Louis C.K. Turned Up on This Week's "Real Time With Bill Maher"

"Bill Maher rarely misses an opportunity to criticize cancel culture, and has frequently taken the opportunity to host celebrities who have fallen from grace. In 2023, that meant Andrew Cuomo appearing on Real Time; more recently, that's included Woody Allen and Armie Hammer showing up on Maher's podcast Club Random. That approach continued on this week's Real Time, when comedian Louis C.K. appeared as the evening's first guest."

""I've wanted him on for a long time," Maher said. C.K. has been in the news recently for his upcoming appearance at a comedy festival in Saudi Arabia, which the two men discussed late in their conversation. While his reputation and career have taken a wholly understandable hit after he admitted to sexual misconduct, C.K. remains a draw, if this list of upcoming performances - many of which are sold out - is any indication."

"That wasn't what he was there to discuss, however. Instead, he was promoting his forthcoming novel . He described fiction as something he'd long been interested in. "I got into comedy and TV, which is a lot easier than writing novels," he told Maher. As for the novel itself, its plot follows a child on the road in Depression-era Texas. Maher referred to it as "very Huckleberry Finn-y," and also mentioned Charles Dickens as a reference point."

"Of the title character, C.K. said, "Ingram is like me without a mom, in Texas." He also told Maher that he hadn't done any research, instead working out the internal logic of the book in his mind. The conversation was fairly measured, and then Maher addressed the elephant in the room. "One night Ingram discovers masturbation and pays a high price for that," Maher said. After a very deliberate pause, he continued:"Where do you get your ideas?" "Like you said...write what you know," C.K. replied."

Bill Maher frequently criticizes cancel culture and invites controversial celebrities who have fallen from grace. Louis C.K. appeared as the first guest on Real Time, where he and Maher discussed his forthcoming novel and his recent newsworthy appearance at a Saudi Arabia comedy festival. C.K. acknowledged past sexual misconduct and experienced significant career damage, yet still draws audiences and has many sold-out shows. The novel follows a child named Ingram traveling during the Depression in Texas; C.K. described Ingram as "like me without a mom, in Texas" and said he wrote from internal logic without research. Maher asked about a scene involving masturbation, to which C.K. replied, "write what you know."

Read at InsideHook