Page 29 - ARUBA TODAY

A29
PEOPLE & ARTS Monday 2 deceMber 2019
After time in the wilderness, Louis CK is welcomed in Israel

By JOSEPH KRAUSS Most appeared to be fans
Associated Press who felt the severity of
HOLON, Israel (AP) — Two the misconduct was not
years after being swept up enough to justify a boycott.
in the #MeToo movement "We don't support what he
and acknowledging sex- did to those women, but
ual misconduct with mul- we like him as a comedian,"
tiple women, comedian said Asaf, who came to the
Louis C.K. took to the stage show with his wife, Tal. They
at a nearly packed bas- declined to give their last
ketball arena outside Tel name out of privacy con-
Aviv, where the audience cerns. "It's not like he raped
seemed ready to let it go. someone," he added.
"How have your last couple "It's like a little bit compli-
of years been?" he asked cated," Tal said. She noted
near the start of the hour- that C.K. had reportedly
long set Thursday night, asked permission before
before describing himself masturbating in front of
sitting in a restaurant, eat- the women and said it
ing alone, as someone at shouldn't end the career of
another table gives him the a "genius." But she also ac-
finger for the duration of knowledged the pervasive-
the meal. ness of sexual misconduct.
Later in the set, he acknowl- In this Thursday, Nov. 28, 2019 photo, Israelis walk past a billboard showing Comedian Louis C.K. She finally concluded that
edged his transgressions, in the Israeli city of Holon near Tel Aviv. paying to see Louis C.K.
saying that even though he Associated Press was "like supporting animal
had asked permission be- rights and still eating meat."
fore masturbating in front of He acknowledged abusing shortly before its release. a stage," she told the local C.K. alluded to the scan-
women, it had been a mis- his power over others and The comedian vowed to Kan TV. dal on a number of occa-
take. "If they say 'yes,' then causing them pain but did "step back and take a long There were no protests sions throughout the per-
still don't do it, because it's not publicly apologize. time to listen." Thursday outside the arena formance. He said he used
not popular." Earlier this month, one of But he returned to the stage in Holon, a suburb of Tel to love New York City, his
The 52-year-old come- his five accusers disputed less than a year later, and Aviv. home for many years, but
dian's career imploded in that his behavior was con- is now on an international Most of the more than a that now he hates it, imply-
November 2017 after he sensual. "We never agreed tour that includes several dozen audience members ing it's because of the neg-
acknowledged complaints nor asked him to take all sold-out shows. Protest- who spoke to The Associat- ative attention he receives.
of harassment reported by his clothes off and mastur- ers have gathered outside ed Press had heard about "I'd rather be in Auschwitz
the New York Times, most bate to completion in front some of them, including a the scandal. Some said than New York City," he told
of which involved him mas- of us," Julia Wolov wrote in small demonstration out- they didn't know the de- the almost entirely Israeli
turbating in the presence an op-ed for the Canadian side his first show in Tel Aviv tails or that it wasn't clear audience, which broke out
of women he knew profes- Jewish News. organized by Kulan, a local whether he had done any- in laughter and applause. "I
sionally. Some of the wom- The revelations, which women's advocacy group. thing wrong. Several young mean now, not when it was
en said they feared their came at the height of Bracha Barad, the group's men attending the show open."
careers would suffer if they the #MeToo movement director, said those attend- declined to comment. The set was similar to his
discussed the incidents, against sexual abuse in the ing the show were "normal- "Twitter is fragile," one mut- past material, with wry ob-
which took place more workplace, led to the can- izing sexual violence." tered as he strode away. servations punctuated by
than a decade ago. cellation of C.K.'s numerous "They are basically telling "Feminists." raunchy and irreverent
C.K. released a statement TV contracts and the scrap- him everything is OK, you're The show drew an audi- punchlines whose humor
after the Times report, say- ping of his feature-length not going to pay a price for ence of around 5,000 men came largely from their
ing "these stories are true." film, "I Love You, Daddy," this and you will be given and women of all ages. shock value. q

Irving Burgie, songwriter of calypso hit 'Day-O,' dies at 95

By MARK KENNEDY "Beetlejuice" to an E-Trade Many were recorded by standards include such fa- Burgess" and performed
AP Entertainment Writer commercial. Belafonte, including eight miliar hits as "Island in The the circuit between New
NEW YORK (AP) — Com- "Day-O" was also the wake- of the 11 songs on Belafon- Sun," "Angelina," and he York and Chicago, mak-
poser Irving Burgie, who up call for the astronauts te's 1956 album, "Calypso," was co-writer of "Mary's Boy ing his New York nightclub
helped popularize Carib- on two Space Shuttle mis- the first album to sell over Child." He also wrote the debut at the Village Van-
bean music and co-wrote sions in the 1990s. 1 million copies in the U.S. 1963 off-Broadway musical guard in 1954.
the enduring Harry Belafon- When a superstar list of mu- Burgess also penned songs "Ballad for Bimshire" that After announcing his
te hit "Day-O (The Banana sic royalty gathered to film for the Kingston Trio ("The starred Ossie Davis. death, Mottley asked for a
Boat Song)," has died at the "We Are the World" vid- Seine," "El Matador," and He served in an all-black moment of silence for the
the age of 95. eo in 1985, most burst into a "The Wanderer") and for U.S. Army battalion in World Brooklyn-born Burgie, who
At the Barbados Indepen- playful version of "Day-O" in other groups. War II and used GI Bill funds wrote the lyrics to the na-
dence Day Parade on Sat- between takes. Lil' Wayne His "Jamaica Farewell" has to pay for music studies. tional anthem of Barbados
urday, Prime Minister Mia used a sample of "Day-O" been recorded by Bela- Burgie studied at the Juil- — his mother's homeland.
Amor Mottley announced in his "6 Foot 7 Foot." fonte, Jimmy Buffett, Carly liard School of Music, Uni- "We write our names on his-
Burgie died Friday. According to the Songwrit- Simon and others. Others versity of Arizona and Uni- tory's page/With expecta-
"Day-O," written in 1952, has ers Hall of Fame, Burgie's who have sung his songs versity of Southern Califor- tions great/Strict guardians
been ubiquitous, appear- songs have sold over 100 include Mantovani, Miriam nia. of our heritage/Firm crafts-
ing in everything from the million records throughout Makeba and Julio Iglesias. He became a folk singer men of our fate," go some
film and Broadway musical the world. Burgie's classic Caribbean using the stage name "Lord of the lines of the anthem.q