Culture & Society
Louis C.K. makes race easier for America to swallow
He makes race more easily palatable to white America.
By: Kartina Richardson | TheLoop21
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Sun, 07/18/2010 - 00:44
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My friend Lilah has been encouraging me to listen to Louis C.K.'s stand up for months.
"He talks about race all the time!"
I could not, as when urged to do something someone says I will really like, I refuse to move (I pull on the leash like Lilah's dog does suddenly and for no apparent reason). Lilah is stubborn too so she knows her urging is lost in the sea of pointless suggestions:
Me: You must watch Californication.
Her: You have to see Kath and Kim.
The other night however, pliant with eight dollar Vino Verde and a slight head cold, Lilah caught me with my guard down. "Let's watch 'Louie', Louis C.K.'s new show, puullllease" she said, and before I could grimmace, it was on. "Trust me, you'll love it."
Thank god for Lilah.
First, I was shocked to learn that Louis C.K. is not Louis Anderson (I had been confusing the two).
Secondly, Louis is funny, has a cinematic eye, and above all discusses race. Plenty of people do this, a good number of comedians as well, but Louis C.K. differs in an important way.
He looks like an everyday working class white American, and appearances matter.
He is balding, red headed, and overweight. He jokes about his disgusting body and poor eating habits. About being a single father and his lack of a sex life. He could be the construction worker on the corner or the drunk guy in the South Boston bar.
He could even be Joe the Plumber himself.
He looks like a man usually associated with a certain insensitivity when regarding race, gender, or sexuality.
Last week my friends (all white and upper middle class) and I went to the beach. When we arrived, the beach was surrounded by campers, many with Irish and POW-MIA flags flying out front. No one payed these any attention, but I was instantly uncomfortable.
"You're such a classist" my friend said laughing at my unease.
Continued after the video
Video: Louie, Episode 2
"No I'm not." I replied, but I wasn't completely sure.
My father is a black man in his sixties. He has never liked to go to diners. When I was little I was frustrated by what I thought was clear evidence of his snobbery, but now I understand. While the racism I've experienced does not compare to my father's, it is enough to make me hesitate before entering a diner. I go in and I eat, but while my white friends are having a good time, I am always on guard. Institutionalized racism is one thing. It is in the hands of the elite. Hateful or oblivious vitriol may be less destructive in one way, but is more painful in another.
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COMMENTS
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Louis CK wrote and directed POOTIE TANG! Just fyi.
This is one reason why Louis C.K. is my favorite Mexican comedian.
For what its worth, Louis CK is half Mexican.
You are right. Louis CK is a genius. BTW Louis is 1/2 mexican (Born in Mexico City even) and 1/2 Hungarian Jew.
You can here him speak about his own ethnicity on Youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ftf1VYHfsDg
Ummm..... Except for the part where he's not exactly "white." He's Mexican. But if you want to go on and on and on about him "being a white man" and "understanding racial issues" you might want to dig a little deeper and discover what a lot of us Latinos already knew... that's he's Mexican-American.
Ummm..... Except for the part where he's not exactly "white." He's Mexican. But if you want to go on and on and on about him "being a white man" and "understanding racial issues" you might want to dig a little deeper and discover what a lot of us Latinos already knew... that's he's Mexican-American.
I think the whole point of the story is that he "looks white." Just look at him, he has whiter than white skin and he has flaming red hair for God's sake. He is something for the general white population of America to visually relate to. And because he looks that way, he helps shed light on understanding racial and other issues like homophobia.
Have we forgotten something important?
Being Mexican doesn’t mean “not white.” There are white Mexicans, Mexicans of Indian ancestry and mixed Mexicans etc. We seem to forget that there are white and non white Latinos.
We're forgetting something important!
Being Mexican doesn’t mean “not white.” There are white Mexicans, Mexicans of Indian ancestry and mixed Mexicans etc. We seem to forget that there are white and non white Latinos.
GREAT post! I have been a fan of Louis C.K. for a while because of all you say. I wrote about him and posted a spot-on You Tube video of him doing a stand-up about why it's great to be a white guy (then he just nails white privilege in this amazing way) here: http://embraceyouragecauseyoulivin.blogspot.com/2009/03/louis-ck-on-bein...
Being Mexican doesn’t mean “not white.” There are white Mexicans, Mexicans of Indian ancestry and mixed Mexicans etc. We seem to forget that there are white and non white Latinos.
Not that it really matters, but his mom was Irish.
Umm... he's 1/2 Mexican, but he's "only" 1/4 Latino.
And he was born in Washington, DC.
And yeah, Mexicans can be white.
I love the realness of that Dipaulo-C.K. argument. It's wonderful to have comedy with some brains. Thanks for the articles. You rock.