Deigning Dane
Joelle said in the early morning on July 24, 2007
OK, someone needs to tell me because I really, really don’t get it: What is the big deal about Dane Cook?
Last night, after getting home from cocktails with Lyn, I wasn’t quite ready for bed, so I put on some Dane Cook stand-up show called Vicious Circle on HBO. I chuckled maybe once or twice, but overall, I was relatively unimpressed. I love stand-up. I’m a huge stand-up fan, but I just didn’t see what the big whoop is about him.
It seems like wherever I turn these days I run into people who like, revere him. Is he really that great? Is he this year’s Mitch Hedburg? According to the show I watched, he’s able to sell-out huge arenas, so is he that good or are people just lemmings?
I like a variety of stand-up. Everything from Bill Hicks to George Carlin to Chris Rock to Ellen to Eddie Izzard. And I really dig comics that appear to be kind of random and speak to things we can all relate to, like Gary Gulman’s diatribes on cookies (his bit on Sugar Cookies here). Love that and Dane Cook appears to have those qualities, but I don’t know… there’s something off-putting about him. I don’t like how he runs around, ducks n’ weaves and talks really loud, kind of saying, “You will find me funny! Hey, Look over here!” Do I just not want to like him because everyone else does? No, I don’t think that’s it. Something in his delivery… I don’t know.
So, comedy fans… sell me. Why should I like Dane Cook?
Moxie Design Studios™
from Houston • Cocktail: Mango Mojito
Cos he’s fucking hot?
from San Diego, CA • Cocktail: slightly dirty Grey Goose martini
@ms pants: Is he? Feh.
from bremen, germany • Cocktail: gin & tonic
ms. pants beat me to my EXACT comment here…
I like Dane Cook, but mostly his older stuff. And I think I like him because he reminds me of my brother - loud, obnoxious, and hyperactive. As for hotness, meh. He’s OK, but I’d take Jon Stewart over him given the choice.
from San Diego, CA • Cocktail: slightly dirty Grey Goose martini
@geeky: Amen to that. John Stewart. Mmm mmm… I mean, ok, Dane Cook is good looking, I guess. He’s not my style, though. I’m over the “Just rolled out of bed and smoked a bowl before pretending to going to class” look.
That is SO 1996. heh.
from fairfax, va
well first off, comedy is a highly subjective taste.
second, i can’t watch him either ... i have to listen to him.
third, he does have some quite funny stuff, and also stuff that i could take or leave.
bottom line: try listening to some of his other stuff. actually, have you ever seen his skit on SNL in which he wore a very wooly sweater? now THAT was hilarious.
from Virginia Beach, VA • Cocktail: Calypso Cooler
Well what you watched is NOT his best. His older stuff is GOOD!!! It cracks me up!!!
Like here, here and here!
from OC
I agree, he’s ok, but I’ve never understood how he got to be so big--it’s all hype and marketing, if you ask me. I’ve heard much funnier comedians.
from Phoenix
Dane Cook is a dick; I have never found him funny. That said, he is pretty good in “Mr Brooks.”
from California
Yeah, have to agree with Ms. Pants on the hotness. But yeah, he’s better on CD than actually in person, and I like his older stuff, but haven’t enjoyed what I have seen of The Vicious Circle.
Actually, one of the funniest things I have ever seen him do was an interview on...I think it was Jimmy Kimmel. It was right after Tom Cruise went nuts on Oprah about Katie Holmes. http://www.ifilm.com/video/2672829
Speaking of the hotness though, on some other blog, they described Dane Cook as having a “meatface”, along with David Borneaz.
from Houston • Cocktail: Mango Mojito
See, I don’t really think John Stewart is all that. I find him a bit smarmy.
from Chicago
Someone emailed me the youtube link to his rip on the catholic church. Being a recovering catholic, I thought it was hilarious. And the mannerisms really added to it. But the other stuff I found? Meh. And I agree with the rolled out of bed, smoked a bowl look. Time to drag yourself into the 21st century Dude.
I am one of the Dane fans...been one for years. I love the way he tells stories...and yeah, I like physical comedians. I do think his older stuff is better...he’s gotten a little lazy with his fame and all. I have a bunch of his CDs and I am always listening to it in the car...and laughing to myself, even though I have heard the jokes over and over again.
And yes, I think he’s hot...hummina....but I think he’s hot cause he’s funny...I have a thing for funny.
It’s funny you mention Gary Gulman...because he’s friends with Dane and when he was on Last Comic Standing people were complaining that he was stealing some of Dane’s delivery and mannerisms, etc.
P.S. Jon Stewart is also someone who I find hilarious and well, would not kick out of bed.
from Houston • Cocktail: Mango Mojito
Dane is one of those comics whose bits stick with me and I don’t even realise it. Amy and I will be just talking about something and suddenly, she’ll just bust out with “Fucking gooooooooooo!” and present the world to me. Or I’ll start being a dragon. I don’t know man. Maybe you have to be there?
from San Diego, CA • Cocktail: slightly dirty Grey Goose martini
I think after hearing all this that my best bet is to listen/watch some of his earlier stuff. It wasn’t so much his material in this last bit that was unfunny… I actually thought some of it was pretty good. But I couldn’t get past his delivery…
@ms pants: Jon Stewart… smarmy? Really? Yeah, I guess he does talk over the guest sometimes, but I think he’s hot. lol.
from Houston • Cocktail: Mango Mojito
Not like… dirty smarmy. Just… I don’t know, dude. To me, he’s what I picture as a Boston boy. Smarmy. Knows what he’s doing. I don’t know. But… eh.
See if you can find the Dane Cook show when he toured with Dave Attel (is that how you spell it? The insomniac guy.) . It’s way funny!
(And “royal hawaiian” doesn’t fit in the captcha box)
from San Diego, CA • Cocktail: slightly dirty Grey Goose martini
@ms. pants: ah, crap. I was in the middle of doing some upgrades this morning and it crapped out on me. so it’s only half-adjusted. lol. Normally, it fits. I’ll fix it up more later.
Thanks for letting me know!
Dane Cook is funny, to me anyway. I’m not a fan-boy of any given comedian (or artist or musician or author), so they’re only as good as their work that I know. If they start to suck, I toss them to the curb.
from Kansas City
you know, i find him neither funny nor hawt. meh.
His shorties watching shorties bits are perhaps the best. I still cant get over the “Kool Aid Guy” skit. That was genuinely funny.
Try and find it on U-tube.
My short answer? You shouldn’t. Because he’s not fucking funny.
My long answer? He comes off as WAAAAY over-rehearsed and affected. He seems far too pleased with himself. That’s not necessarily a deal-breaker as far as comedy goes (Bill Hicks definitely had some of that going on), but you’ve gotta have the chops to back it up. Dane Cook doesn’t.
from Los Angeles
I’m so glad someone else is questioning the fame of Dane Cook. I had no idea who he was and then he was suddenly famous. He’s got good “people” (agents/managers) but I think that’s about it. I don’t think he’s funny at all. I think he’s kind of an asshole.
from Mouseville™ • Cocktail: Amaretto Sour
His SNL hosting stint was quite hillarious (especially his opening monologue) - and I agree with everyone that says watch the older stuff. But that HBO special you saw was wretched. We even watched it twice a few weeks apart just to make sure we weren’t on our periods together or something when we saw it first. We weren’t.
He’s no Richard Jeni, thats for sure. Rest in peace!
from Chicago
Hahah loved this! So not funny. I also don’t know why people think he is attractive?! Not cute either!