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Dane b&e
Dane Cook in 2007
Pseudonym	Sav McCauley Gene Winterbuck Foreign Guy
Born	(1972-03-18) March 18, 1972 (age 52) Arlington, Massachusetts
Medium	Stand up comedy, film, television
Nationality	American
Years active	1990-present
Genres	Stand-up comedy
Subject(s)	observational comedy
Website	danecook.com

Dane Jeffrey Cook (born March 18, 1972) is an American stand-up comedian and actor. He has released three comedy albums, Harmful If Swallowed, Retaliation (which went double platinum), and Rough around the Edges: Live from Madison Square Garden. Retaliation became the highest charting comedy album in twenty-eight years. Cook performs on many television shows and in the fall of 2006 performed in his own HBO special, Vicious Circle. As an actor, Cook has appeared in fifteen films since 1997, including Mystery Men, the 2005 film Waiting..., and starred in the 2006 comedy Employee of the Month. He also appeared in the 2007 thriller film Mr. Brooks in a departure from his standard comedic roles. He also starred in the 2007 comedy Good Luck Chuck.

Early life

Born Dana Cook Cambridge, Massachusetts, the son of Donna and George Cook, a radio DJ. He has Irish ancestry. Cook grew up in Arlington, Massachusetts, a Boston suburb and, along with his five sisters and one brother, was raised as a Roman Catholic. Cook attended Arlington High School, where he starred in the school production of Grease. During high school, Cook held a job at Burger King where his brother was the manager.

As a teenager, Cook became interested in comedy when his father, former radio personality George Cook, gave him a tape recorder and microphone.

Cook graduated in 1990 and began doing comedy that same year. Cook spent the next several years on the college and comedy club circuits.

Professional career

In 1997, he made his network television debut on The Late Show with David Letterman, though his big break came in 1998 when he appeared on Comedy Central's Premium Blend. This started a relationship between Cook and Comedy Central that has lasted many years. He did a half-hour special on Comedy Central Presents. Since then his special has won the Comedy Central Stand-up showdown twice in a row.

His appearances on TV include The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and Jimmy Kimmel Live, as well a cameo appearance on The Man Show. He joined the cast of Comedy Central's new show Crank Yankers, playing three different characters: Gene Winterbuck, Sav McCauly, and Foreign Guy.

In 2003, Cook released his first CD/DVD entitled Harmful If Swallowed. The success of the album landed a record contract with Comedy Central Records. The album is certified platinum. He released his second CD/DVD, entitled Retaliation, in 2005. This album went double platinum and made Dane Cook the first comic in 28 years to have an album at #4 on the Billboard charts. This earned him a place alongside best-selling comedy vets Bill Cosby, George Carlin, and Steve Martin. The success of the album landed him a comedy performance at the MTV Video Music Awards, joining Snoop Dogg (who introduced him) in presenting the award for Best New Artist. The same year he embarked on a 30-day 20-show college tour called Tourgasm with his long time friends Robert Kelly, Gary Gulman, and Jay Davis. The tour was filmed and was later made into a 9-episode documentary on HBO. In 2006 Cook headlined for Dave Attell's Insomniac Tour hosted by Dave Attell and also featuring Sean Rouse and Greg Giraldo. The special was filmed at the House of Blues in Las Vegas. On December 3, 2005, Cook realized his dream of hosting Saturday Night Live. He performed the longest monologue in the show's history and it was one of the highest-rated SNLs of the season".

On April 15, 2006 Cook performed his first HBO Special entitled Vicious Circle, filmed "in the round" at the TD Banknorth Garden.

Cook hosted the 2006 Teen Choice Awards alongside Jessica Simpson. The following year he won the award for Best Comedian.

Cook won the Big Entertainer Award at the VH1 Big in '06 Awards, and Rolling Stone magazine's Hot Comic of the Year.

On November 13, 2007, Cook released his third CD/DVD entitled Rough around the Edges. The Album debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top Comedy Albums chart. During that time, he embarked on a tour of the same name. This was Cook's first arena tour, which put his name alongside fellow arena comics Andrew Dice Clay and Steve Martin. During the tour, he did two more sold-out shows at Madison Square Garden, making him the only comic to sell out the Garden four times.

On April 10, 2007, Cook broke The Laugh Factory endurance record (previously held by Richard Pryor ) by performing on stage for 3 hours and 50 minutes. Dave Chappelle would break the record five days later. On January 1, 2008, Cook again broke the club's endurance record, by performing on stage for 7 hours.

