vulture festival la 2017

Tig Notaro Addresses Louis C.K. Sexual-Harassment Scandal and Continuing to Fight a Culture of Harassment

Photo: Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Vulture Festival

During a discussion at Vulture Festival L.A. on Sunday, Tig Notaro directly addressed the scandal surrounding the recently disgraced comedian Louis C.K., who is also the executive producer of her show, One Mississippi. 

Having been accused of sexual harassment — including masturbating in front of women without their consent — C.K. publicly responded to the allegations by bluntly admitting, “These stories are true.” But when a Vulture Festival audience member asked Notaro her opinion about his response, she wryly replied, “Did he respond?” Notaro then added, “I don’t want to go into the Louis stuff. The positive of that particular situation is whatever someone’s intentions are there — meaning him — the positive is that victims were not told they’re lying anymore. That was the positive that came from that, and that’s it as far as I’m concerned. That’s all I took from that.”

Notaro’s comments came following a discussion with her friend Michaela Watkins for the panel Turning Point With Tig Notaro. Watkins, for her part, said she felt all the recent sexual-harassment revelations were leading to a better future. “I feel like there’s been something brewing for the past few decades, and all of a sudden it’s just going so fast,” adding, “I feel like the feminine of our planet is pushing through right now.” She also emphasized that not all cases were alike, and should not be addressed with static language or actions. “We have to make distinctions in how we’re describing things and the impact.”

Despite everything, Notaro said she felt optimistic about the future. “I go back to that feeling of endless hope and optimism, but it can’t just be this little burst that happens and we move on from it. It has to be a conversation that we continue.”

Tig Notaro Addresses Louis C.K. Sexual-Harassment Scandal