Back in 2006, Dane Cook was perhaps the single most famous stand-up comedian that the young generation users of MySpace and www. were crazy about. He was commended for his great observational humor and amazing stories with the twist and visual commentary that set him apart from other comedians of the time.
Dane was one of the first people in the world to use social media to promote himself – this was during a time when social media wasn’t yet a thing! But where is he now? And why is it that such a successful comedian stopped creating anything – this is your guide to one of the first social media scandals and approaches which left an OG internet celebrity living a quiet and (still) dubious lifestyle where he posts on Instagram and has relationships with girls more than 25 years younger to him (yikes!).
However, his career was not limited to stand-up. He also starred in movies like Employee of the Month in 2006 and Good Luck Chuck in 2007. You can also catch him voicing a penguin in Farce of the Penguins.
Dane Cook – The Rapid Rise To Fame
Dane was born on 18th March 1972 in Massachusetts. He started his stand-up journey while in High School and continued it as he learned graphic design in college. He was already quite famous in his area of expertise, even receiving invitations to Boston Garden as a performer.
However, while here (as well as at Phish and Spin Doctors), the man received a mixed response because many still needed to appreciate his interdisciplinary mix of music and comedy.
In the world of acting, Dane featured in side roles like Maybe This Time in 1995 and Buddy in 1998. His first search for fame, however, came with his television debut in 1997 with the show Letterman, which was quickly followed by his presence in the Premium Blend, a popular Comedy Central stand-up.
At this stage of his career, Dane was naturally looking for a breakthrough. He made this happen by taking out a cash loan of 25000 in 2002 and creating his website, DaneCook.com. He had decided that this would be a platform where subscribers would be able to enjoy his comedy without actually having to go to his show.
We must understand that, at the time, this was a very novel idea, and most prominent businesses, let alone individual creators, could never even think about marketing through websites!
Lucky for him, 2003 came around, and MySpace was launched. This highly customizable version of the earliest kind of social media involved the creation of individual pages, which friends could then join.
Dane jumped on this train. He created a MySpace account that could be directly linked to his website. And soon, he had more than 1.5 million friends and could claim the title of the world’s first influencer. Indeed, Dane put a lot of effort into his page, making sure he was individually connecting and replying to each one of his ‘friends.’
Why Did Dane Cook Disappear?
The same year, Dane released his first album, Harmful if Swallowed. In 2005, he released the second comedy album in history to reach the top 5 on Billboard – Retaliation. HBO signed with him for his own particular Vicious Circle around this time. He was also branded as the second comedian in history to sell out Madison Square Garden twice!
However, journalists and newspapers kept avoiding him – until that is when he finally fell from his throne.
In 2006, he was first accused of stealing jokes. The comedians who were named here were Louis C.K. and Joe Rogan. Even though he tried to ward them off, the allegations kept piling up with both his new and old content.
The very next year, he found out that his half-brother was stealing millions from him and had to take him to court – following which that brother was imprisoned. In 2012, he made jokes about the Dark Knight Rises theatre shooting, which was hated so much by fans and critics online and offline that he once again went on to be the first influencer to be canceled by netizens.
At the stage, Dane gradually stopped doing shows and appearing on television. He decided to switch to a quieter lifestyle, and the angry internet forgot about him soon. In 2023, he declared his intention to marry his fiance K Taylor, who is 26 years younger than him and with whom he has been in a relationship since she was 18 years old.
Final Words
Very few people know that Dane Cook is the creator of the word ‘Karen’ that we still use to describe unlikeable women on social media. Cook still does stand-up specials now and then and has even made it a point to show up on some podcasts.
Some would say he is still funny, while others would comment how they are thankful that people have moved on from giving this distasteful comedy the benefit of the doubt.
Stacy is a proficient News Editor with a passion for uncovering and sharing impactful stories. With a solid foundation in journalism, Stacy has honed her skills in curating, editing, and presenting news content that resonates with diverse audiences. Her keen editorial eye, paired with a dedication to accuracy and thorough research, ensures that news stories under her guidance are both informative and compelling. Stacy's commitment to staying abreast of current events and trends enables her to contribute thought-provoking stories that reflect the pulse of the world.
