First Stand-Up Set at Club Since Admitting to #MeToo Cases.” New York Times, 27 August 2018. www.nytimes.com/2018/08/27/arts/television/louis-ck-performs-comedy.html

Kaye, Ben. “Aziz Ansari announces comeback tour dates.” Consequence of Sound, 30 August 2018. consequenceofsound.net/2018/08/aziz-ansari-tour-dates/

“Louis C.K. Responds to Accusations: ‘These Stories Are True’.” New York Times, 10 November 2017. www.nytimes.com/2017/11/10/arts/television/louis-ck-statement.html

Ryzick, Melena, Cara Buckley and Jodi Kantor. “Louis C.K. Is Accused by 5 Women of Sexual Misconduct.” New York Times, 9 November 2017. www.nytimes.com/2017/11/09/arts/television/louis-ck-sexual-misconduct.html

Itzkoff, Dave. “Louis C.K. Admits to Sexual Misconduct as Media Companies Cut Ties.” New York Times, 10 November 2017. www.nytimes.com/2017/11/10/movies/louis-ck-i-love-you-daddy-release-is-canceled.html

Way, Katie. “I went on a date with Aziz Ansari. It turned into the worst night of my life.” Babe, 13 January 2018. babe.net/2018/01/13/aziz-ansari-28355

Holloway, Daniel. “Netflix Wants Aziz Ansari’s ‘Master of None’ to Return for Season 3, Originals Chief Says.” Variety, 29 July 2018. variety.com/2018/tv/news/netflix-aziz-ansari-master-of-none-1202889434

Serota, Maggie. “Louis C.K. Receives Standing Ovation in Return to Stand Up.” Spin, 28 August 2018. www.spin.com/2018/08/louis-c-k-comedy-club-sexual-misconduct-ovation

Melas, Chloe. “Aziz Ansari making comedy comeback after #MeToo accusation.” CNN, 13 September 2018. cnn.com/2018/09/13/entertainment/aziz-ansari-comedy-tour/index.html

Abramovitch, Seth. “Norm Macdonald Won’t Go Pundit on His Netflix Talk Show.” The Hollywood Reporter, 11 September 2018. www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/why-norm-macdonalds-new-talk-show-wont-target-trump-1141832

Glasspiegel, Ryan. “The Scene Inside One of Aziz Ansari’s Recent Shows.” Vulture, 27 August 2018. vulture.com/2018/08/aziz-ansaris-post-metoo-working-out-new-material-shows.html

Flanagan, Caitlin. “The Humiliation of Aziz Ansari.” The Atlantic, 14 January 2018. www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2018/01/the-humiliation-of-aziz-ansari/550541

Romney, Jonathan. “Roman Polanski: The truth about his notorious sex crime.” The Independent, 5 October 2008. independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/roman-polanski-the-truth-about-his-notorious-sex-crime-949106.html

“Harvey Weinstein charged with rape following New York Arrest.” BBC News, 25 May 2018. bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-44257202x

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