Doesn't it warm your heart to know George Carlin passed the comedic torch to Dane Cook?

[Drunken Irishman]

Not really.

How sad is the state of comedy when the most popular comedian is Dane Cook?

God help us.

[madinmaryland]

1. WHO IS DANE COOK??

[AlCzervik]

2. David Cross is the most popular comedian in my house.

Dane Cook is easily avoidable.

[Drunken Irishman]

7. He's on Comedy Central every time I turn it on (Cook, not Cross -- who I like).

[Shell Beau]

3. I am pretty sure Carlin DID NOT pass the torch to Dane!

Don't make Carlin start rolling in his grave before he gets put in it!!! :P

I think Dane Cook is just a fad. He doesn't have the longevity.

[Drunken Irishman]

6. Well that part was a joke.

:D

[jobycom]

27. That's what they said about Bob Hope, and dude lived to a 100!

[redqueen]

4. Uh... by what metric is Dane Cook the most popular comedian?

Eddie Izzard, Kathy Griffin, Greg Giraldo, etc.

Dane Cook = nowhere near most popular.

[Drunken Irishman]

5. Maybe not to you...but...he is.

Sadly.

[MrCoffee]

8. There's more to comedy than the college tour

Just because the frat boys love him only means he's found his niche.

[Drunken Irishman]

12. It's not just that.

He's now moved over into movies and he's doing well there. Dane Cook is probably more popular than most comics today and it's unfortunate, but reality.

[redqueen]

9. Says who?

[Drunken Irishman]

10. Just based on the fact his movies gross well.

And he's always getting TV specials and he's bank.

[redqueen]

15. So... your ass, that's who.

:rofl:

[Drunken Irishman]

17. Huh?

I don't know why you're making an argument here...I never said he was good. However, there is no denying he's one of -- if not the most -- popular comedians today. You honestly believe Kathy Griffin is more popular than Dane Cook? You're off your rocker if you believe this. It isn't Kathy Griffin staring in movies or hosting Saturday Night Live. It's not Kathy Griffin selling out 20,000 seat arenas like Cook.

Dane Cook, sadly, is really popular and it isn't just me who thinks this. Now you might not like him (I don't like Cook), but it's hard to deny he's dominating the market.

Not Greg Giraldo or Kathy Griffen.

[redqueen]

19. Argument?

I asked a frickin question... jeesh, guy... calm down!

I'm not denying it, simply trying to find out your source for this laughable assertion. You didn't have one so that = pulling 'facts' out of your ass. Get it?

Criminy.

[Drunken Irishman]

21. What source are you looking for?

I gave you sources and you laughed at them.

Do you think popularity influences comedy specials?

Do you think popularity influences movie deals?

Do you think popularity influences crowd size?

Do you think popularity influences hosing Saturday Night Live?

How is that not a source for anything?

You want a real source? How about the fact his album went double platinum, putting him along side George Carlin, Bill Cosby and Steve Martin? This, in my opinion, shows he's far more popular to mainstream audiences than Kathy Griffin or even Eddie Izzard.

I'm not saying he's better, because I like Kathy Griffin, but obviously he's more popular.

[redqueen]

23. Sure all that is influenced...

by popularity... but you can't just say "well I see him on TV a lot" or "he seems to have sold out shows a lot". You have to have a way to compare his popularity with other comedians. If you did that you'd have a leg to stand on... instead it seems like you're just flyin by the seat of your pants here. Might wanna add a "Seems to me..." to future pronouncements made using said gauge. :)

[Drunken Irishman]

24. Trust me, it isn't just that I see him on TV a lot.

Maybe he isn't popular to you and I can understand that. However, I think perception does create the feel of popularity. And in that regard, Dane Cook is more popular than the comedians you listed. Not better, because I don't like him, but probably more popular. His albums do extremely well, in fact, better than any comedian right now. That to me shows he's very much a popular figure.

[redqueen]

30. Ah FCOL

what does my opinion have to do with anything? I wasn't saying "I like these people better so they must be more popular" I was just listing some people whom I thought *might* be more popular.

Anyway nevermind... someone else provided a source for this sad, sad reflection on what passes for taste these days.

[Drunken Irishman]

32. To be fair, I did bring up his album a few posts ago.

And I agree with that poster, I do not find Cook funny at all.

It's not that I want him to be the most popular, it's just a realization that he probably is. :(

And that's the whole point of my original post. How sad is it he is the most popular?

It says a lot for comedy, eh?

