cult of [comedic] personality

the cult of personality is a relatively new phenomenon in the world of comedy. the act of creating a comic persona and then staying in character at all times has been harnessed by few in the past but it is becoming more frequent in the last few years. for some it's playing on a one-note joke, but the best characters reflect the absurd times we live in. politicians and celébutantes too self-righteous, too self-absorbed and too determined to stay "on message" to not only miss the joke, but unwittingly add more fodder to the echo chamber in this netosphere.

let's look at three case studies.

1. Dane Cook:

possibly the least funny "comedian" on the circuit (rolling stone recently inquired how Cook has come so far- an HBO special, Employee of the Month with Jessica Simpson- and is able to call himself a comedian while never telling any jokes.) maybe there's a reason there are not jokes/ bits/ clips on his myspace page. not to mention the inanity of the SUper FInger hand gesture (right). but i wonder if he's all persona, riding a brand that someone dreamed up. come up with a gimmick, prop him up with just enough attitude, and he's the kevin federline of comedy.

2. Stephen Colbert:

in a recent New York Magazine cover article, colbert discussed the need to distinguish between his 'act' and his real-life persona. he's been asked to make public appearances- most notably the white house correspondence dinner (transcript)- where he's unsure as to which colbert they are expecting to show up. so he's debating making the distinction of "cole-bert" being his true self, and "cole-bear" his pseudo-right wing propagandist. nevertheless he is certainly one of the finest satirists working today. i had the good fortune to catch a taping of the colbert report a few months back and it's incredible how easily he is able to turn it on and off. furthermore he is so burrowed in the character and has such an attuned sense of the irony in the conservatives argument that it's no surprise that republican candidates up for re-election are refusing to go on his show (la times). let's just hope he doesn't turn out like mother night.

3. Sacha Baron Cohen

arguably the most consistent prankster. jimmy "laugh-at-every-sketch-i'm-in" fallen could learn a lot from the cohen's stone face. in the publicity campaign for his new film Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan he has presented an unparalleled consistency qua Borat for press announcements live on CNN, interviews on various talk shows and magazine interviews. cohen's Da Ali G Show is a fascinating glimpse into duping unsuspecting interviewees (akin to colbert's "better know a district") including newt gingrich.

however, to reverse the process and be interviewed in character is a brilliant ploy for the movie. will farrell has appeared on conan o'brien in past years in various characters, but more as a gag than anything. for cohen, known only to a niche audience in the US, to call this a success is an understatement. (his next film, based on his other character bruno was just picked up by universal to the tune of $42.5 million.)

the real distinction here is that to be the interviewer, one can control the situation and steer the discussion into a particular direction. while a lot of interviews are typically predetermined, or the questions are scripted, there is always a varying degree of improvisation. and in the dozens of interviews cohen has yet to slip and break character. here's a particularly good amalgamation of his UK publicity tour. but how many grey suits does he own?