Louis C.K. pulls out of reporter dinner after criticism

Bryan Bedder/Getty Images

Comedian Louis C.K. has decided not to appear at this year's Radio & Television Correspondents' Association (RTCA) Dinner following criticism from those who deemed his comments about Sarah Palin and others over the line.

CNN's Jay McMichael, the RTCA Dinner Chair, confirmed that C.K. will no longer host the June 8 dinner. C.K.'s publicist also confirmed the decision, but declined to explain why C.K. decided to drop out.

Fox News' Greta Van Susteren on Thursday called for a boycott of the dinner, saying C.K. is a "pig" who "denigrates all women and looks to the crowd to laugh."

Van Susteren zeroed in on C.K.'s profanity-laced comments about Sarah Palin, which the Fox News host reproduced on her blog, with asterisks in place of letters in certain words.

"I hope all the other women and men in the media join me in not going," she wrote. "I also hope everyone has the courage to stand up to this."

Tickets for the dinner, which cost $210 each, are generally covered by the media outlets whose reporters and staff attend the dinner.

Even before Van Susteren's call for a boycott, some conservatives were comparing the situation to the uproar that followed Rush Limbaugh's comments about law student Sandra Fluke.

"Palin is a conservative woman and therefore doesn't count according to the mainstream media," wrote Katie Pavlich at the conservative website Townhall on Wednesday. "They'll continue to give Louis C.K. and others like him who attack conservative women with crude sexual remarks a pass while they freely attack Rush Limbaugh. The move isn't surprising considering the mainstream media continues its quest to destroy Sarah Palin, Louis C.K. fits right into their agenda."

McMichael, the RTCA Dinner Chair, said in December that C.K. would keep the event from being stuffy, telling Politico: "It gives the dinner a bit of an edge, shakes it up a little, which is what we wanted to do. One of our goals was to make it not so stuffy an evening, as opposed to the more traditional, D.C. black-tie events. Louis C.K. fit the bill when it came to that."

The RTCA dinner is not to be confused with the White House Correspondents' Association dinner, which will be held on April 28 with Jimmy Kimmel as host. President Obama last attended the RTCA in 2009.

C.K., who stars in and oversees the critically-lauded FX sitcom "Louie," suggested to GQ last year that he regretted some of comments about Palin, though not all of them.

"It's comedy," he said. "I have said many indefensible things onstage. It's f***ing comedy. Plus, I do believe if she got elected, she'd really Hitler up the place."

[JWnTX]

Since CBS seems reluctant to actually report on the obvious, I'll do it for them. CK said:

Louis C.K. says of Palin: "her f*** retard making c***" and "the baby that just came out of her f**** disgusting c***."
To Palin: just "stick your t** in its mouth and shut up."
And here is more: "...her f***** retard making c****"

Rush Limbaugh looks almost pure compared to this misogynistic ******.

[BWB2020]

"Palin is a conservative woman and therefore doesn't count according to the mainstream media," wrote Katie Pavlich at the conservative website Townhall on Wednesday."

So what?

For decades the "conservatives'" have taken the position that other ethnic, religious, and lower economic strata don't count, so I say that since they are so ready to dish it, they should be able to take it.

At any rate, the demographic of America is shifting, each day the so-called "conservatives" are less and less relevant, soon they will in fact, not count.

[Kennethwhatsthe]

Wow, do you ever read what you write. You are a complete idiot. Never have any conservatives taken a position that any ethnic, religious or lower economic strata don't count.
So should ms Fluke just be able to take it too.

[BWB2020]

"Palin is a conservative woman and therefore doesn't count according to the mainstream media," wrote Katie Pavlich at the conservative website Townhall on Wednesday."

So what?

For decades the "conservatives'" have taken the position that other ethnic, religious, and lower economic strata don't count, so I say that since they are so ready to dish it, they should be able to take it.

At any rate, the demographic of America is shifting, each day the so-called "conservatives" are less and less relevant, soon they will in fact, not count.

