Difficult People Leveled Accusations at Kevin Spacey for Three Seasons

Billy Eichner and Julie Klausner alluded to Spacey's reputation as a sexual predator with some deep, dark jokes.

Kevin Spacey's predilection for young men has long been an open secret in Hollywood, so much so that he's been the brunt of a few pointed jokes over the years. Family Guy's famous Spacey joke from 2005 in which a naked Stewie ran through a mall screaming, "Help! I've escaped from Kevin Spacey's basement!" is the most famous, but Billy Eichner and Julie Klausner shredded the House of Cards star for three seasons on Hulu's recently canceled dark comedy Difficult People.

When news broke last month that actor Anthony Rapp had publicly accused Spacey of sexually assaulting him when he was 14 and Spacey was 26, the Oscar winner deflected from the allegations by finally coming out of the closet, and most LGBT people were furious with the conflation. One gay celebrity who spoke out against Spacey was Eichner, who'd been firing off very real accusations at Spacey in the form of jokes on his show for years. Now one enterprising YouTuber has compiled the jokes into a video.

\u201cKevin Spacey has just invented something that has never existed before: a bad time to come out.\u201d
— billy eichner (@billy eichner) 1509340502

\u201cBut honestly I hesitate to make jokes because the Spacey statement is truly disgusting, irresponsible and dangerous. Ok goodnight!\u201d
— billy eichner (@billy eichner) 1509342682

In one episode of Difficult People, Eichner's character Billy Epstein lamented that the otherwise perfect guy he was dating was an embarrassing "participator" at events.

"The second Bridget asked for a volunteer to come up on stage his hand shot up faster than Kevin Spacey's fly at the opening of Newsies," Billy quipped in the episode.

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The jokes Difficult People leveled at Spacey over the years were pointed and accusatory, and as it turned out, accurate. While the existence of so many Spacey-themed jokes might lead one to wonder why Eichner didn't speak out about what he may have heard or known, the argument is that the inclusion of the Spacey barbs on the show was Eichner and Klausner's way of calling attention to the issue. And of course, Family Guy's early Spacey's basement joke indicates that the show's creator, Seth MacFarlane, was aware of rumblings about the actor's penchant for young men going way back.

Spacey's predatory behavior isn't the only that comedy has skewered over the years. 30 Rocktipped viewers off in 2012 to Harvey Weinstein's reputation via Jane Krakowski's Jenna Maroney, who claimed she warded off his propositions for intercourse three out of five times. Of course, knowing his history at this point, the idea that she was only propositioned and not forced would now be considered naive or lucky.

But a joke a year later was more pointed and indicated that obtaining consent was not exactly his strong suit.

"I know how former lovers can have a hold over you long after they're gone," Maroney said, comforting NBC page Kenneth, who'd just gone through a breakup. "In some ways, I'm still pinned under a passed-out Harvey Weinstein, and it's Thanksgiving."

Watch all of Difficult People's Spacey jokes below.

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