Okay, Folks.
Everyone ok? I am not great.
I’ve spent that last few days processing the events involving my friend Louis CK. He did some bad, selfish, hurtful, traumatizing, insensitive, creepy, sexual things to some women and now he is facing the consequences. His friends and family and people who worked with and for him are dealing with the consequences. The victims are living with the consequences of his actions and have been for years. It’s awful all around.
I talk about it on today’s show. That is where I chose to process my thoughts and feelings. Those of you who listen to the show know that. There was pressure in the immediate aftermath of the New York Times article and Louis’s admission of guilt for everyone who knows Louis to react and comment immediately, in any way possible. On Twitter, now means now and if you don’t do something now you are an apologist or complicit or someone who doesn’t care. I have posted very little on Twitter in the last year. I promote the shows, my book, I answer some questions about mundane stuff occasionally but I have been pretty detached from it mostly. It’s been great. It’s a time suck clusterfuck that can turn into a pile on of garbage and anger in minutes. It is nowhere to discuss nuanced issues or to process complicated feelings. I felt pressured. I had to say something as a placeholder while I processed my own feelings around it. I tweeted this:
‘I've been friends with Louis CK for a long time. I read the article and none of it is good. I'll have more to say about it on my own show and not a shitty platform like Twitter.’
The shit storm was fast and furious. It ran the gamut: I was being condescending to the free platform where victims' voices can be heard because of my privilege, or I was using my friends demise and the pain of the victims to promote my show so I could profit from it, or I used harsher language abut Twitter than I did about sexual misconduct. And on and on. Pile on. Which illustrated to me exactly why I didn’t address the situation candidly there. Not the place. No way. The odd thing was all I wanted to do was tell my listeners that I would deal with it on my show where I deal with everything in the time and space and flow that I want to. That was it. I watched three sentences just conveying very basic and simple information be deconstructed and weaponized every possible way. So, fuck Twitter. That is why I just use it to promote the show, promote the book, live dates and occasionally answer mundane questions. That’s it.
Also, Buster came back. After two days on the lamb he just stuck his head in the garage when I was talking to Darren Aronofsky. Maybe Darren summoned him somehow. I don’t know. I’m happy to have him back even though every time he leaves I have to let him go in my mind.
Today on the show I talk to Kim Deal from The Pixies and The Breeders about music and life and Ohio. On Thursday, I talk to Lawrence O’Donnell about Boston, politics, his life and his new book. Great talks.
Enjoy!
Boomer lives!
Love,
Maron