Stories of sexual harassment, assault, and misconduct have been everywhere over the past two months. The problem, though amplified by powerful men in Hollywood, is everywhere. It's in our politics, at our schools, and in our circles of family and friends.
Undeniably, there are a lot of emotions attached to each of these stories: anger, sadness, empathy, confusion, and sometimes, hopelessness. How are you expected to feel when someone you trusted violated someone else? This is the question that many people, including comedian Sarah Silverman, have been recently asking themselves.
Silverman opened her latest episode of I Love You, America with a poignant monologue in which she addressed her close friend Louis C.K.'s admission to gross sexual misconduct, The Wrap reports.
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"One of my best friends of over 25 years, Louis C.K., masturbated in front of women," she said somberly. "He wielded his power with women in fucked up ways, sometimes to the point where they left comedy entirely."
Silverman, who said the condemned comedian was a good father and friend, then admitted that in this context, neither of those things made a difference.
"It's a real mind-fuck, because I love Louis, but Louis did these things," she added. "Both of those statements are true, so I just keep asking myself, 'Can you love someone who did bad things? Can you still love them?'"
Those questions are difficult for anyone who's known a sexual predator, and Silverman understandably said that she wasn't ready to provide her answers just yet. Instead, she said she wanted to focus first on the victims.
"So, I hope it's OK if at once I am very angry for the women he wronged and the culture that enabled it, and sad because he's my friend," she said. "I believe with all my heart that this moment in time is essential. It's vital that people are held accountable for their actions, no matter who they are."
Silverman didn't owe us an explanation about her friendship with Louis C.K., and she certainly wasn't obligated to share her feelings about his disturbing actions. But, I'm glad that she did, because her monologue was more relatable for many people than she might ever realise.