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With probably the worst "too soon" joke in recent memory, Dane Cook is back in the headlines. But at least he's sorry ab0ut it.
One week after James Holmes opened fire in a Colorado movie theatre, killing 12 and injuring 58 others, Cook made the following joke in front of a large paying audience at The Laugh Factory in Los Angeles: "The Batman movie is so bad, had the killing spree not occurred, the people inside of the theater would have been begging for someone to shoot them."
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Unsurprisingly, the reaction to Cook's joke was not positive.
"As if the world needed more reason to loathe Dane Cook," tweeted Adam Proteau.
"Remember when Dane Cook wasn't funny? Well, he still isn't," wrote erstwhile "Mrs. Doubtfire" star Mara Wilson.
"Anyone who knows me, knows I think Dane Cook is the single worst comedian ever," wrote Jorge Sedano. "He's NEVER been funny. Now, he's just an awful human being."
Even "Everybody Loves Raymond" star Brad Garrett told ABC News Radio that the joke was in "super poor taste...there's nothing about [the situation] that could possibly be [seen as] humor."
See more: Stars react to Colorado tragedy
After the backlash on Twitter, Cook released an apology the following day to his approximately 28 million followers. "I am devastated by the recent tragedy in Colorado & did not mean to make light of what happened. I made a bad judgment call with my material last night & regret making a joke at such a sensitive time. My heart goes out to all of the families & friends of the victims."
Yes, comedians will always push the boundaries with their acts, because edgy gets laughs. But hopefully, this latest gaffe will help Cook make more careful comedy choices in the future.