The phrase “what happened to Dane Cook” refers to the decline in popularity of the American stand-up comedian Dane Cook. Cook was one of the most popular comedians in the early 2000s, but his popularity began to decline in the late 2000s. There are a number of factors that may have contributed to Cook’s decline in popularity, including changes in the comedy landscape, personal controversies, and allegations of joke theft.
Cook’s comedy style was characterized by his use of observational humor and self-deprecating jokes. However, as the comedy landscape changed in the late 2000s, audiences began to favor more edgy and political comedians. Cook’s style of comedy began to be seen as outdated and unoriginal.