Louis C.K. is back. The talented comedian is out of the dungeon after becoming engulfed in the sexual harassment reckoning called the #MeToo movement for past acts that were understandably heinous. You can't masturbate in front of a bunch of ladies, Louis. That's textbook sexual harassment, which he admitted and was relegated into the wilderness...until now. He's back with a new film, and his comedy album won a Grammy. He's back, much to the "woke" left's chagrin, probably. Who cares? These were forgivable offenses, bad—yes—but forgivable.
We look to the politically incorrect as the ones who get the most laughs. Dave Chappelle is unapologetic about his takes on some of the issues that involve the "alphabet people" (LGBT) and was even attacked by a deranged man who was triggered by the comedian's evisceration of the norms and standards pushed by the politically correct. Then, there's Andrew Schulz, whose latest act most likely sent scores of liberals to seek psychiatric help. Schulz touched upon the Michael Jackson abuse allegations, Make America Great Again, and Joe Biden. It's pure hilarity.
It circles back to can liberals be funny? We mock these folks, especially the feminist contingent, as being incapable of taking a joke. This comedic dead zone is not a new phenomenon, as there was an entire panel discussion at Netroots Nation dedicated to comedy. That was back in 2014, when Ricochet's Jon Gabriel attended, which saw him creating the "that's not funny" meme featuring Sandra Fluke when she was still a thing. Okay, maybe there were others, but I remember Gabriel seeing this spectacle, laughing about it, and then rushing to his hotel room to create this masterpiece.
Yet, the short answer is yes. The problem is that most younger liberals don't know these people or view them as anathema, given past sexual harassment fiascos. Again, Louis C.K. was no fan of Trump, but the dude is funny. When you run into the work of Larry David, Jerry Seinfeld, and some other key members of the "Seinfeld" orbit, barring Michael Richards post- "Seinfeld," whose n-word-laced tirade at the Laugh Factory in 2006 killed his career, you'll find genius.
Yes, Julia Louis-Dreyfus' "Veep" was funny; the show lasted seven seasons on HBO. "Curb Your Enthusiasm" brilliantly highlighted what became a focal point of liberal America's angst: the sea of red MAGA hats post-2016. Larry David decides to use that red hat to get out of public outings and meetings, knowing that liberal Hollywood doesn't want to be seen with such folks.
"Seinfeld" featured numerous takes on issues that would stump today's woke comedy writing corps. The threading of Mets' Keith Hernandez and a loogie to make fun of the Warren Commission, the magic bullet theory, and the JFK assassination was brilliant. Kramer making pizza with "Poppie" and that turning into an allegory about abortion was also hilarious.
You know the lines.
"It's a pizza when you take it out of the oven."
"It's a pizza once you put your fists in the dough."
Sadly, some stuff, like the Indian Giver and Puerto Rican Day, probably can't pass the litmus test of today's audiences, but it's evidence that even the most liberal members of our society have shown their talent pre-Trump and post-Trump. It has to do with the audience, and the audience of the liberal comedian is genuinely some of the most miserable groups of people you'll ever encounter on the face of the Earth.