Louis CK’s 2019 club gigs now require audiences to get his consent to share his jokes

That Louis CK is on the comeback is not news. But a forewarning to patrons at his upcoming gigs this week in Minneapolis does go farther than most in requiring audience members to not share what they see and hear in his performances.

CK’s career imploded in 2017 after admitting to longstanding rumors about his perversion, specifically his propensity to masturbate in front of female comedians with or without their permission.

After a year out of the limelight, CK began showing up at comedy clubs in New York City to test the waters last fall.

In 2019, he has begun booking comedy club dates. Some gigs have drawn protests outside the clubs, but he’s also sold out the smaller rooms.

For his eight performances this Tuesday-Friday at ACME Comedy Co., which already have sold out, the club posted some additional rules and regulations beyond what we’ve normally seen.

Yondr pouches, first popularized by Hannibal Buress and Dave Chappelle, have certainly become commonplace now at clubs and theaters nationwide.

And after his December set at Governors Comedy Club on Long Island got bootlegged and then reposted in major media outlets, no wonder he’d make sure that, as the club’s site says: “The Louis CK performance at the ACME Comedy Co. will be a phone-free experience. Use of cellphones, smart watches, smart accessories, cameras or recording devices will NOT be permitted in the performance space.“

But this is new, and reminds us of any telecast of Major League Baseball, in addition to the irony of requiring the audience to obtain CK’s consent.

The warning from ACME on CK’s behalf reads:

Louis CK owns all rights in the content and materials, including any jokes and sketches (the “Materials”), delivered during his performance. The Materials may not be copied, translated, transmitted, displayed, distributed, or reproduced verbatim (the “Use”), in whole or in part, in any form, media, or technology now known or later developed, without the express prior written consent of Louis CK. Any Use of the Materials without the express prior written consent of Louis CK is strictly prohibited and shall be subject to all available legal remedies, whether in equity or at law at the cost of anyone who violates this prohibition.

Of course, the press still reports on baseball games, so I’m not exactly worried about the ability to let you know what’s going on in the comedy world, while still respecting the rights of comedians to own their material until it’s ready for release.

So it’ll be interesting to see if other comedians and/or clubs follow suit.

Everything else notwithstanding.