[redqueen]

33. Nah, not comedy... just people with money.

A more limited group actually... people with money who buy comedy albums wth that money. :)

Bleargh!

[Drunken Irishman]

35. I guess you're right.

I was reading an article about George Carlin and how in the 70s he was the most popular comedian.

And I think, 70s George Carlin meets 08's Dane Cook.

Ugh.

[redqueen]

36. *sigh*

It's sad, yes it is.

But this thread made me think of "Underwear Goes Inside the Pants" so... bright side. :)

[AlCzervik]

16. what movie was he the star of that had big bix office numbers?

i've seen 3 movies he was in and he was in but not the lead, Mr. Brooks, Dan in real life and Mystery men. I don't think any of them did very big box office.

[Drunken Irishman]

18. Employee of the Month.

[AlCzervik]

20. didn't that movie tank?

[Drunken Irishman]

22. Not really, for a comedy film it did pretty well, grossing $12 million on opening weekend.

Even with the poor reviews. Its budget was only 12 million, so, I wouldn't call that a tank.

[SteppingRazor]

26. Says Billboard.

Dane Cook's comedy album, Retaliation, went double platinum, debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard Top 200, and sold more albums than any other comedy album since 1978's A Wild and Crazy Guy by Steve Martin.

Dane Cook is hugely popular. Doesn't make him good, or right, or, you know, not a plagiarist. But he's still hugely popular.

[redqueen]

29. Well there ya go!

Now that is a definitive answer.

Thanks. :)

[Forkboy]

37. Sadly, he's hugely popular.

Retaliation was still the third highest selling comedy CD of 2005, after coming out in 2004 and charting at number four on album sales, the highest debut for a comedy album, beating out Steve Martin's Wild and Crazy Guy. So far it's gone double platinum and still selling strong. He sold out two shows at Madison Square Garden in one night. Here in the Boston area his CD's have been at the top of Newbury Comics local charts for eons.

We may not like it (I think Cook sucks), but out of the comedians you mention only Izzard comes close, but even he isn't nearly as popular as Cook is. Most people haven't even heard of Griffin or Giraldo (sadly).

And on edit, I see Stepping Razor has already said this, making this post redundant. :)

[terrya]

11. I've seen him on SNL

I didn't laugh.

[Drunken Irishman]

14. He's not funny at all.

[JVS]

13. LOL!

Now that's a joke!

[jobycom]

25. I like to think he passed it to Robin Williams and Steve Martin

who passed it to Akroyd, Belushi, Kaufman, and Radner, who passed it to Myers and Carvey and Farley, who passed it to Sandler and Rob Schneider, who left it in a restroom at Starbucks one morning, where Dane Cook and Larry the Cable guy found it while cleaning the toilets.

[Forkboy]

39. That's so true it made me laugh...

...and also makes me want to cry.

[JVS]

40. Perhaps standup is a dead form. Comedy writing seems to be where it's at.

Our comedians might not be as funny as the older ones, but our comedies are better.

Consider Seinfeld, a man whose career is marked by a show known for funny plotlines. Whereas Red Foxx was a great comedian who later went on to star on a mediocre show.

[graywarrior]

28. Not one of them is in the same league with Carlin with the exception of MAYBE Lewis Black

[Initech]

31. Lewis Black is definitely in the same league.

You could make an argument for David Cross too. Their anti-establishment rants are easily on par with Carlin's.

I saw Lewis Black at a sold-out show in Long Beach (CA) last month and his political stuff was so spot-on that he was getting more applause than laughs.

[graywarrior]

34. It's really sad when comedians are so boring you can't remember their names

Black always grabs my attention. He's insanely sane.

[Forkboy]

38. Black has elements of Carlin.

But not the whole package. Carlin not only had the political and social stuff, but the flat out absurd and silly side (Hippy Dippy Weatherman, etc.) that Black is missing so far (both being products of their time....there's less silliness all around these days, and it's reflected in our comedy).

Black is a good one though, to be sure, and one of the few that could fairly be mentioned as one of the ones to step up in Carlin's place to some degree.

[graywarrior]

41. Let's face it, no one can compare to Carlin

We lost a rare talent.

[flvegan]

42. He didn't pass the torch, he was trying to light him on fire.

[Ekirh]

43. BWAH!

This post is approved!

[lizerdbits]

44. ...

http://www.danecooksdisease.org/

[TK421]

45. Dane Cook? I never even heard of him

:shrug: