Editorial: Behind the jokes

Louis C.K. sends a greater message than just humor

New York comedian Louis C.K. is known for making his listeners’ faces red and eyes watery with laughter, I can say I’m one of them too, be it through his many stand-up bits or his awkwardly hilarious show on FX, Louie.

 Behind all the raunchy material and often offensive wordplay is a deeper message. Louis C.K. preaches about human nature and its flaws.

 From modern parents letting their kids’ minds turn into the green stuff you would find on that old Nickelodeon show with cell phones, to how selfish people can be over the smallest of issues, the comedian covers it all.

 Louis C.K. finds a way to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth in the simplest of ways. A litter of his quotes can be found all over the Internet displaying his rare, refreshing qualities that not many comedians, let alone people, display.

 One thing that separates Louis from other popular comedians today is his age. At the youthful age of 46, Louis C.K. has two kids and loves them dearly as he often says in his stand-up routines.

 On an appearance with Conan O’Brien on his late show, Louis describes how parents are giving in to the fear of their children not fitting in with the other kids because he/she doesn’t have the newest phone.

 “I think these things are toxic, especially for kids”, says the veteran comedian, “It’s bad, they don’t look at people and they don’t build empathy.”

 Louis C.K.’s subject matter is something that no other comedian (at his popularity) can compete with. Other comedians such as Aziz Ansari and Daniel Tosh go in a completely different and more stereotypical direction. Don’t get me wrong, I find them both hilarious and witty, but it does not really compare to the message Louis C.K. is sending.

 In his self-titled show, Louie, C.K.  plays himself and lives in New York with his daughters living the struggle as a single father.  What makes the show so fascinating is its relatability and real life situations. He’s a little bit awkward (who isn’t), doesn’t show much emotion, and does his best for his daughters.  It is really refreshing to see a show about the oddities of everyday life.

 Louis is also able to make fun of himself.

 “I don’t stop eating when I’m full. I stop eating when I hate myself.” It is comments like these that make him so likeable.

 Louis C.K. teaches us that not everything is perfect and we should not expect it to be. He tells us to embrace our emotions and live through them and not some cell phone that numbs our senses.

 “You never feel completely sad or completely happy. We just become complacent with our product.”

 Maybe if we lived a bit more like Louis C.K., we would not have to worry about how many favorites or retweets our last tweet got and start experiencing the world we live in and the people who live in it.