Listen to the SHECKYmagazine Podcast!
- A YEAR LOCKED DOWNMr. Potato Head, Dr. Seuss, truth, common sense and trust have all succumbed to a totally different virus! Will history, art and "Breakfast At Tiffany's" be the next victims? Is that a light at the end of the tunnel, or is it the headlight of the Woke Express? Give us a listen and find out!
- Comedians Are Energy ConductorsIn Episode 18 of the SHECKYmagazine PODCAST, Brian and Traci vent about the 198-day (and counting) lockdown, flying, Sophie Tucker, ancient alien astronauts and ENERGY-- why we lack energy, why we need energy and how comedians are super-conductors. Tune in now-- but STAY AWAY from the CANS!
- Is It Over?Brian McKim & Traci Skene, podcasting from locked down Las Vegas, NV, consider whether standup comedy-- LIVE, the way it oughta be-- will ever come back from the Great 2020 Fear Porn Lockdown Pandemic Panic! Is life over? Is the career history? The future, as always, is uncertain. Listen in as we speak for the […]
The Authors
Shecky! Alumni!
Dan Rosenberg
…& Lester
Tim Cavanagh
Paul F. Tompkins
Mitch Hedberg
Mack Dryden
Jamie Alcroft
John Curtin
Joey Yanetty
Pete Fogel
Kip Addotta
Bob Zany
Wayne Cotter
Richard Lewis
Andy Kindler
Jimmy Myers
D J Hazard
Nehl Bobal
Sheila Kay
John Bizarre
Doug Benson
Jim Shubert
James Gregory
Gabe Abelson
Paul Gilmartin
Hal Sparks
Bob Harris
Paul Bond
Grover Silcox
Basile
Bobby Collins
John Wing
Brian Whalen
Rich Williams
Steve O.
Jeff Shaw
Ryan Wilner
Brad Slaight
Harland Williams
Joe Rogan
Triumph
David Feldman
Steve McGrew
Dan Barton
Rob Becker
Matt Weinhold
Bobby Gaylor
Steve Silberberg
Jeffrey Ross
Dave Little
Vince Vieceli
Marc Jaffe
Dick Cavett
Buddy Fitzpatrick
Stephen Kruiser
Suzy Soro
Jeff Allen
Doug Stanhope
Kid Dave Miller
Brian Kiley
Gary MuleDeer
Jim David
Judy Carter
Drew Hastings
Andrew Gropman
Rabbi Bob Alper
Dan French
Robert Hagearty
Chuck Savage
David John McCarthey
Mrs. John Hughes
Jason Stuart
Rick Overton
Steve Eblin
Jack Mayberry
Tom Parks
Charles Viracola
Rusty Warren
Robert Dubac
Jeff Marder
Joe Dunckel
Evan Davis
Veronica Mosey
Troy Conrad
Matt Davis
Mat Becker
Lewis Black
Dan Carlson
Jan McInnis
Joe Dixon
Larry Getlen
J.D. Sidley
Jeff Klinger
Tony Camin
Bill Engvall
Pat Mac
Anwar Richardson
Mary Ann Nichols
Rita Rudner
Larry “Bubbles” Brown
Jim Morris
Brett Butler
Kathleen Madigan
Todd Barry
Roger Ritenhouse
Marc Maron
Doug Hecox
Tommy James
Emo Philips
Lord Carrett
Jim Gaffigan
Eddie Gossling
Tom Rhodes
Etta May
Ron Zimmerman
Ross Bennett
Franklyn Ajaye
Chris Zito
Argus Hamilton
Costaki Economopoulos
Laurie Kilmartin
Jimmy Pardo
Leslie Thomason
Bill Bunker
Vinny Badabing
Henry Cho
Jonathan Katz
Dave Pavone
Larry-Bob Roberts
Brian Hennigan
Kenneth Nichols
Rich Vos
Dave Mordal
__________________
Traci Skene & Brian McKim
SHECKYmagazine
Editors, Publishers
© Copyright 1999-2022 SHECKYmagazine Published by Independent Together
NY Daily News grills Dane Cook
Sean L. McCarthy, writing for the NYDN, interviews Dane Cook. It is notable because McCarthy gets Cook to address the “backlash” against Cook, Mencia and Whitney, inside and outside the business.