Film

Cook starred in his first leading role in Lionsgate's Employee of the Month

On June 1, 2007, Cook co-starred in his first dramatic role as the devious photographer Mr. Smith in Mr. Brooks along with Kevin Costner, Demi Moore, and William Hurt. Although the movie received negative reviews, one New York Times journalist remarked, "When Dane Cook is on the screen, you can't take your eyes off him."

On September 21, 2007, Cook starred as dentist Charlie Logan in the release of Good Luck Chuck. with Jessica Alba and Dan Fogler. Critics viewed the film unfavorably, but it went on to gross over $55,000,000 worldwide as of January 17, 2008 . It debuted as the #1 comedy in the US that week (#2 overall, behind Resident Evil). The Good Luck Chuck DVD sold over 210,000 copies in its first day of release (January 15, 2008).

On October 26, 2007, Cook co-starred as the cocky Mitch Burns in the release of Dan in Real Life along with Steve Carell and Juliette Binoche. The film grossed $11.8 million in 1,921 theaters its opening weekend, ranking #2 at the box office. As of December 26, 2007, it had grossed $46 million.

Cook will star as 'Tank' in the movie Bachelor No. 2 with Kate Hudson and Alec Baldwin.

Style

Cook's style is principally observational humor. He combines energetic physical comedy, wordplay, and observations about human behavior with a casual, guy-next-door attitude.

His routines often focus on his childhood, and his plans for the future, such as his "dream home". He will sometimes deliver jokes in the form of over-the-top rants. He has commented that:

I wanted to create a stage persona for myself that allowed me to really speak on anything I want... So I can be a storyteller, I can be jokey, I can be corny, I can be a little vulgar, I can be a lot vulgar. And I'm not afraid to go anywhere to get the point of the joke across, even if I have to just blabber like an idiot until it becomes apparent that I'm telling a joke and that the audience should laugh.

Cook has also popularized what he calls the SUperFInger:

One night I did a bit on stage about 5 years ago at the Laugh Factory. I was talking about how the finger is lame now and it's lost its pizazz. I said I wanted to upgrade the finger and so from now on people should use both the ring finger coupled with the middle finger. I called it the SUperFInger (or SU-FI)

In 2005, Cook started his own company to produce his albums and videos, which he named SUperFInger Entertainment.

Controversy and criticism

Plagiarism

After the release of his CD/DVD Retaliation, similarities were noticed between Cook's work and material recorded on Louis C.K.'s 2001 album Live in Houston. The bits in question are Louis C.K.'s "Itchy Asshole", "Guy on a Bike", and "Naming Kids". In 2005, Dane Cook performed and released three similar routines on Retaliation. These are "Itchy Asshole", "Struck by a Vehicle," and "My Son Optimus Prime", respectively.

In 2005, on the message boards of comedy web site A Special Thing, C.K. posted a response to his fans who accused Cook of plagiarizing from him writing "Okay, this kid is stealing from me. And making lots of money. Three bits on one CD." Later, C.K. wrote "Just so you know, guys, I'm not going to do anything about this.... I'm not going to court over a bit called 'Itchy Asshole.'" In an interview on the Free Beer & Hot Wings Morning Show in February 2007, C.K. stated that while the jokes are similar, the issue was "overblown" and may stem from a backlash against Cook's popularity. However, C.K. accused Cook of being "bullyish" and litigious towards comedians for having similar material to his despite Cook claiming elsewhere that comedians often have similar material and it is not a big issue to him. C.K. also stated "Too bad the guy can't write enough." After pressure by the hosts for a statement, C.K. ended the interview by finally adding, "Fuck Dane Cook, he's a cunt."

Comedian Joe Rogan has spoken on many occasions about Cook performing a bit on an episode of Premium Blend that Rogan had developed on I'm Gonna Be Dead Someday (sketch titled "Tigers Fucking"), and claims to have performed the routine earlier in clubs with Cook present.

Less publicized accusations of comedic plagiarism by Cook emerged in September 2006 on Saturday Night Live by Demetri Martin of Daily Show fame. Clips on YouTube show a stand up bit Cook lifted from Martin's These Are Jokes (released September 26, 2006, four days before Cook's SNL appearance), on some trouble buying shoes, where Cook goes as far as using the same incorrect shoe size (size 9) that Martin used.

Rob Sheffield criticized Dane Cook's material in a Rolling Stone article from October 2006, claiming a joke he performed was originally done by Emo Philips.

Material

In addition to such specific claims of plagiarism, numerous commentators have characterized Dane Cook's humor as unfunny, banal, and lacking jokes.

Comedian Ron White has criticized Dane Cook for his lack of real material and for his inflated ego.

