Studying Culture Through the Picture of Dane Cook

One of the greatest things about being on campus all the time is that I get the chance to see and study culture at one of the many places where culture is injected into the rest of the world - a secular university. Being on campus means that one must look at this place through Missiological lenses (studying culture through the eyes of a missionary). This is a discipline that can never stop, nor should it. But that means digging beneath the surface of what you see and figuring out how and where they need the gospel; figuring out what their functional saviors are; figuring out their idols; figuring out what/who shapes their world view. So one of the things that is prevalent is how much Dane Cook is idolized by the college community (students, not professors).

Now, let me pause here for a moment, pop culture is not the best or only way to learn about your culture - there are many ways, this is just one aspect to look at. For instance, Dane Cook is a celebrity who affects cultures. So we want to see how he is affecting culture and what that is doing. Make sense? Alright moving on...

Dane Cook, is a comedian. It was very tough for me to write that sentence, because I really don't know if he can be called that. Honestly, up until about a week ago I had never heard any of Dane Cook's material - hadn't had the chance. But I've heard him talked about so much and I didn't understand him, all I knew was that college students are in love with him - especially college guys. So one night, I turned on Comedy Central and they were playing one of his live performances he gave. It turned out to teach me quite a lot.

I watched his entire 1 hour performance. I maybe only laughed several times, honestly I didn't think he was funny, maybe not my type of humor I'll admit. But, what stuck out to me was his candor and how he was not telling jokes but merely having a one hour monologue with his audience about the life he lived. For the majority of the show he was basically bragging about how crappy of a person he is. I was shocked and then came to this realization.

He is not a comedian. He is a preacher. He doesn't tell jokes he propagates a way of life. He evangelizes people to his way of life. He makes being a douche-bag acceptable and popular. He tells tales of his one nights stands and how he treats women and other people with total disregard and he gets huge laughter. Why? Because he is catering to the culture that has been established in America - a me first, consumeristic, disregard for other people. He is preaching his (false) gospel of humanistic hedonism (pleasure).

For instance, here is what he says about when he is on stage "You have to learn the crowd. I just pay attention to them so I can make sure I can make them laugh." One draws several points from this: 1) he's smart, no denying that. 2) he knows how to read culture and people - he is giving them what they want. 3) He is preaching to his followers, his converts and inviting them in to his way of life.

Now, I'm not saying he's starting a religion or anything. But, just illustrating how he is magnetizing and preaching a gospel that is contrary to that of the true Gospel, that of Jesus. One more quote, one that I feel that helps illustrate my point (and one of his more tame examples) "Three weeks ago one of my dreams came true. I finally got to see something I always wanted to witness live. I finally saw someone get hit by a car... Nailed!" He is a humanistic, hedonist preacher.

With all this said, what does he teach us about culture? Well, let's look at it specifically for college students. They love Dane Cook. They sell out his arenas and flock to his movies, Cd's, etc. Why? Because the life he is living is what they all want. He is living a life that is in the moment and about giving him glory and pleasure. He is worshiping himself. That is the American Dream, that is our culture, that is what college students think (at large).

Let me take this one step further, he is the fantasy of every college guy:
1) He makes millions without actually working.
2) He gets to work while dressing while he just got out of bed.
3) He gets to talk crudely and vulgarly and is dubbed the cool guy.
4) He gets to tell of his "chick banging" exploits without regard as to what it has done to the women.

The List could go on. But I'll end it there. What I'm getting at simply is this - Dane Cook is popular culture. No doubting it, young people love him (myself not included). If you like Dane Cook I'm not telling you to stop. In fact, as long as he's popular, I'll be listening and trying to understand him and his impact on culture and trying to glean as much info about the college mind and American society as I can.

Dane Cook is a preacher of the gospel of America. We need to be preachers of the Gospel of Jesus. A gospel of reconciliation (2 Cor 5:20-21). Because one thing is clear from him people are open to be preached to. People are looking for a way of life to live, one that will provide meaning and satisfaction - but its so much wrapped around their own personal satisfaction, which is something that we can never have our full of. Listen to Dane Cook and even though he has fame, money and women - there's something missing. Listen to college students - there is something missing. That thing missing is the Gospel of Reconciliation, the Gospel of Jesus. They need Jesus. I implore you look at your tribe, your culture and see how it needs the Gospel of Jesus to reconcile and redeem it.