Alexis Romero
Sep 3, 2018 · 2 min read

Let’s say I committed a crime, maybe I robbed a bank and got caught.

After being caught, I would not then be allowed to decide for myself what feels like a fair punishment, “hmm, let’s say 0 years in prison, and 2 weeks of community service.” That’s not how consequences work. There would be a set of rules, laws, and procedures to decide what my punishment is. Maybe I think it’s fair or maybe I don’t, but whatever my sentence is, it will be decided by someone else. We are trying to follow the same principle with Louis CK. No one should get to decide for themselves how to atone atleast on the outside (internal atonement is another matter), because if everyone were allowed to choose the punishment themselves, people would be letting themselves off the hook left and right.

And you’re right, it’s not up to me specifically to decide how long it should take. But it is up to us, you and me, Arun — as well as everyone else in society to collectively decide what is fair and what isn’t here. So by setting standards for celebrities or politicians, we are not treating them like second rate citizens, we are trying to hold them to the same standard as all citizens. Personally, I tend to think the question of how much time has passed doesn’t matter much at all, how you confront the issue matters more.

One the whistle joke, it’s true that all comedians are going to have jokes that offend someone, but the fact is there were people in the audience that evening who did find it offensive and said so. I think their opinion matters given Louis’ past actions. If the same joke had come from a different comedian, perhaps it would have been funny. I myself was not there and am not personally offended, but this isn’t about me.

I agree with you that privacy is something that shouldn’t be taken away lightly, and I hope I made it clear that anytime I referenced “public life” in this piece I was talking about the part about being a celebrity on red carpets. I was not talking about simply being out in public doing everyday activities. I also think grocery store gossip is ridiculous and should never happen.

Your point about granting him a “single ounce of happiness” is one that comes up often and a question that I have struggled with quite a bit. I think what I’d say is that having fame and making millions does not equal a single ounce of anything. And just because he’s had success in the past which has presumably made him happy, doesn’t mean he’s earned a permanent spot in the comedy limelight for the rest of his life. I do hear what you’re saying about the internal struggles and anxieties Louis is likely going through, though, and if his next stand-up bit covers those topics, I would be happy to support him.

Thank you for reading Arun, I appreciate your thoughtful comments. Have a good day.

    Alexis Romero

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    Hi there, I write about public policy, the presidency, and culture.