When reviewing Dane Cook's last stand-up special, Rough Around the Edges I made a few observations: first, that Cook had grown complacent, happy to trot out the same shouting, spastic shtick that made him so popular amongst college kids and people who don't otherwise care about comedy. Second, I remarked that the sheer size and spectacle of Cook's stadium shows distracted from this lack of material, and that if he were to perform in front of a small comedy club audience, his material would be exposed for what it is.
Without having read that review or even knowing that either it or I exist, Cook has addressed both of these concerns on his latest stand-up special/album, ISolated INcident (why the first letters are capitalized I don't know, other than that it's annoying). Rather than performing in a sold-out stadim, INcident was recorded in front of about 400 people at The Laugh Factory in Hollywood. He forgoes a lot of his spastic twitching and shouting in favor of new material -- some personal, some political and lots of it graphically sexual. It is, surprisingly, a different kind of Dane Cook than we've heard before.
A Different Dane Cook
Now, these changes may sound calculated. That's because they are. ISolated INcident is largely a stunt -- an attempt for Cook to gain some credibility where it is lacking. I'm not sure he's really going to silence the haters with this latest work, but I will say that it's the first time I've found myself laughing at a Dane Cook album.
On ISOlated INcident, Cook covers the election of a black president and what that means for race remarks, the passing of his parents, hate mail, the overuse of the word "rape," role-playing with his girlfriend and some standard observational stuff about ordering a sandwich in a restaurant. Some of it is new territory for Cook; he's never really done political humor before, and it shows. The jokes he makes about politics and race seem written less because he has something to say on the those topics than because it's the kind of stuff that other, edgier comics do. It feels a little like he's checking items off a list.
Cook fares a little better when getting personal, talking about his parents death from cancer. It's more open and honest than the comic has ever been, and it segues into a story about an angry email he got from a non-fan. That's the first time I've heard Cook acknowledge and confront the fact that there are a lot of people who don't like him. Of course, the punchline to the bit is that Cook is victorious and still more awesome than everyone -- a recurring theme in his act. I don't think I've ever heard him be self-deprecating. I guess it's not on his checklist.
Still, ISolated INcident is the best thing Cook has done in his incredibly successful career. He seems to have worked up actual material and jokes, rather than just relying on inventing catchphrases or being overly articulate and letting the roars of all-approving laughter cover up everything that's missing. If this were Cook's first special and not some back-to-basics stunt, I would say that Cook shows promise and is a comic to watch. Instead, I get the feeling it's a an exercise; a test Cook is giving himself to prove that he can do it.
To some extent, Cook is a victim of his own press. The promotional material for ISolated INcident tries to sell us on the idea that Cook has always been a risk-taker (he hasn't) and that he's totally reinventing himself on his newest album (he isn't). If INcidentwere an indication of where Cook's career is headed, I would find that promising; though far from perfect, there are some genuinely funny moments to be found. Sadly, I suspect it's just a one-off -- a press-grabbing detour before going back to his stadiums full of screaming fans. That's too bad.
- Comedy Central Premiere Date: 5/17/09
- Album Release Date: 5/19/09
- Album Label: Comedy Central Records
