Louis C.K.

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About

Louis C.K. is an American stand-up comedian best known for writing, producing, directing and starring in the FX comedy series Louie. On the Internet, the comedian has gained a large following for his unique blend of black comedy and self-deprecative humor told from his real life perspective of a single father divorcee.

Online History

Louis C.K.'s YouTube channel was launched on June 18th, 2008. Prior to his mainstream breakout, the comedian had been regularly uploading a variety of short films and clips from his stand-up acts. As of February 2013, the channel has published more than 62 videos and gained more than 23 million views and 98,000 subscribers.

Dane Cook Controversy

In early 2007, a video clip highlighting the similarities between several jokes featured in comedian Dane Cook's 2005 album Retaliation and Louis C.K's 2003 album Live in Houston was uploaded onto YouTube, which added fuel to the ongoing allegations of joke theft against Cook. The controversy came under the media spotlight in March 2007, after Radar Magazine mentioned the online debate over whether Cook stole Louis CK's jokes in an article detailing the joke theft scandal. In early August 2011, Dane Cook made a guest appearance in an episode of Louie to address the issue.

Conan O'Brien Appearance

In 2010, Louis CK appeared in an episode of Late Night with Conan O'Brien, during which he delivered a bit about how everyone underappreciates the marvels of modern technology, such as complaining out about the in-flight wifi service outage or being unhappy with mobile phone reception.

The Opie and Anthony Show

Louis C.K. has been a longtime regular guest on the popular morning radio program The Opie and Anthony Show, appearing at least 43 times on the show to provide commentaries on social issues and racial relations. In February 2011, Louis C.K. made a guest appearance on the show, during which he repeatedly asked the former U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld if he was a "lizard from outer space" as a joke in similar vein to Gilbert Gottfried's "Did Glenn Beck Rape and Murder a Young Girl in 1990?" joke delivered during the 2009 Comedy Central Roast of comedian Bob Saget.

"There's still those people out there who think Rumsfeld and Dick Cheney are actually lizards," C.K. said. "Literally, there are people who think they are lizards from outer space that eat human flesh."

White People Problems

In January 2011, Louis C.K. released his third comedy album titled “Hilarious,” which featured a skit about the extreme gap between the grievances of first world citizens living in over-developed societies--which he dubbed “white people problems,” and the day-to-day struggles experienced by people living in countries that are considered to be of the Third World.