Yup, Marc was constantly making pithy asides and sarcastic reactions to Cook's answers. He was passively and not so passively aggressive throughout the interview. I could definitely understand Cook's instinct to react defensively as it was clear he wasn't sure Marc was taking another shot, or just joking around. He went much harder here then he did with Carlos, IMO. All in all, I think the interview was great and was redeemed towards the end.
Maybe it was the lack of nicotine.Originally Posted by Couldn'tThinkOfaName
My thoughts too. Maybe that's why they started the episode with the whole Nicotene Diaries thing, as a roundabout why of apologizing for or explaining Marc's state of mind at the time of the interview. But ya, I was a little surprised at how tense this one was compared to the Mencia ones, you'd think it would've been the other way around.
I do find it odd though that Mencia and Cook both used the, "Man...I WISH I could say I stole..." angle. Not a very good tactic if one wants to clear ones name.
Overall, good shit. Marc and WTF has pretty much firmly positioned itself as THE comedy podcast for compelling interviews.
You can't fault someone for not doing what they don't know how to do. Personalities are bred, not born.
Heh, yeah I definetely felt Marc's nic-fits kicking in during the interview. Coupled with Dane Cook's over-defensiveness (not that I can blame him) made for a few fairly tense minutes during the interview.
I'm one of the people who just never bought the whole joke stealing thing when it was leveled at Dane Cook. Why didn't people say the same thing of Louis CK when he first did his bit, comparing it to Steve Martin's? I just felt it was all about similar starting points for the bits rather than actual plagiarism.
WTF is really just a fantastic podcast right now. I think it does things that only a podcast could and is sorta revolutionizing the medium past "bunch of comedians sitting and riffing" thing that most people are doing.
I don't know who's reading this thread besides Jen Kirkman and Marc Maron but is that something radio DJs do? I know they are awful and say a bunch of dumb things but do they ask comedians why they aren't like other, more popular comedians? I'm being so cynical during this interview (especially coming out of the Mencia one) but I'm trying not to be - it just sort of sounded like a faulty premise.
nathan smart!
http://www.nathansmart.com
These frickin' guys are so obsessed with making everyone believe that they don't care about what people say about them - why do they lie about that? It's not wrong to have an emotional reaction to someone trying to hurt you, so why would you care if we thought you were affected by that? I guess it's a way to try and get people to stop saying bad stuff but I think that has the opposite effect.
Obviously, when you're a celebrity you have to deal with a lot more criticism and I can't even begin to understand and relate. I just can't think of a time where getting defensive has ever endeared anyone to someone's cause. Just take a look at Mencia's twitterfeed after the interview to see where that's true enough.
EDIT: And now, he's being defensive against a joke that Marc is doing about his "Essence Lair?" Marc is having fun with you Dane - play along!
Last edited by nathansmart; June 29, 2010 at 6:07 AM.
nathan smart!
http://www.nathansmart.com
Some notes:
- I've heard Maron invoke Dane Cook many times unsolicited, not in a good way. Having said that, Dane is so massive in comedy circles that he is in most comedian's orbit.
- Its nice Dane mentioning the resentment from "Alternative" comics. It was hack of me but in my interview with Maron I asked him about his feelings towards Cook. Maron used the "Blind confidence" descriptor then.
- I thought it was interesting Maron was forming an opinion of Cook based on his quantity of close friends. Considering Maron has said himself he doesn't have many close friends.
- "Stolen my essence" - How Dr Strangelove. A very awkward moment in the interview.
Last edited by PunditFight; June 29, 2010 at 8:52 AM.
Support "comedians" Stephen Colbert, Pete Dominick, Marc Maron and Glenn Beck. Find these talkers and more at PunditFight.blogspot.com (Comedy)
Barry Sobel, yes, I second that.
And Paul Mooney.
I think the Mencia interview definitely upped everyone’s cynicism to such heightened levels that it was really difficult to take all of what Dane said as truth. To me, he seemed like he was trying to be perfectly honest, but the picture he was painting with his honesty wasn’t really that flattering anyway.
It was especially clear in the card of the gift at the end. He just couldn’t let go of Marc’s joke, and while acknowledging it seemed like he was putting it past him, his extra tag about egg whites and sweat pants just sounded desperate. He desperately wanted Marc to know “the real Dane Cook.”
I think any movie star millionaire who wants to be perceived as “just a regular guy” is going to attract some animosity from actual regular people. Instead of telling people, show them. I think to start off with, regular guys acknowledge when they have fucked up (or did something lame) and have the ability to make fun of it. Dane had none of that with either the essence thing or that I have ever seen with his terribly lame movies. Many comedians seem to be able to acknowledge the things they do for a pay check versus the things that they are proud of. This is a distinction a regular person should be comfortable making.
Last edited by rutabega; June 29, 2010 at 11:56 AM.
Ha! Nice use of Clint Mansell's REQUIEM FOR A DREAM score: That's the trouble with ya L.A. snus fiends--ya got a rotten attitude.
As for the interview...um, wow. All I can say is, I agreed with Mr. Maron on just about every point. Motherfucker.
Is that how everyone is reading that gift? As a passive aggressive slam? I see it as a self depreciating in-joke between the two, or at least an attempt at one.
I think the card could easily be read as self-deprecating bonding, but the way Dane Cook kept obsessing on "motherfucker" during the interview makes it seem less so. Also, the way the interview ended suggests things were definitely not "cool" between Cook and Maron.
I third Sobel (whom I really liked when he had his moment in the 80s) and second Paul Mooney. Especially given Maron's obvious love of Pryor and the influence Pryor's work had on him. It would be interesting to see if Maron could cut through Mooney's defensive shell and get to some good stuff.
I have nothing to infer from the interview. I just liked it.
My favorite line of Marc's had to be: "There wasn't really Alternative Comedy back then, it was just people bombing late at night."
I certainly don't think Cook was like "I'm gonna send this package and zing that fucker," I just think even in the little note he didn't manage to sound genuine, it still came off as hurt and angry. But maybe it was more a gesture of like "hey in retrospect I shouldn't have been so weird about the wizard thing."
It might be true that Cook was put on the defensive a little too much. If he's really friends with Patrice O'Neal he's got to have a thicker skin that it seemed, right?
http://wsf1027fm.blogspot.com/2010/0...arc-maron.html
Guy MacPherson talked to Marc about Dane in 2006 on his What's So Funny? radio show and just put up a transcript. Janeane Garofalo was also part of the interview.
More than hurt, anxious about his image. He made it very clear he wanted a sample of Marc's view of him and find a strategy to fight it, he wants to crack that demo!
That "AKA guy in sweatpants eating eggwhites on dry toast in IHOP" has the insight of a Taylor Swift song. The problem is that he's not witty, that's all.
Ouch.
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