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Dane Cook Reviews Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

The game review business comes under fire from outsiders yet again as a famous stand-up comic muscles in on my gravy train.

Maybe I'll just take to reviewing movies, instead. Here, I'll try this one. My Best Friend's Girl looks like it probably sucks. How's that?
Maybe I'll just take to reviewing movies, instead. Here, I'll try this one. My Best Friend's Girl looks like it probably sucks. How's that?
Last year, we all witnessed the first salvo in the process that makes game reviewers obsolete. Yes, I'm talking about Soulja Boy Tell 'Em's shockingly accurate review of the Xbox Live Arcade release, Braid. At the time, he said... well, I actually don't really remember what he said. I just remember that feeling of being shaken to my very core.

Well, the full-scale invasion of famous-type people reviewing video games is now in full-swing. The latest transgression comes courtesy of stand-up-comic-turned-actor Dane Cook, who recently took a little trip to Infinity Ward to check out this "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2" game they're working on.

After the trip, he had this to say...
Infinity Ward - Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2: How good? Eating your fav ice cream while getting a bj in zero gravity ... is a close 2nd.
...oh, and he said it via Twitter. I suppose I should point that out so that the lack of specifics on the graphics, gameplay, number of levels, and "fun factor" makes a bit more sense. I like that he's ditched the whole "wait until the game is done" thing that the current crop of game reviewers seems so hung up on these days. Just get to the point already, right?

And, obviously, Cook comes with a pretty heavy pedigree. From another entry on the man's Twitter thing:
I'm a hardcore life gamer. ColecoVision was my meth growing up. Mr. Do!'s Castle was my turf. Looping was my bzitch. WarGames owned pwned.
LIFE GAMER, dude. Anyone that can casually name drop Looping is A-OK in my book. So that's why I'm packing up my stuff and turning my attention to more fruitful endeavors, such as my new business venture, jeffgerstmannshowsyouhowtorumba.com.

Well, regardless of my now-obsolete career, this all looks like sound purchasing advice to me. I mean, I like ice cream. And I like Call of Duty. And I like "ice cream," if you get what I'm saying. So clearly Modern Warfare 2 is going to be the greatest game of our generation. If you need me, I'll be packing up my things and crying.

[UPDATE]: As I was getting ready to fire Ryan and shut down the office, I showed him the text of Dane Cook's review and he immediately became infuriated. It seems that Ryan used this exact wording in his review of Raymen 2 for the N64, which was written back in 1999! Old habits die hard, eh Dane? Well I guess we ain't going nowhere and you can expect to hear from our legal team. Good day, sir.
Jeff Gerstmann on Google+

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gearhead

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Edited By gearhead

Wow, Dane Cook = Asswhole

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Captain_Fookup

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Edited By Captain_Fookup

Dane Cook is a fucking hack who steals his materal from other comedians. Louis Ck comes to mind, fuck Dane Cook.

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deactivated-5d7bd9e4bef30

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BiggerBomb said:
"

Jeff, you're really a great guy. You're smart, funny, and an excellent writer. But I have to say, you are overly insecure about the appreciation of game reviewers.

Game reviews =/= music reviews. Music is entirely subjective, as can be seen by the 21st century's crapfast; which still makes a shitload of money, despite the fact that the "tunes" of The Jonas Brothers is abysmal.

And while some dude might have thought Vampire Rain was the best game ever, games are not nearly as subjective as even movies. Because games either work, or don't work.

"
That line is getting blurrier and blurrier though.
I'm one of those douches who believe video games are art and culture. Of course it's profit driven and the Madden's, Need For Speed's and Call Of Duty's of the world contribute to that. But it is still a medium which can convey a message, tell a story or just plain evoke a feeling.
Wether it's the way Braid connected it's multi layered story into the gameplay, the sense of exploration when you find a new Galaxy in Super Mario Galaxy or the soothing feel of playing Flower, they all have artistic merit and shouldn't be put in the booth of "THIS WILL SELL AND YOU SHOULD BUY IT! and "THIS IS TERRIBLE, DON'T BUY IT!"

Then again, I'm the fool who thinks pro wrestling is just an athletic offshoot of authentic theatre when it's performed correctly by telling a story through an angle, a match and enthralling the audience enough to suspend their knowledge that this is pre determined to mark out in those joyous moments when you just accept it.

EDIT: I should expound a bit.

Look at comic books, they were originally considered for kids with black and white world of good guys and bad guys or just supposed to be funny.
It's grown into a viable artform giving us such seminal pieces like Maus, Preacher, Transmetropolitan and I could go on forever.
Hell, even the superhero comic has been able to have real artistic merit outside the variant cover and selling action figures. Look at Kingdom Come, The Ultimates or Marvels.
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PercyChuggs

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Edited By PercyChuggs

The only thing worse than Dane Cook's jokes, are all the "Dane Cook sucks!" posts in any thread or story he's involve with.

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Dalai

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Edited By Dalai

I'm going to be the unpopular guy in saying that I find Dane Cook funny... as long as it's stand-up.  His movies blow ass and his review was premature, in my opinion.

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Edited By jakob187
PercyChuggs said:
"The only thing worse than Dane Cook's jokes, are all the "Dane Cook sucks!" posts in any thread or story he's involve with."
Isn't that...basically....what YOU just said?  o.O

Now I'm confused...kinda like whenever Dane Cook thinks he's being funny.  ZING!
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SilverArrows

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Edited By SilverArrows

Why the hell is this dude famous ..... he sucks ..... i mean, he really sucks.

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ht101

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Edited By ht101

Now my life is complete.  Dane Cook tells me a game is awesome and I am there.  Actually, Dane is a douche and not that funny.  If he does like games, whoohoo for him.  Also, he is a ripper-offer of stuff, like that bitch Carlos Mencia so not much has changed, if what Ryan wrote is true.  Anyhow, I will wait for an actual review from an actual review site come November for this game.

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deactivated-5d7bd9e4bef30

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I don't mind Dane Cook's stand up routine.
He's a good raconteur even though he relies on VOLUME and pro-nounce-i-ation alot.
It's not like his jokes are horrible, they're just not awesome either.
At least he's not Carlos Mencia.

Though the whole ripping off Louis CK thing pisses me off since that's a genuinely funny and talented comedian.
And who also gave us Pootie Tang!

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SCapps14

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Edited By SCapps14

First he steals from Joe Rogan and now Ryan Davis. When will it end Dane when will it end? I wonder if he's actually capable of writing his own material

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ImperiousRix

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Edited By ImperiousRix

Dark Void looks like it's going to be like watching your favorite movie while eating pizza and ignoring calls from your girlfriend.

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HypotheticalSolution76

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Fight fire with fire man.

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deactivated-5d7bd9e4bef30

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HypotheticalSolution76 said:
"Fight fire with fire man.
"
So you want Jeff to start making terrible movies?
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fpsDoug

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Edited By fpsDoug
Rain_Dog - "Argh! I hate Dane Cook because he's popular, but I tell people it's because he's a bad comedian and steals jokes! Arrrr!"

Finally, someone who hasn't jumped on the bandwagon yet. And to think I was the only one.


SCapps14 - "First he steals from Joe Rogan and now Ryan Davis. When will it end Dane when will it end? I wonder if he's actually capable of writing his own material"

Seriously? You really don't get it?
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BiggerBomb

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Edited By BiggerBomb
TeflonBilly said:
"BiggerBomb said:
"

Jeff, you're really a great guy. You're smart, funny, and an excellent writer. But I have to say, you are overly insecure about the appreciation of game reviewers.

Game reviews =/= music reviews. Music is entirely subjective, as can be seen by the 21st century's crapfast; which still makes a shitload of money, despite the fact that the "tunes" of The Jonas Brothers is abysmal.

And while some dude might have thought Vampire Rain was the best game ever, games are not nearly as subjective as even movies. Because games either work, or don't work.

"
That line is getting blurrier and blurrier though.
I'm one of those douches who believe video games are art and culture. Of course it's profit driven and the Madden's, Need For Speed's and Call Of Duty's of the world contribute to that. But it is still a medium which can convey a message, tell a story or just plain evoke a feeling.
Wether it's the way Braid connected it's multi layered story into the gameplay, the sense of exploration when you find a new Galaxy in Super Mario Galaxy or the soothing feel of playing Flower, they all have artistic merit and shouldn't be put in the booth of "THIS WILL SELL AND YOU SHOULD BUY IT! and "THIS IS TERRIBLE, DON'T BUY IT!"

Then again, I'm the fool who thinks pro wrestling is just an athletic offshoot of authentic theatre when it's performed correctly by telling a story through an angle, a match and enthralling the audience enough to suspend their knowledge that this is pre determined to mark out in those joyous moments when you just accept it.

EDIT: I should expound a bit.

Look at comic books, they were originally considered for kids with black and white world of good guys and bad guys or just supposed to be funny.
It's grown into a viable artform giving us such seminal pieces like Maus, Preacher, Transmetropolitan and I could go on forever.
Hell, even the superhero comic has been able to have real artistic merit outside the variant cover and selling action figures. Look at Kingdom Come, The Ultimates or Marvels."

You're not a douche for thinking that games are a medium of art. But I think you are a bit naive for thinking that makes them equally subjective as other mediums, let's say for shits and giggles, a la music.
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Edited By MadExponent

I don't find Dane Cook all that funny anymore.  However, his style of humor did have it's day.  It's just not as funny anymore.  He seems like a cool character though.

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Edited By HandsomeDead
BiggerBomb said:
"And while some dude might have thought Vampire Rain was the best game ever, games cannot be taken subjectively (consensus)even when compared to movies. Because games either work, or don't work. "
When you say games 'work', do you mean on a simply technical level as in some games are too buggy to play properly?
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Wrect

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Edited By Wrect

Please, please show us how to rumba.

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Edited By goodwood

Dane Cook is college girl funny they eat that shit up.

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deactivated-5d7bd9e4bef30

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BiggerBomb said:
"You're not a douche for thinking that games are a medium of art. But I think you are a bit naive for thinking that makes them equally subjective as other mediums, let's say for shits and giggles, a la music."
Oh no, not at all. But I do believe that a branch of gaming can evolve into something as subjective as that.
I heard about this one indie game Rod Humble put the spotlight on called "The Marriage" which is a step in that direction.
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Edited By TomA

I fucking hate Dane Cook he is the bane of all things good in this world and he sucks.

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Edited By ch3burashka

I'm a little confused: If you're getting a BJ in zeroG and eating ice cream and the BJ gets a little sloppy, won't there be some mixage of fluids? Is this his way of saying he's into some very kinky shit?

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BiggerBomb

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Edited By BiggerBomb
HandsomeDead said:
"BiggerBomb said:
"And while some dude might have thought Vampire Rain was the best game ever, games cannot be taken subjectively (consensus)even when compared to movies. Because games either work, or don't work. "
When you say games 'work', do you mean on a simply technical level as in some games are too buggy to play properly?
"

To a certain degree, yes. I'm also referring to whether or not any reasonable (I mean reasonable in the most literal sense) individual can enjoy the game's features. If a game came out today for the Xbox 360 that had N64 graphics, the gameplay involved picking apples (without any means of challenge and/or purpose,) and was intended for an audience other than 2 year olds; regardless of whether or not it functioned, the game doesn't work. There is nothing subjective about that.

Let's try a more realistic scenario. Should a game such as Burnout Paradise be released in the same time period as Need For Speed: Underground, a review is entirely necessary to compare and contrast the successes of Paradise with the pitfalls of Underground; because in this situation, a commentary is used to explain why Burnout Paradise works and Need For Speed: Underground doesn't work. Can you really do the same between November Rain (Guns N' Roses) and Rusty Cage (Soundgarden,) to any degree of a consensus-based success? I for one, do not think so.
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BiggerBomb

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Edited By BiggerBomb
CH3BURASHKA said:
"I'm a little confused: If you're getting a BJ in zeroG and eating ice cream and the BJ gets a little sloppy, won't there be some mixage of fluids? Is this his way of saying he's into some very kinky shit?"

That is an adorable avatar.
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Peteybird

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Edited By Peteybird

Dag, you guys are already all over the Louis C.K. stuff. So I'll keep it short. DANE COOK IS JOKETHIEF FORLZ.

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Edited By erinfizz
Wrect said:
"Please, please show us how to rumba."
Pretty please with sugar on top?  :)
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ThrashCowboy666

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Edited By ThrashCowboy666

Jeff dances the Rumba!

  

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MasturbatingBear

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Edited By MasturbatingBear

Ryans review is great. Didn't know he was in this business in 1999. Didn't even know site was launched.

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Edited By WilliamRLBaker

Im confused as to this article? is it purely a joke or light being made of dane cook and all around celebrities...ect reviewing games?  as in a negative bent towards this? cause i see no problem with it he gave his opinion just as Soulja Boy gave his opinion.

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MasturbatingBear

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Edited By MasturbatingBear
WilliamRLBaker said:
"Im confused as to this article? is it purely a joke or light being made of dane cook and all around celebrities...ect reviewing games?  as in a negative bent towards this? cause i see no problem with it he gave his opinion just as Soulja Boy gave his opinion.
"
im assuming Jeff wanted you to read this

...oh, and he said it via Twitter. I suppose I should point that out so that the lack of specifics on the graphics, gameplay, number of levels, and "fun factor" makes a bit more sense. I like that he's ditched the whole "wait until the game is done" thing that the current crop of game reviewers seems so hung up on these days. Just get to the point already, right?
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BiggerBomb

