Louis C.K. and Philosophy (Popular Culture and Philosophy)

Very few comedians lend themselves so readily to philosophical analysis, but then again, Louis C.K. isn’t just any comic. He has the rare gift of being able to confront you with hard truths and make you laugh a half-second later. He exposes the hypocrisies of daily life and offers himself up as an example of both the best and worst of ourselves. Whether it’s bits like his “Of course, but maybe…” routine or his willingness to confess what many of us won’t admit to secretly thinking, he’s a comedic icon and a certifiable launch pad for tough conversations and self-reflection.

Louis C.K. and Philosophy explores the comic’s musings on parenting, death, responsibility, privilege, and morality through the lenses of various philosophers, pulling greater profundity and meaning from an already impressively insightful comic’s routines.

The best parts of this book are the essays analyzing his FX show Louie, because they delve into the dreamlike nature of some sequences and the fluid reality that he uses to tell his stories, putting a well-deserved spotlight on the curious intersection of humor and art that Louis C.K. occupies so deftly.

This might be the best Popular Culture and Philosophy book they ever write, because they have the perfect subject.