MySpace: A place to meet new friends, connect with old ones, tell your darkest secrets in a bulletin and apparently an important tool to help you rise to comic superstardom.
Case in point: Dane Cook. Over the past four years, Cook has released two highly successful comedy albums, toured the country several times and now has released a DVD of his first HBO special, “Vicious Circle,” all on his way to becoming the most successful comic in recent memory.
Much of his success has been credited to both his hard work and constant self-promotion using the Internet.
The Massachusetts native got his start in comedy in the early 1990’s, and by ’95 he was performing stand-up nearly every night in the Boston area.
In 2001 Cook used $25,000 of his savings to launch DaneCook.com. He used the site to promote his comedy as well as stay connected with his fans. Cook was also one of the first celebrities to use MySpace.com as a marketing tool.
He used the site to promote his first two albums “Harmful If Swallowed” and “Retaliation.” Fans felt more compelled to come see him live because they felt they had built a relationship over the Internet. It sent Cook straight to the top.
His first HBO special, “Vicious Circle,” aired Sept. 4, 2006. It was filmed at a sold out show in Boston with over 18,000 people cheering on Dane’s every punch line.
The DVD is a two disc set, the first disc featuring the original HBO version of the show, with the second disc featuring the “DANEgerous” version of the show, extended by 32 minutes. It was released on Nov. 28, 2006.
For the most part, “Vicious Circle” is entirely new material from Cook. Though Cook does touch on previous bits, they are rarely exactly the same and most are either expanded with new jokes or worded in slightly different ways. Some of the old material includes bits on his desire for 19 children, bad relationships, cheating, trusting of strangers and a few others.
The new material is dead-on. Cook is confident with his material and knows how to present it perfectly. He tackles topics ranging from his new hobby of lying, crying uncontrollably, the etiquette of sneezing, his desire for a life of crime and many other everyday situations that Cook is able to spin into something truly hilarious.
Cook is also a master of improvisation. Numerous times people somehow reach the stage wanting to talk to Cook. Clearly un-rehearsed, these moments show the true comedic genius that Cook possesses. His jokes with these people fit right in with the rest of the show and make for some good laughs.
Even though some of the jokes drag on in the set, and the extended version clocks in at over two hours, Cook commands the stage. Even with this long set, he shows no sign of fatigue and maintains high energy throughout the show.
He closes the show with an encore in which he sings and plays guitar on an original song titled “I’ll Never Be You”
The good by far outweighs the bad on this DVD, and through three comedic releases, Dane Cook continues to amass an incredibly strong catalogue of material. Though some critics may not agree with his comedic prowess, his CD and DVD sales show no sign of slowing down, and his friend requests on MySpace continue to add up.