At a 2007 Irving Plaza show, comedian Zach Galifianakis commented, "I saw Employee of the Month the other day...it wasn't as good as I thought it was gonna be." During his closing number he revealed a sign that read "Kill Dane Cook" before leaving the stage.

Yuk-Yuks controversy

On July 24, 2006, Cook asked for a guest spot at the Vancouver Yuk-Yuks comedy club. Initially he was set to go up at the end of the night, but upon arriving at the club he requested to go up before the headliner, Peter Kelamis. Cook went over his allotted time, and after several minutes of the "wrap it up" light flashing, the club cut his microphone and attempted to "play him off" with music. Cook acted as though it was a mistake and continued his set for another five minutes until the process was repeated. Cook then dropped the mic and walked off-stage, furious. Kelamis then refused to take the stage, and later referred to Cook's actions as "the most arrogant thing that I've ever seen in my life".

Mark Breslin, the founder of the comedy club chain, quickly apologized and blamed the club's manager. Breslin stated in support of Cook, "I'm on Dane's side totally, 100 percent." Breslin also explained that Kelamis was the last show that evening and there was no reason he could not have gone on late, stating "the tradition is that stardom trumps everything".

Discography

Albums

• 2003: Harmful If Swallowed (CD/DVD) Comedy Central. #67 US; platinum
• 2005: Retaliation (2CD/DVD) Comedy Central. #4 US; double platinum
• 2007: Rough around the Edges: Live from Madison Square Garden (CD/DVD). Comedy Central. #11 US;
• 2008: Vicious Circle (CD/DVD) HBO

DVDs

• 2003: 8 Guys DVD.
• 2006: Vicious Circle DVD. HBO. Comedy Central
• 2006: Dane Cook's Tourgasm DVD. HBO. Comedy Central.
• 2007: The Lost Pilots DVD. Sony Pictures Television

Singles

Filmography

References

1. "Great Dane took a bite out of the Competition in 1995", The San Francisco Stand-Up Comedy Competition web site.
2. Time's 100 Most Influential People
3. Dane Cook is Good Luck Chuck - ComingSoon.net
4. askmen.com, Catholic versus Atheist, access February 3, 2007
5. TF.org - The Films - Actors : Dane Cook
6. Dane Cook breaks comedy endurance record
7. Dave Chappelle's standup marathon: 6 hours, 12 minutes
8. Dane Cook breaks Dave Chappelle's endurance record
9. "HBO Signs Stand-Up Comedian Dane Cook to Multi-Project Deal", Time-Warner, March 2, 2006.
10. bostonherald.com, "Louis C.K. vs. Dane Cook", accessed February 11, 2007
11. Getlen, Larry (2007-02-14). "Take the Funny and Run". Radar. Retrieved 2007-09-14. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
12. www.freebeerandhotwings.com, Louis C.K. interview, accessed February 3, 2007
13. "Joe Rogan Exposes Dane Cook"
14. YouTube - Dane Cook steals joke from Demetri Martin
15. "Pop Life: The Joke's on Us: How can any comedian get as famous as Dane Cook has with no jokes?" by Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, October 19, 2006.
16. "Dane Cook - Not Funny?", 6abc.com
17. "Overcooked", Salon.com
18. "Pop Life: The Joke's on Us: How can any comedian get as famous as Dane Cook has with no jokes?" by Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, October 19, 2006.
19. "Ron White Interview" by David Medsker.
20. Zach Galifianakis: He Tells a Joke. He Moves
21. Guy Macpherson, "Dane Cook Gets the Hook at Yuk Yuk's". The Province, July 25, 2006.

External links

• Official website
• MySpace Page
• Dane Cook at IMDb

News articles & interviews

• Bensinger, Graham. "One-on-One w/ Dane Cook". ESPN The Magazine, December, 2007.

• Bolohan, Scott. "People Love to Hate Dane Cook". Real Detroit Weekly, November 21, 2007.
• Gonulsen, Jason. "There's Only One Dane Cook". Glide Magazine, November 12, 2007.
• Casey, Susan. "Everybody Likes Dane". Entertainment Weekly, Sept. 30, 2005.
• Havrilesky, Heather. "Overcooked". Salon, Sept. 3, 2006.
• Kharakh, Ben. Interview with Dane Cook. One Trick Pony. January 2006.
• Zoglin, Richard. "Dane Cook: Standing Out in the Art of Stand-Up.". Time, May 8, 2006. From Time 100 issue.
• Gladstone, Neil. "Sex, Jobs, and Rock 'n' Roll". AOL Comedy, Nov. 2, 2006.
• Shmuel Reuven. A Dramatic Turn in Mr. Brooks. JewReview.net, May 28, 2007.

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