Parents, answer me this question: Is it harder to be the parent of a daughter or the parent of a son? If you asked my mom, and especially my dad, they would definitely say that raising a daughter is much harder. Louis CK’s recent stand-up special , Louis CK: Live At The Comedy Store, premiered on FX on May 28 and is now available to stream and download on his website, Louis CK Talks To how he led his daughter to grow into a teenager calmly. He knew she would rise to the challenge and he would always be proud of her. However, his jokes show that he understands that being a girl can be different than being a boy simply because of the issue of sexuality. Moreover, Louis CK's joke raises a broader question about the difficulties of gender, which I'm glad to see him delve into. (And, he could have done more!)
Louis CK's joke started when he mentioned that his daughter was about to turn 13. Apparently, when he revealed this information to other parents, they always commented on how he needed to be prepared for this scary age. It’s a joke that even my parents were used to hearing when my sister and I were growing up. Louis explained that he wasn't worried about his daughter, but that some parents, especially fathers, were really afraid of their daughters having sex and growing up. One friend in particular always asked, "She's going to start having sex, what should I do?" Louis' answer? "Well, you don't do anything." The comedian joked that dads don't have dogs in this game and they don't need support, advice, etc. Basically, stay away from it.
He then went on to explain that dads worry that their daughters will have bad sexual experiences. But, Louis CK says it's inevitable. “She’s going to go through a blizzard of badasses in her life,” he joked. It's funny because it's absolutely true and there's nothing our parents can say to help us avoid this. He later made a joke about racism and sexism, and how racism is a mistake and should be abolished, but unfortunately sexism "won't go away" because it's so embedded in how we view each other. In feeling.
However, in this special, he doesn't seem to be continuing the train too much. I'm excited to see Louis CK tackle a full hour of comedy about women's issues and sexism, especially since he's been more involved in the conversation on the show lately. This topic needs to stay in our minds and sometimes comedy is the best way to make a point.
Image: Screenshot/FX (2)