Obviously, I can’t speak for Larry or Carlos. I don’t really even know them well enough to comment on how they handle their business. I know with me, people are going to gun for you when you’re going up that ladder. People might look and say, oh, your trajectory! I look and say, it’s been 17 years that it’s been slow and steady wins the race. To have people coming out right now and being in attack mode, it’s in a very twisted way, it’s flattering. Because you know that the GQ editor, there’s going to be a new guy there in a few months, and he’s going to love you and he’s going to write an article about you and put you on the cover. Then six months after that the next guy’s going to think that you’re the worst thing ever. Rolling Stone did it to me. It was like they put me on the cover said funniest guy, genius marketer, then there was a guy who wrote an expose six months later, said I’m the worst thing to ever happen to comedy. I cut them both out, I framed them and I put them in my office. That’s what a career is.
It’s a huge interview and, if you scroll through and read the whole thing, you’re rewarded with Cook addressing the whole Louis CK issue.
13 Responses
Reply to: NY Daily News grills Dane Cook
On Amazon.com! Only $1.99!
Traci Skene Kindle Single hilariously skewers traditional social and sexual mores as well as modern feminism. "This book is a prime example of quality over quantity."
"This book made me laugh out loud! ”
Our Book!
Great interview. Whether Dane stole stuff or not, will probably never be proven. Comics generally have a hard time buying the parallel thinking claims, but not me. I tell people to go watch all the old specials on the HBO comedy channel. You will be shocked how many bits you recognize from current comedians. I highly doubt they are all thieves. I think the best example of parallel thinking has to be the Carlos Mencia “Who’s going to build it?” border fence joke. Someone on myspace posted clips of him, George Lopez, DL Hughley, and Ari all doing the joke. Now I am not defending Carlos, but that has to be one of the most obvious jokes I have heard! That’s almost as easy to write as the viagra 4 hour erection side effect joke! I’ve even done shows where a guy from Minnesota went on stage before me and did one of my jokes almost verbatim, but in his own character, and I didnt think for a second that he stole it. I didnt even talk to him about it, I just choose not to do the joke when I worked with him… that’s it.I personaly didnt think Vicious Circle was that great, but the guy did fill Madison Square Garden. So as far as comics getting mad at Dane Cook for his success… it would be a better to figure out, and learn from, what he is doing right that is getting him where we all want to be. Success leaves clues. Pay attention, or you will miss the really important stuff.
I don’t think people are “mad at Dane Cook for his success” because there are other successful comedians that no one is “mad at.”Dave Chappelle, Seinfeld, Chris Rock, Steve Martin… All huge, none subject to the same sorts of cries of “jealousy” that Cook and Mencia claim are directed at them because of their fame.What I believe people are mad at, is probably the idea that such folks are getting/maintaining undeserved fame through thievery (whether such claims are valid or not, that seems to be the source of the anger, which certainly is warranted if accurate).
The comedians you mentioned made it a long time ago. If you read their biographies (books, not online) you’ll find that they were all under intense criticism (along the lines of undeserved fame) from many other comics when things started happening for them. My pont is, instead of driving yourself up a wall about why they shouldnt be in the spot light… figure out what they are doing right and apply it to your own career.If Dane Cook did steal, than I’m sorry to say that there really isnt anything anyone can do about it. Robin Williams has been accused of that for years, and he’s still a star. But I promise you, that the few chunks he’s being accused of steeling are not the reason he’s becoming a star. If all the material in question never made it into his act, he still would be where he is at, and comics would find other reasons to say he’s undeserving.
You seem to have just shot down your own point.If you’re saying that the reason Rock, Seinfeld, et al are not subject to criticism today is because they came up a long time ago, then explain Robin Williams, who you just brought up.He’s been huge for just as long, and is still subject to accusations of thievery.I certainly don’t feel that I’m “driving myself up a wall about” anything.People can do and say and think what they want.But I’m not out to emulate fame in my comedy career.I’m out to create good comedy and perform it.
What I’m saying is that the criticism of undeserved fame happens when that comedian starts to make it big and as time passes people forget about it. You were saying that “no one is mad at these comics” and I’m saying that people were mad, you just dont remember or never knew about it. And as far as steeling material goes, Robin Williams was a guy who was accused of that (people dont remember) and he’s fine.I wasnt saying that you, in particular, are driving yourself up a wall.. but many comics are. Go out and put on a good show is a great attitude… so keep it up.
Just to be clear.. I’m not advocating stealing material in any way. The BIG point I was trying to make is:To all those criticizing Dane Cook or anyone else who is seeing success… worry about yourself and nobody else. If anything, learn from what they are doing right (which has more to do with the business end than on stage) and apply it to your own career.
