Louis C.K.'s Return Not Welcome, Comedian Erin Gibson Says
*By Christian Smith*
Louis C.K. is leading with his straight white maleness by reappearing on New York's comedy scene just nine months after he admitted to sexually harassing five women, said comedian Erin Gibson.
Not only that, Gibson said Thursday in an interview on Cheddar, the comedian reemerged without asking permission.
"He's definitely showing his privilege by deeming himself ready to come back without asking one other person how they felt about it," she said.
"Until he starts volunteering at a women's shelter, or donating money to RAINN, or doing any actionable thing that proves that he actually feels sorry about it, I don't believe him."
C.K. unexpectedly [crashed](https://cheddar.com/videos/too-soon-louis-c-k-returns-to-stage) the famed Comedy Cellar in New York City with a performance last month. His presence immediately drew the ire of many in the field, including Aparna Nancherla, star of Netflix 's "The Standups" who penned an [op-ed](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/01/opinion/sunday/louis-ck-metoo-second-chance.html) and criticized the comeback vehemently in The New York Times. Several male comedians ー Michael Che and Michael Ian Black, to name a couple ー rushed to C.K.'s defense on Twitter, but many recanted after negative PR swirled on social media.
Gibson is no stranger to confronting the patriarchy. She's the host of the hit podcast "Throwing Shade," which offers a comedic take on real-life issues like women's rights and civil liberties in the LGBTQ community. Most recently, Gibson authored a new book, "Feminasty: The Complicated Woman's Guide to Surviving the Patriarchy Without Drinking Herself to Death."
While the book is heavy on humor, Gibson does want readers to glean some useful, genuine tips for making the world a more equal (and perhaps better) place for women.
"Recognize in all moments how you're being marginalized, and then accept that you have some power to change it," Gibson said.
"By the way, I'm advocating drinking," she said. "I just don't want people to drink until they die."
"Feminasty: The Complicated Woman's Guide to Surviving the Patriarchy Without Drinking Herself to Death" was released this week and is available in stores and online.
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/comedian-erin-gibsons-guide-for-women-on-surviving-a-world-run-by-men).
Following the surprising big beat on estimates for the January jobs report, William M. Rodgers III, vice president and director of the Institute for Economic Equity at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, joined Cheddar News to break down the data. “We ended 2021 with a strong crescendo to a recovery that had taken hold, and we started 2022 in good fashion." He also discussed the dueling pressures of wage growth and inflation.
Jessica Mason Pieklo, senior vice president and executive editor of the Rewired News Group and co-host of the podcast. "Boom! Lawyered," joins Cheddar Politics to discuss Justice Stephen Breyer's retirement, legacy and potential replacement on the Supreme Court.
The Biden administration delivered a temporary win for student loan borrowers this year by extending the moratorium on federal payments for a few more months. That moratorium is coming to an end on May 1st and borrowers will again have their monthly loan payment plopped in their lap.
Stephanie Vanderslice, a creative writing professor paying off debt through the Parent Plus program, and Mike Pierce, executive director of the Student Borrower Protection Center, join Cheddar Politics to discuss.
2022 was already going to be a big year for the Supreme Court. We have decisions on major issues like abortion and gun rights on the way. Then, Justice Stephen Breyer announced his retirement and that set up a major confirmation fight for later this year. Amy Howe, co-founder of SCOTUSblog, joins Cheddar Politics to discuss.
The Labor Department released a better-than-expected report of 467,000 jobs added in January. Heather Boushey, Council of Economic Advisers Member for President Biden, joined Cheddar to tout the administration's handling of the economy amid the pandemic and the upward revisions for the previous month. "It also shows that, because of the revisions, the economy was stronger over the past couple of months," she said. "I don't think that this can be said enough, but economic forecasting during an historic pandemic is extremely difficult." Boushey also addressed issues involving wage growth versus the rapid rise of inflation.
The Labor Department's January jobs report showed 467,000 jobs were added, compared to the 150,000 that were projected, a sign that employment is continuign to return to pre-pandemic levels. Lindsey Piegza, chief economist at investment bank Stifel, joined Cheddar to break down the report, noting the big gains but adding a note of caution. "Remember, even with this morning's stellar report, we're still millions below that level that we had reached prior to the onset of COVID-19," she said." Yes, we are recapturing jobs. We still have further ground that needs to be made before we can talk about reaching that previous peak." Piegza also discussed the role of the Federal Reserve going forward as the employment figures turn more positive.
As President Biden's poll numbers fall with Black voters, Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass. 7th District) joined Cheddar to discuss what she feels could help the embattled administration: deliver on policies. Pressley pointed to stalled legislation such as new voting rights laws and Build Back Betters and canceling student loan debt, which would go a long way to improving his standing with Black constituents. "President Biden has the authority and the power to alleviate this burden, which would also help in closing the racial wealth gap, and he can do it by executive action with the stroke of a pen," she said. "And it doesn't require one vote from Congress. So, the Biden administration just needs to deliver to Black America in a tangible and impactful way."