The #MeToo and #TimesUp movements are sexual misconduct survivor movements,
interrogating in particular the entertainment and media industries. These
movements aim to dismantle power structures in these industries by raising-up
systemically silenced voices of victims (survivors) of sexual misconduct. I analyze
comedian Louis CK’s apology for his own sexual misconduct as an exemplar text,
and argue that that there are good feminist reasons for these movements to
critically engage with his perpetrator statement. As such, the argument that I
propose here-that certain perpetrator explanations are legitimate to these
movements-is tendentious. I will support my argument by making an appeal to
feminist social theory, which focuses on the cultural factors contributing to sexual
misconduct. If my argument is compelling, then other perpetrator statements could
also be integral to the movement’s aims.