I certainly don’t mean to pound this into the ground (mission un-accomplished, I’m sure), but while I certainly agree that the most important thing is to do your thing, I disagree that it’s unimportant to care what else is happening in the art and business that we’re all involved with.Additionally, Robin Williams is definitely still being accused of joke thievery today.Many non-comedians may not know or care, but the criticisms that you say exist for any major star when they start making it big, that disappear over time… they have not disappeared for Williams.(And I’m not totally convinced that such criticisms existed for all the other folks I’ve mentioned… I’d definitely be curious to read any sources you have access to, because all I’ve seen written about people like Chappelle is that everyone knew he was a genius who was going to be a star since he was a teenager, for example.)
PS We certainly agree on the basics:1)Do your comedy.2)Don’t steal jokes.3)Keep these comments going forever.
I posted a comment about what happened when Dave Chappelle started hitting it big, but then I decided to delete it, because why drag this stuff out in the open again. Basically Dane Cook’s, Carlos Mencia’s, George Lopez’s, and Larry The Cable Guy’s criticisms are more widely known than the comics who came before them for two reasons.1) Because it’s happening right now2) Because the internet is bigger than everBelieve it or not… not everybody loves Dave Chappelle, just like not everybody hates President Bush.I will say that if you watch Dave Chappelle’s Inside The Actors Studio, you’ll see how he talks about his more recent criticism about his skits on Chappelle show and why he had to get away from it all and disappear to Africa.I promise you that when you set yourself apart from your peers and start hitting it big, critics will come out of the woodwork and you’ll find out who your real friends are.No matter who you are in this business, there are people that think you stink and there are people that think you’re fantastic, and they are both over reacting a little. As you become more famous, both groups of people get bigger.Regarding Robin Williams, the point I was trying to make was: Any fuss people made over him stealing material (true or not) had no impact on his career. That’s why I say, worry about yourself, because making a fuss about other people doesnt really accomplish anything.
If you’re saying that you’d rather be Robin Williams than a less well-known but thoroughly respected and successful (but not world-famous) comedian, then that’s where we’re in disagreement.I agree with the two reasons you listed above, but would add a third: some criticisms are actually more valid than others. (Not that we can know which is which for sure, certainly.)You’re definitely right that we can’t do much about how the world is unfair, but that’s no reason not to try and do something.If there is injustice, it’s nice to let people know about it, I feel.
That’s not what I’m saying… I’m just examining the history of events, and the impact of things that seem to happen over an over again.I also think we need to differentiate between what Robin Williams was/is accused of and what makes him famous. What makes him famous is his persona on stage and in film…. and not the material (that he may or may not have stolen). And what makes Dane Cook famous is his persona and more so his business sense and work ethic…. not the material (that he may or may not have stolen). And that’s what we all need to learn from.If there is injustice, then yes, people should know… but I also believe in innocent until proven guilty and I dont think there is a strong case against Dane… but people can argue about that all they want… and there is nothing me, Dane, or anyone can do about it…. criticism is an unavoidable price of fame… meanwhile I’m going to go work on my persona, business sense, and work ethic.
And what I’m saying is that we don’t all have the same goals, fame-wise.I don’t want Robin Williams-level fame. Sincerely.And I think there are other people who value just doing standup more than the idea of getting movie star famous.Also, there can only be so many famous people.Business sense can’t get everyone there.(Not that you shouldn’t have it, but I don’t really see how you get it by observing that Dane made a lot of myspace friends. Or by learning from Robin Williams’ persona.)I’d just be happy to see a day when comedy clubs fill up just because I’m there.And I’ll be happy in the meantime as well, in case that doesn’t happen.
I like seeing packed clubs too. The best way to do that is by putting draws like Dane on stage. I know from personal experience that when Dane shows up on a tuesday at the Comic Strip to warm up for an SNL apearance, the place is packed, and the other 10 comics on the show benifited directly. Also, Dane’s business sense is far more complicated than just myspace friends, and he didnt get those friends by just clicking add 2 million times or using some bot. There is a lot more to it which I wont get in to, but it’s worth looking up.Not everyone wants fame and I understand that…. I’m not convinced it’s a great idea either, but making it to the level where I fill a club with people who come to see me, as opposed to half full with people who come to see a comedy show and I happen to be the comedian, does sound nice.