Dylan Brogan
Protesters Tessa Echeverria and Avalon Clare called for a boycott of the comedy club.
Tickets to five shows at Comedy on State by comedian Louis C.K. sold out within hours. The backlash to the comedy club booking the once beloved comic was also swift. Protesters picketed outside Comedy on State before and after every performance.
“Boycott Louis till he’s broke, sexual assault is not a joke,” chanted around a dozen protesters outside the club on July 25. “Boycott Comedy on State.”
In 2017, C.K. admitted to masturbating in front of multiple women after The New York Times detailed the accounts of five women who recounted experiences with the comedian that occurred between the mid-’90s and 2005.
“When you have power over another person, asking them to look at your dick isn’t a question. It’s a predicament for them,” C.K. wrote in a Nov. 10, 2017, statement to the Times. “The power I had over these women is that they admired me. And I wielded that power irresponsibly.”
After taking a break, C.K. started touring again in 2019 and he’s been selling out shows around the country. Comedy on State was uncharacteristically silent on social media about hosting one of the biggest names in comedy. And it has tried to blunt criticism by blocking Twitter users who tweeted about C.K.’s run of shows in Madison — including the accounts of some local journalists. The club is owned by the Paras family, who also own and operate The Orpheum. They did not respond to requests for comment by email or in person.
Madison DSA, the local chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, organized the protests against C.K.
“Shame on Comedy on State,” said one protester — who asked to remain anonymous — into a megaphone. “And shame on anyone who bought tickets to see this garbage, transphobic masturbating clown.”
A few C.K. fans on the way to the show rolled their eyes or gave protesters the finger and some protesters hurled insults as well. But most people who bought tickets quietly hurried into the club without engaging. Isthmus tried and largely failed to interview people attending the show.
“People have the right to protest,” one woman told Isthmus before heading inside to see the show.
One man, who came outside to smoke with his girlfriend, took a different tack.
“Everybody inside knows what Louis did. They are still here,” the man yelled. “Jerking off is kind of his thing…. He’s not Bill Cosby. Pick your battles, ladies.”
A protester responded, “This is about supporting rape culture. People who bought tickets to this show are supporting rape culture.”
“He didn’t rape anyone,” the man replied, before attempting a joke as he guided his girlfriend back inside. “Babe, you got to get the dishes done in an hour. Let’s go.”
Local comedians Sasha Rosser and Shauna Jungdahl sprung into action when they first heard about C.K. performing in Madison. They put together BABE-APALOOZA at Bos Meadery the night of C.K.’s first appearance at Comedy on State. Their show featured all female comedians. The event was also a fundraiser for the Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault.
“We were thrilled about the response and that we were able to create something positive during a painful couple of weeks,” Jungdahl tells Isthmus.
Jungdahl believes it was a mistake for Comedy on State to book C.K. However, she has mixed feelings about calls for boycotting the business. She doesn’t want to see the club suffer.
“The club has been the heart of the local comedy scene and our connection to the comedy scene outside of Madison. I can’t speak for everyone. But to me, and lots of other local comics, it feels like home,” says Jungdahl. “It’s one of the most respected clubs in the country. It’s a business that many people love.”
Jungdahl says that’s why the decision to book Louis C.K. is baffling to her and hard not to take personally.
“There are so many comics who love being there. All we want is to feel safe and respected,” says Jungdahl. “So this Louis C.K. thing is hard to stomach. What were they thinking? Now it just seems like they are trying to sweep it all under the rug.”
