It was only just over a week ago that Daniel Tosh garnered a ton of media attention when he made some controversial and highly-publicized rape jokes during a set on stage at the Laugh Factory in Los Angeles. So it makes sense that Dane Cook would make a desperate attempt at relevance by getting on that same stage and making a joke about the recent tragedy in Aurora, Colorado.
During a set at the Laugh Factory last Thursday night, Cook used the recent Colorado shooting to make a joke about The Dark Knight Rises (the movie at which 12 people were killed and 58 were injured). "I'm pretty sure if none of that had happened," Cook said (the "none of that" in reference to the shooting,) "I'm pretty sure that somebody in that theater, about 25 minutes in, realizing that it was a piece of crap, was probably was like 'Ah, fucking shoot me!'" See, the people would have wanted to be shot and killed because the Batman movie was disappointing. That's why he's the biggest name in comedy, folks!
An audience member in attendance actually took video of the joke, lest there be any of that controversial, Toshian "mischaracterization" over what was said. The most troubling part of the video is that that audience does laugh after the "punchline." I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt, because they're at a comedy show and it sounded like a joke. It's almost an automatic response. Hopefully, many of them felt shame afterwards.
Naturally, a lot of people are upset about Cook's comments, feeling like maybe it's too soon to be making jokes about the tragic and senseless murder of 12 people so that he can take a cheap shot at a Hollywood blockbuster that wasn't up to the standards of Cook's own cinematic output. And though we don't need to have this conversation again, yes, Cook is allowed to make the "joke." He can joke about whatever he wants. But he should know better, and he shouldn't make the joke -- and, no, not just because it's not a funny joke. No joke about this would be funny. But, hey, it's got people talking about Dane Cook, which no one has really done since he got on stage last January (again at the Laugh Factory) and talked about "chainsaw fucking" his female fans.
Cook has already made his public apology, via his Twitter page, in which he writes:
I am devastated by the recent tragedy in Colorado & did not mean to make light of what happened. I made a bad judgment call with my material last night & regret making a joke at such a sensitive time. My heart goes out to all of the families & friends of the victims.
See, he didn't mean to "make light." It just kind of happened when he got on stage and did the material that he had written.
Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images
Comments
Those poor twelve people sitting in a theatre and not reacting to a fully armed person walking in and throwing tear gas around, before exclaiming what he was about to do. All loss of life is a tragedy, there is no denying that, but try to be more productive with your time. First of all, don’t go to see Dane Cook live if you want decent comedy. Second, maybe research what else happened in the world that day, for instance, the 300+ lives that were lost in Syria on that same day.
You know, all those people that are being slaughtered by “rebels” armed and trained by the US, I am sure you knew about that, being a patriotic American.