Comedian Louis C.K. has been featured in Education Week lately for his comments on education policy, but he’s also got a fantastic TV show, “Louie,” a consistent Emmy favorite now airing its fourth season.
A friend drew my attention to one of Monday’s episodes, written and directed by Louis C.K., in which Louie’s daughter, Lilly, gets sent home from school early due to behavioral issues. When her dad tries to confront her about it, she launches into a rant about how “the teachers are stupid [and] the kids are stupid":
Parents, teachers, and children can probably all find something to relate to in that screed, for better or for worse. (I particularly enjoyed this: “Christopher Columbus was a murderer. They want me to draw a picture of him smiling.”)
The clip is part of an episode that actually devotes much of its time to education, including a spat between Louie and his ex-wife, Janet, over whether they should enroll Lilly in private school and about the socioeconomic issues that private schooling represents.
The above clip ends before you get to hear the truth about what drives Lilly’s anger—bullying at school and a subsequent fight with a teacher. It’s a riveting episode, all told, if only to reinforce the perception that students—and people in general, really—aren’t always forthright about the reasons behind their emotions.
“Louie” airs Mondays at 10 p.m. ET on FX.