The Good and Bad of Dane Cook

Just about everyone and their mother has heard of Dane Cook. Whether if it's his stand-up or the movies he's been in, the man is "on the map" as they say when it comes to show-business. However, there are speculators out there that find Dane more annoying than funny. So how did Dane turn from average Joe-schmo into Mr. popular all of a sudden? Is he really the premier stand-up of our time for his act and talent or is it that he knows how to play the strings just right? Hmmm.... I say a little bit of both. 

The first time I watched Dane was on a Comedy Central special back in 2000. This was when I first started watching stand-up seriously, when I really starting appreciating stand-up for what it was. Yet, I didn't find Dane all that amusing. He was funny at times when he did his impersonation of "Alien" and the pains of going to the DMV; but the rest of the time, he just seemed like he was trying too hard to make his jokes funny. I felt he was more of an entertainer than stand-up comedian. When most think of comedians, they think of Cosby, Pryor, Hicks, Carlin, etc. Those comedians and others like them are/were able to smoothly operate the crowd, like a composer does his orchestra. The greats didn't need to flail around the stage desperately just to squeeze a drop of laughter from their audiences. After saying that, Dane was able to squeeze more than just a drop-full that night. No, Dane squeezed gallons full. And what started as off-beat comedy ended with me wanting more. That part is hard to explain in words. I guess it's the uniqueness in his act that I find appealing. It's refreshing to see new faces, new material, and more importantly: a new style of comedy. I had a feeling this was not the last time I would watch Dane Cook. 

Years down the road I found myself following Dane's career with acts such as: Harmful if Swallowed, Retaliation, Vicious Circle, Rough Around the Edges, and his newest act, Isolated Incident, which I went to see live on Jan. 31st. It has been fun watching Dane and his act change throughout the years. His first two acts, Harmful if Swallowed and Retaliation, were your more traditional Dane Cook where his humor was based more off of his observations in everyday life. Funny things like: trying to order fast food, car accidents, and controversial situations with people at Walgreens. Somehow, Dane Cook can turn what should be a 30 second story into a 10 minute extravaganza with jokes jam-packed inside of jokes.  

In Dane's latest stand-up, he's been more personal with his audience letting them in on the intimate stories from his childhood, the death of his father and mother, relationship problems, and sexual encounters. Dane talks to his audience as if he's talking to a small group of close friends. This style leaves the crowd feeling attached as if they know Dane personal. Well, they pretty much do.

 

Other than the personal story telling of Dane Cook's act, female interaction is another reason why Dane has become so popular. Although there is not a face of a female stand-up superstar, Dane Cook is by far the most popular comedian in female opinions. This gives Dane a larger fan-base than other comedians since he's got both sexes watching him. A major part of his act has to do with relationships/sex in which Dane will talk about the female's view of things. This is a risky tactic for it can backfire if the slightest contradiction occurs and you loose all credibility. However, Dane is able to execute these jokes to a tee leaving the female audience feeling like he understands them. Dane also has a logo called the "superfi" which stands for super finger. I see this logo on t-shirts, bumper stickers, people's myspace, binders, and other places. This logo makes people feel like they're part of a group which gives even more meaning to watch and follow Dane. All these small little gimmicks add up to a campaign to stardom.   

Dane's act pretty much follows the teenage and young adult life. If you're outside the age of thirty, it's hard to relate to the humor and therefore, "get" the comedy of Dane Cook. I noticed this when I watched him live. I would say about 95% of the audience was 30 or younger. And when you have the attention of that many teenagers/young adults, it's no wonder why you become the stand-up juggernaut. 

Although I would say Dane Cook is not an intellectual comic that can be compared to the greats before his time, his styles does, however, relate to the majority of stand-up viewers and grabs the attention of all people whether you like him or not.. Keep being yourself Dane