The Louis C.K. Guide To Being A Gentleman In 2013

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Complex Original

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Louis CK has easily been the greatest comedian since Chappelle bounced, full stop. Where stand-ups like Dane Cook and Kevin Hart predictably left the stage to chase lowest common denominator stacks on the big screen, Louie has owned his lane as an ingenious, hysterical and supremely uncomfortable character, both on stage and with his eponymous FX series.

What defines his genius is that all of his jokes are in pursuit of the mystery of "The Good Life", in a surprisingly similar vein as philosophers Socrates and Immanuel Kant. The only difference is that C.K. is way less of a dick about it by shamelessly owning up to being just that, a dick. He makes us examine our own morals (perhaps his most infamous joke to date used post-9/11 masturbation as a litmus test for determining how bad of a person you are), while simultaneous putting us in stitches. Clearly, it's infinitely better to be fed philosophical musings in this format. It's a lot easier to hold someone's attention and get through their thick fucking skull by delivering jokes rather than dropping a dissertation.

Louie's latest hour special, Oh My God, explores the nuances and broad strokes of morality, but in the middle there's a lot men can learn in terms of being a good guy in general. I won't go so far as to say following his gospel will actually turn you into a great guy because Louie himself doesn't even believe that's a real, possible thing.

Jake Woolf is a writer living in New York City. You can read his blog here and follow him on Twitter here.

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