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Edited By BiggerBomb
WilliamRLBaker said:
"Im confused as to this article? is it purely a joke or light being made of dane cook and all around celebrities...ect reviewing games?  as in a negative bent towards this? cause i see no problem with it he gave his opinion just as Soulja Boy gave his opinion.
"

Jeff was being sardonic, not-so-subtly saying that neither Soulja Boy or Dane Cook have any credibility on the subject; at the same time, Jeff seems to often be quick in spelling the doom of his profession. I don't blame the guy, what with the current economic climate; but I think the future of his particular profession has a bright future ahead of it as games slowly become more accepted.
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MasturbatingBear

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Edited By MasturbatingBear
BiggerBomb said:
"WilliamRLBaker said:
"Im confused as to this article? is it purely a joke or light being made of dane cook and all around celebrities...ect reviewing games?  as in a negative bent towards this? cause i see no problem with it he gave his opinion just as Soulja Boy gave his opinion.
"

Jeff was being sardonic, not-so-subtly saying that neither Soulja Boy or Dane Cook have any credibility on the subject; at the same time, Jeff seems to often be quick in spelling the doom of his profession. I don't blame the guy, what with the current economic climate; but I think the future of his particular profession has a bright future ahead of it as games slowly become more accepted.
"
Oh I thought that and the fact that he thought it was crazy that the games not even out yet.
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MasturbatingBear

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Edited By MasturbatingBear
BiggerBomb said:
"WilliamRLBaker said:
"Im confused as to this article? is it purely a joke or light being made of dane cook and all around celebrities...ect reviewing games?  as in a negative bent towards this? cause i see no problem with it he gave his opinion just as Soulja Boy gave his opinion.
"

Jeff was being sardonic, not-so-subtly saying that neither Soulja Boy or Dane Cook have any credibility on the subject; at the same time, Jeff seems to often be quick in spelling the doom of his profession. I don't blame the guy, what with the current economic climate; but I think the future of his particular profession has a bright future ahead of it as games slowly become more accepted.
"
Oh I thought that and the fact that he thought it was crazy that the games not even out yet.
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Edited By LiquidPrince

Seemingly accurate review I would bet.

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LordCrom

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Edited By LordCrom

ROFLMFAO!  That sonofagun stold your line Ryan!  Hang him!

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BiggerBomb

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Edited By BiggerBomb
MasturbatingBear said:
"BiggerBomb said:
"WilliamRLBaker said:
"Im confused as to this article? is it purely a joke or light being made of dane cook and all around celebrities...ect reviewing games?  as in a negative bent towards this? cause i see no problem with it he gave his opinion just as Soulja Boy gave his opinion.
"

Jeff was being sardonic, not-so-subtly saying that neither Soulja Boy or Dane Cook have any credibility on the subject; at the same time, Jeff seems to often be quick in spelling the doom of his profession. I don't blame the guy, what with the current economic climate; but I think the future of his particular profession has a bright future ahead of it as games slowly become more accepted.
"
Oh I thought that and the fact that he thought it was crazy that the games not even out yet.
"
That too, but I was more talking about Jeff's view of people who think they can "just step right in" simply because of their fame.
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lodar011

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Edited By lodar011

Dane Cook is probably the least funny comedian of all time.

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Tarakun

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Edited By Tarakun

Wait, there are celebrities that don't work at Giant Bomb?

I call bullshit.

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BiggerBomb

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Edited By BiggerBomb
lodar011 said:
"Dane Cook is probably the least funny comedian of all time.
"
Two words will suffice: Carlos Mencia.
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Brackynews

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Edited By Brackynews

But is it gold and crispy?  Glad he's not waffling on the issue.

(God, I feel soiled for even looking at the IMDB page for that movie...)

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Edited By coastercrusader
LiveOrDie1212
on Feb. 23, 2009
Dane Cook is a fucking douchebag, that dude is not even funny. i bet i can kick his ass in COD4 any given day.


Yeah he's not even funny... that's why he makes millions of dollar making people laugh... Oh and I bet you beating him in COD4 will prove your point too, good one!
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dsplayer1010

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Edited By dsplayer1010

Seriously? Who finds this guy funny?

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GreggD

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Edited By GreggD

Oh, Dane Cook. You were funny seven years ago...

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Edited By MrKlorox

ROFL @ the update. Cook is a massive douchebag.

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isaiah

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Edited By isaiah

lol

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Edited By kboy

I think I might change my homepage from Giant Bomb to jeffgerstmannshowsyouhowtorumba.com.
Can Jeff also show me the basic box step and how to Waltz?

I'm still not sure why the world has such a problem forgetting that Dane Cook exists.
Hell, I had until I read this.