Can the Cancelled Win Awards?

Congratulations to the Grammys this year! Its mission is to celebrate artistic excellence and foster a more inspiring world for creators, and I bet Louis CK did wake up the next day feeling a little more confident and affirmed in his choices.

Because when you admit to openly masturbating in front of coworkers sometimes you get fired, have your movies canceled and your shows exiled from streaming platforms. Don’t worry, friend. Just take a vacation, learn a new hobby and practice some self-care. Because five years later, you too can win a prestigious industry award honoring your artistic achievement in comedy. 

And look out, Bill Cosby! Louis CK is well on his way to giving Cosby a run for his money, having just won his third GRAMMY Award for Best Comedy Album. Just a few more and he’ll have caught up to Bill, who holds the record for most wins with a total of seven Grammys. 

Of course, that’s not the only thing Bill and Louis have in common. They both have daughters. Cosby has four, C.K. has two. They also have both have been accused by women of sexual misconduct. Cosby had 60+ women accuse him of sexual harassment and/or assault. Louis once again has fewer numbers, having admitted to sexual misconduct against five women.

While this may seem like a tried and true path to success in the entertainment industry, some comics baulk at the idea of using your success to silence the victims of predatory behavior. Others are fine with it. Most don’t comment at all.

If only Louis CK had been brave enough to show up to the Grammys to receive his award. And if only he had slapped a presenter. Then maybe, just maybe, we could have had a global peer-led discussion about who deserves recognition and why.

If it was up to me (and most things should be) Louis CK’s album would not have been eligible to be nominated. Because, in my opinion, it wasn’t great work, and more importantly, because five years ago we learned that he was a serially destructive and toxic contributor to the comedy community. There’s nothing funny about that.