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Louis C.K. under fire after jokes leak mocking gender identity, Parkland victims

Click to play video: 'Louis CK criticized for mocking gender identity, parkland victims in leaked audio of comedy set'
Louis CK criticized for mocking gender identity, parkland victims in leaked audio of comedy set
WATCH: Louis CK criticized for mocking gender identity, parkland victims in leaked audio of comedy set – Dec 31, 2018

NOTE: This article contains explicit language that some readers might find offensive. Please read at your own discretion.

Comedian Louis C.K. is under fire (again) after 48 minutes of a recent comedy set leaked on YouTube. The partial set recording, which allegedly took place on Dec. 18 at the Governor’s Comedy Club in Long Island, N.Y., captures the comedian joking about gender identity and the victims of the February 2018 Parkland school shooting.

C.K. started off his set by discussing what a tough year he’s had ever since multiple women came forward with stories of him masturbating in front of them or asking for their permission to do so. C.K. confirmed the veracity of the women’s claims in a November New York Times article.

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“[I] can hardly wrap my head around the scope of hurt I brought on them,” he said in the article. “There is nothing about this that I forgive myself for. And I have to reconcile it with who I am, which is nothing compared to the task I left them with.”
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His tone seemed almost defiant in the set recording.

“Ever have an entire year that sucks 365 [expletive] days in a row?” C.K. asked the crowd to start things off before veering into controversial territory.

He went after an unorthodox target group: the survivors of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Fla., that left 17 people dead. C.K. called the survivors “boring.”

“You’re not interesting because you went to a high school where kids got shot,” he said to a chorus of laughter. “Why does that mean I have to listen to you? How does that make you interesting? You didn’t get shot. You pushed some fat kid in the way. Now I gotta listen to you talking?”

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He also targeted the LGBTQ community, even delivering some of his lines in a derogatory lisp, often used to mock gay people. He specifically focused on transgender terminology and pronouns.

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“They tell you what to call them,” he said. “‘You should address me as they/them because I identify as gender-neutral. You should address me as there because I identify as a location and the location is your mother’s c***.'”

As the set went on, C.K., 51, acknowledged that it would most likely trigger pushback and controversy, but he didn’t seem to care.

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“What are you going to do, take away my birthday?” he joked. “My life is over. I don’t give a s**t.”

WATCH: Louis C.K. admits sexual harassment allegations are true

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Louis C.K. admits sexual harassment allegations are true

In the remainder of the recording, which didn’t capture the whole set, C.K. also riffed on penis size and “r******d” people and called his own doctor a “f*g.”

The comedian put on surprise shows in August, October and November at New York’s Comedy Cellar club, drawing both criticism and praise.

For the most part, social media users were aghast at C.K.’s latest comic material.

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https://twitter.com/kazweida/status/1079593066418204673

C.K.’s previous actions resulted in the end of a production deal with FX Networks and the cancellation of his movie, I Love You, Daddy.

Just last week, actor Kevin Spacey, who’s also been accused of sexual assault and harassment by multiple people, stunned the world with an impromptu, defiant video. He recorded it as his House of Cards character Frank Underwood.

“You wouldn’t believe the worst without evidence, would you?” he asked cryptically. “You wouldn’t rush to judgments without facts, would you?”

As of this writing, C.K. has not addressed the blowback. (For the record, neither has Spacey.)

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