Louis CK in business with Netflix in Adrienne Iapalucci’s comedy special

Louis CK is back with an update on his life.

The comedian sent an email to fans on Tuesday afternoon, his first in almost a year. “For those of you wondering what I did, I dabbled in sculpting (clay and stone) and drawing with charcoal. I have written a novel and am working on a second one. “That almost wraps it up for me,” the stand-up star, author and filmmaker wrote in the opening lines.

He did not provide further details about the books or art exercises. However, he dedicated the rest of the correspondence to Adrienne Iapalucci, whom he described as “really one of my favorite comedians.” CK headlined his buddy’s new stand-up special. The Dark Queenwhich premiered on Netflix on Tuesday.

The move brings CK back into the Netflix fold, seven years after he faced allegations of sexual misconduct, detailed in a more detailed section New York Times Investigation. Several comedians reported that CK exposed himself to them. Amid the #MeToo reckoning, CK, who admitted to the behavior, faced setbacks in his career and was dropped by FX, Netflix, 3Arts and his publicity team.

In recent years, he has made a comeback by touring the world and winning two Grammys for his comedy albums. He has also focused on his personal platform by communicating directly with his fans (like Tuesday’s email) and distributing his work himself.

Filmmakers Caroline Suh and Cara Mones examined CK’s trajectory in the film Just-produced documentary film I’m sorry/I’m not sorrywhich premiered at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival. It is unclear whether Iapalucci Dark Queen was acquired as a finished film by Netflix or the streamer was involved in the development in collaboration with CK. His previous specials, Hilarious, Live at the Comedy Store And 2017are all now streaming on Netflix.

Back to email. CK noted that he was landing in inboxes to promote Iapalucci’s first stand-up special, which he directed last December. “You may remember Adrienne if you’ve seen me on tour over the last three years. And it opened in January 2023 as part of my event for me at Madison Square Garden Back to the garden Livestream special,” he explained. “Adrienne was amazing on this show. I heard far more people comment on how hilarious, unique and compelling she was than anything else about me. And for good reason. Audiences at The Garden loved Adrienne, who has achieved little to no fame, is a self-promoter who is modest to the smallest detail, has a rock-hard authenticity and a sharp, guttural, hysterical comedic voice.”

CK then described the creative process for recording the special, which was screened as part of a three-part performance at New York’s Comedy Cellar that same evening. “The first show was terrible. I mean, it was one of the worst shows I’ve ever seen. It wasn’t a terrible performance, Adrienne was great. But something happened to this audience. They were NOT interested. The production team and I watched in disbelief as Adrienne persevered, doing her best for an hour of hostile silence. She remained in her actions, in herself, and she endured incredible punishments. The first crowd never gave in, never gave in. They left the room just as miserable as when they entered it,” he explained.

Apparently she spent the hour between the first two shows strengthening her resolve and coming back to tackle the next one. “Adrienne met the second audience with a determination that said, ‘I finally have a chance to do something this world has repeatedly told me I’m not cool enough to do.’ And whoever you damn people are, you are not going to take this away from me,” he wrote. “This great resolution was happily and joyfully fulfilled by a willing, generous and joyful group of people who, like anyone who sees Adrienne’s true self, fell in love with her and enjoyed every single joke, every single story and every single observation she made told. She put on one hell of a show. And it’s on Netflix now.”

He floats through the current divided political landscape by praising Iapalucci as someone who isn’t trying to “sway an election or achieve moral correctness.” He added: “She’s just fucking funny and has only one point of view: You’re all full of shit.” And that’s us. I definitely am. And so are you. We’re all full of shit. If there’s one thing humanity is learning at a geometric pace, it’s that we’re pretty shitty. We all. Nobody is better than anyone else. We are all Byzantine baboons, shitting in our hands and throwing it in each other’s sanctimonious faces.”

CK writes that he is “very encouraged” that Netflix bought the special and praises them for it, especially because the special highlights “an anti-algorithmic woman” from the Bronx. “I hope you all remember to question what is being fed to you without your input on the screen in the palm of your hand. Bypass the algorithm. Find what you don’t see and share it with your friends. This is so much better than being shared by a robot.”