Fans of Louis CK are likely unfazed by the stand-up comic’s Saturday Night Live routine. CK hosted the finale episode last Saturday. And like many stand-ups before him, he used his monologue to spotlight his latest routine.
This time, it was 70s style racism, how parenting is like managing the Middle East crisis, and child molestation. None of these subjects are new to CK. He’s gone much (much) further in his stand-up on racism and child abuse in the past. But live TV is not a stand-up special, and hearing this kind of material on the networks is still shocking.
That there is humor in the horror of child molestation is hard to understand, but if anyone can find it, it is CK. Whether or not he succeeded is open to interpretation (this is comedy, after all). Political commentator Ken Rudin found it pointless and unfunny, and others out there agreed.
CK must’ve known what he was getting into (“How do you think I feel,” he quips, as the audience gasps in horror, “this is my last show probably.”)
Is it funny? You’ll have to decide for yourself. For my money, I thought it was pretty good, especially the part about fighting children. More than funny, though, I thought it was bold of SNL and NBC to let him go for it. Why else bring in CK?
Whatever you decide, can we at least agree it was funnier than the elves and the cobbler?