[maxcoffee-2009]

Wow... Mr. Maher actually defends Mr. Limbaugh's apology and the fringe of the GOP cant see reality. They are the fringe... Even the ACLU, something that the hardline GOP'ers hate has defended Mr. Limbaugh. Freedom of speech needs to be defended more than ever when the speech is controversial. Just because you don't agree with it doesn't mean that it is wrong to say...
Mrs. Palin deserves criticism, Mr. Limbaugh deserves criticism, just as well as Mr. Maher does...
The biggest difference that I can see is that Mr. Maher at least open to discussion, and tries to see issues from every view point... Sure he has his opinions but doesn't cut others down for theirs. I've never seen Mrs. Palin or Mr. Limbaugh go on a show that wasn't tilted in their favor. I don't think that Mrs. Palin will talk to anybody but FOX... because they wont question her... Mr. Maher, Mr. Stewart, even Mr. Colbert have gone on FOX...
Mr. O'Reily seems to be the exception...

[bagberry]

This man called Palin Hitler like. What if we called Obama Hitler like? We would be trashed as bigots etc. And yet, the most Hitler like are the Progressives, and Obama is a Progressive through and through. In fact he is a radical Progressive. The progressives didn't want blacks to have babies. That is why Planned Parenthood was started. The Nazi's didn't want blacks, jews, or anyone they didn't like to have babies. That is why they sterilized them and sent them to their deaths. Who preceded them in these ideas? THE PROGRESSIVES! Including Woodrow Wilson, George Bernard Shaw, and that woman who started Planned Parenthood. Eugenics, eugenics , eugenics, eugenics! Look it up. That is what the Progressives have decided is the cure for the world's problems. That is why they are pro-abortion. It has nothing to do with women's rights. Just read our history. That is why a non perfect baby is okay to be killed and they say this is moral! The first thing they do is get rid of non perfect children, and any of us who believe in God ( we are ignorant!). Look at what Mao did, Pol Pot in Cambodia. Murdered millions of people. Sent others to "retraining" camps. This is not old history, it is history. This is the direction we are heading right now. Any decent is considered criminal. They can call Palin what they called her, but if we even say anything about them, we are criminals. Wake up America, we are headed for danger with the progressives...it cannot work in a capitalist republic, so they plan on changing that!

[maxcoffee-2009]

People have called Obama Hitler like.. No one has been trashed...

[maxcoffee-2009]

You really think that America is headed in the same direction as The Great Leap Forward... or Pol Pot... Really...?

[bassinapple]

How telling is it that CBS admits a Fox news reporter,(Not ABC,not CBS, not NBC,not CNN,not MSNBC) is the one to point out the sexist comments by Louis C.K. When is the war on women not a war? when its against comservative women. We have known for a long time that its open season on conservative women.

[maxcoffee-2009]

What has Ted Nuggent said about women... He is a friend of Mr. Hannity's show.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYmFAwhmqaU

[erpicferl]

between fox propaganda and MSNBC 24 hour character assassination i don't miss cable much.

[suwat007]

I agree Fox news should not be there too. Jobs (founder of Apple) said in his biography that FoxNews will destroy US in the long run if they still are bias....
It is shameful that low ethical, pro-the-wealth and bias media has much coverage for US people like this. I think it will happen in 3rd country only.

[prohb]

So Fox Noise wants to boycott.

I say - Let em.

None of the Foxz 'correspondents' should be there anyway.... because they are not real correspondents since it's not real news. All it is.......entertainment. Maybe they should go to the emmy's in the future - they could try out for the fake TV drama award, or best guffaw in-yo-face one-liners award, or the most blonds in a TV drama award.

[prohb]

Ya know perish, I think they could try out for some more:

Best Special Effects (like when they manufactured claps when there was actually booing for John Bolton)

Best/Most Lies Told In A Half Hour Award

Best Taking Things out Of Context Award

Best Editing To Change Reality Award

I think they have a good chance at all of the above, don't you?

Sorry perish_1, but you walked right into it. Thank you. LOL

By the way, if you DO know anyone in the DNC, tell em about me - I could sure use the cash!







Or

[suwat007]

I agree Fox news should not be there too. Jobs (founder of Apple) said in his biography that FoxNews will destroy US in the long run if they still are bias....
It is shameful that low ethical, pro-the-wealth and bias media has much coverage for US people like this. I think it will happen in 3rd country only.

[raymailhot]

The humor found in offending one set of women and not seen in offending another is still more evidence of the divisive nature of the progressive movement. The sexual slurs against republican ladies is so engrained in the national setting it took one comment by a talk show host to expose the hypocrisy of the left in dealing with females.

Either sexual slurs are fair game or not. Most would like it to stop.

Now lets make up our minds America!

[retm-w]

I say let them go, let's see whose the best at sexual slurs.