Kids These Days Don't Understand How Famous Dane Cook Used To Be

In the modern age, it's a right of passage for comedians to use social media to their advantage. This only makes sense. We live in the age of Twitter and TikTok. A 30-second clip from a podcast nowadays could make or break a comedian's career. But there was a time when that wasn't always the case—the idea of using social media to grow your comedy career was probably something that would eventually become a thing. Still, Dane Cook was a pioneer in all of this. 

I have no idea why, but I found myself thinking about Dane Cook this week. Maybe I was trying to get my mind off of other things, or maybe I am just that weird. I want you to think of who you believe is the most famous comedian in the world right now. John Mulaney, maybe? There are several you could choose from, but I can guarantee you none of them were as popular as Dane Cook was circa 2006. He was a phenomenon. Before podcasts and Twitter, Dane Cook used MySpace as a weapon. He was friends with everyone on social media before it was even cool. 

What's so interesting about Dane Cook is that his career was like a fame speed run. His star shined insanely bright briefly, and then he fizzled out fast. He is doing well for himself, but for a brief window, he was huge. The guy sold out arenas and was responsible for "Vicious Circle," one of the biggest comedy CDs ever. Shortly after hitting it big in the mainstream, he became a film star for a minute. 

This is where I, the resident cynic at Barstool, will surprise people. I really liked Dane Cook as an actor. I thought he was a charming leading man. I like him more as an actor than I do as a comedian. I'll talk more about his comedy in a second, but he was a pretty charming guy. I unironically enjoy the movie "Employee of the Month." He did a few projects where he was asked to tone it down slightly. Movies like "Mr. Brooks" and "Dan In Real Life" were movies where he showed a little bit more dramatic range. But I always thought it was good. I never saw "Good Luck Chuck," which people told me was awful. In two years, he did four big mainstream projects. They weren't all uproarious successes but mild box-office hits. 

Dane Cook's star faded fast. He took a huge hit when he was accused of stealing jokes from Louis C.K. I do think that sometimes comedians can have similar thoughts. There are only so many jokes that can be told in the world. Even so, the accusations themselves were a bad look. As famous as he was, Dane Cook had a large following of people who could not stand him at all. They all pounced when it appeared that he may have stolen some jokes. The Dane Cook's credit, he acknowledged it on an episode of "Louie" where he and Louis CK went back and forth about it. 

So the guy was a MySpace phenomenon, a hugely successful comedian who became a movie star and a potential joke thief. But one thing that nobody ever asked is, was Dane Cook funny? I went back and watched some of his old bits, and yeah, he made me chuckle. Saw what you will about the guy, but he brought an insane amount of energy to his stand-up. There is something infectious about that. Would I put him on the Mount Rushmore of the funniest comedians of his era? No. If you're looking for the cream of the crop, listen to any random Opie and Anthony segment from the 2000s, and you'll find some of the true GOATs of that era. Regardless of whether or not you found them funny, he murdered on stage. Bill Burr talked about this. 

The reason I'm writing this is because I just think Dane Cook is a fucking anomaly. I can't think of any star's journey that compares to his. He was loved while simultaneously being loathed. He was given a fair shot and yet received way too much backlash. He was funny, but he was also a hack. From a nostalgia standpoint, I feel a bizarre sense of attachment. Dane Cook is essentially the result of what would happen if 2006 somehow manifested itself as a person. Whether you liked him or not, his ascension was one of a kind.