2017-11-09 – Two stories of sexual abuse came out today. One involves a man I love. One involves a man I despise. Both stories make me sad.

The man I love (loved?) is Louis C.K. The irony of this is that I hated him the first time I saw him. The first routine of his I saw was foul-mouthed. I consider most foul-mouthed comedians to be lazy. They are not Lenny Bruce. They are not George Carlin. They are not Richard Pryor. They are not breaking new ground. They say “fuck” because it gets an automatic laugh, even if the material is otherwise boring. I’m not opposed to foul language, as such, but I take it as a sign of laziness. So when I first heard Louis C.K., I thought he was like the run-of-the mill lazy comic.

He is not.

He was (is?) edgy. But it turns out that off-stage he was edgy in ways that were abusive to women. At least that’s what the New York Times says. And they should know. It makes me sad for the women who were involved. It makes me sad for Louis. After I got passed my original revulsion, I thought he was funny. Maybe I should have stuck with my original opinion, so I could say, “I knew there was something wrong with this guy.” But I can’t claim that moral superiority. I thought he was funny. I guess that’s all over.

The other guy who was outed today was Judge Roy Moore of Alabama. We knew this guy was scum. His own red state kicked him off its state supreme court twice. He’s racist. He’s homophobic. And he’s willing to break the law if it interferes with his bigotry.

Republican politicians are in a frenzy at the news that Moore had a habit of sexually molesting underage girls. They want him to drop his senate candidacy “if the allegations are true.” But they are so excited by the revelations, it’s clear that they think they are true. And they don’t want to be anywhere near Judge Roy Moore when the blow-back comes.

Too bad they don’t feel this way about their President’s sexual “mischief.” But that’s another story.

I should be happy to see a Republican get his comeuppance. I was happy when one Republican after another got their comeuppance in the election on Tuesday. I’m happy when voters reject voodoo economics. I’m happy when a trans candidate defeats a sponsor of anti-trans legislation. I’m happy when an ultra-white community elects a black candidate. I’m happy when a man who saw his girlfriend gunned down on live TV defeats a darling of the NRA. And I would have been happy to see Roy Moore defeated as an utterly unfit candidate for the United States Senate.

But what the fuck! How did we get to the place where a serial statutory rapist is even a candidate?

We are not all like that.

If there are more stories like this about powerful men abusing women, we’ve got to hear them. But I’m hoping that we’re nearing the end. Somehow, I don’t think we are.

But please, no more comedians.

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