I think we can all remember where we were when we first discovered the comedic stylings of Daniel Songer. (Because we were all here.) Now, four long, memorable months later, Daniel Songer is hanging up his trademark khaki shorts, and turning the porch bug zapper off for the last time. Yes, this week on Comedy_Entertainment Act 91.mpg, comedian, entertainer, dancer, and poet Daniel Songer announces that he is retiring from comedy. Oh no! Well, it was an epic career. And there is no shame in wanting to go out on top, as a living legend. Which is exactly what Daniel Songer does in this video, which includes both a heartfelt thank you to his fans, and some of the classic Daniel Songer comedy bits that remind us all why he has those fans in the first place.

Comedy’s own Daniel Songer, ladies and germs. Wish him well.

Comments (76)
  1. This is the worst day of my life.

  2. don’t retire Dan!!! we want you!!

  3. This just makes me sad on so many levels.

    • WHO. LET. THECLOWNSOUT. (Sob)

    • I know. I watched the whole thing. Once I started, I felt like I owed it to the guy. Like when someone is telling you a really sad story about death or burnt cookies and you have to sit there and nod and make “yeah, burnt cookies suck” type noises. The thing is, I don’t know the guy and if I stopped watching he would never know. During “Love Pusher” I actually felt a little sob building in my throat.

      And I started thinking that, as bad as China was during the Cultural Revolution, at least all the Daniel Songers kept their inner light to themselves. Granted, they didn’t have Youtube then, but even if they had, they would have kept their silly dances locked in the cold silences of their slowly ossifying hearts, for fear of being executed. And I thought, ya know, sometimes nightmarishly repressive authoritarian states get a bad rap.

      But then I thought, holy shit, that means there’s beauty in everything! THANKS DANIEL SONGER!

  4. Ten bucks this guy has his own show on Fox News by 2012.

  5. I like how he says “if you don’t understand English” in English.

  6. Martin Short is retiring? That’s sad

  7. Incase anyone was wondering, he only starts dancing at 3:40.

  8. Let’s all do the turnaround in honor of Dan, you guys.

  9. He has a lovely deck and yard!

  10. If I ever walked out of my house and everyone was smiling, I’d probably go back inside quickly and lock the door.

  11. We may have lost a national treasure, but Marhofer Hyundai in Cuyahoga Falls gained an employee of the year.

  12. he’s my boyfriend dad.

  13. “My literary words were all comedy”
    Daniel Songer
    ?-2012

    • “I wore a THONG! It was kind of like a tangerine / pinkish color thong. Now I didn’t wear it on my bare skin, I wore it over my shorts, but that was part of the COMEDY!!”

      having to explain the gouge-your-eyeballs-out obvious joke you just made (that would pretty much make you want to gouge your eyeballs out anyway, if you watched it), is always the sign of a really funny joke.

  14. I can imagine Michael Scott doing ALL of these.

  15. “There are enemies that wish destruction upon mankind.”
    - comedy

  16. Oh man. I was waiting forever. He was getting SO wound up. Waiting… Waiting… then BLAST OFF. So worth the wait.

  17. “Honey, Mr. Songer is shouting and gesticulating again.”

    “Dakota! Howie! You’re mother is asking for you in the kitchen. Come inside, quickly.”

  18. Dan… Poet? Man!

  19. Can anyone tell me if he’s fond of dropping into a wide stance and thrusting his hips? Oh, he is? Thanks.

  20. I can never get over the fact the someone knows these people, someone knows this guy.

  21. Now I’m really bummed I didn’t catch Comedy Act 85.

  22. Those poor shorts. Those poor, poor, innocent khaki shorts.

  23. What was he saying, exactly? I don’t understand English, so I just turned down the volume and watched it anyways. The first 3:40 were kind of boring, though…

  24. This news about his retirement has really upset me, but I’m just gonna dance it off!

  25. The GIF possibilities have not been mined to their full potential. Come on guys, I want one of the ‘Beat It’.

  26. A brief history of yelling your own dance as you do it:

    “Twist!!”
    “Mashed potato!”
    “With arms wide open!!”
    “Stanky leg!”
    “Love pusher!!”

  27. Ummmm. That man just performed my entire sexual history through the medium of interpretive dance.

  28. This man’s mental development screeched (more like sputtered) to a halt at age seven.

  29. This makes me feel better about helping to create Ke$ha, thanks Dan.

  30. i am winding up for a blast off over here.

  31. I think he’s just retiring from comedy because he’s afraid Nick Madson is going to steal all his hot routines.

  32. Finally, A Comedian for the Deaf.

    • these dances are actually funnier with the sound turned off. daniel is right.
      they add a level of ‘what the fuck’ when there is no context.

      now, let’s all do the ‘love pusher’ together.

  33. He retired upon hearing that Nick Madson had stolen his material for his latest show. He was so upset he had to quit the business.

  34. Again with the shorts! He must have gone to the same entertainment school as the Lady Gaga kid and Kevin Smith. First rule of entertainment: show them some leg

  35. “God teaches us to love everyone, so grab their heads and pound them into your knee. You know, for Jesus.” Ecclesiastes 4:32-35.

  36. Gabe, maybe we can give Dan a regular feature on videogum? I found his explanation of comedy, in all of its various forms, to be both insightful and touching. Plus his tendency to jerk around nervously while speaking to the camera is sort of endearing.

    RIP, Daniel Songer. The world just wasn’t ready for you.

  37. Oh damn. I just realized that he does his own intro. The part where he goes “Ladies and Gentlemen. Comedian… Entertainer… Daniel Songer.” That’s him. That’s his voice. For some reason it was less sad for me to imagine him doing this with another person, even if that other person’s only job was to intro Daniel and give Daniel a ‘thumbs up’ from off camera so that Daniel knows that he’s doing a really great job. But no… it’s just Daniel. Daniel against the world.

  38. Daniel Songer didn’t invent the high-stepper. He just perfected it.

    Get it going, guys!

  39. Well, I’d hire him as a cage dancer for my wedding if he needs work.

  40. He’ll be back. He obviously loves it too much.

  41. I’m pretty sure he quit “comedy” to become a serial killer, seriously.

  42. I thought this video was about 8 minutes too long, so here is an edit for those with similarly short attention spans:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqS4IF9SwgQ

  43. I forwarded to the dancing, then he started talking again, so I forwarded some more and he was preaching. So pretty much this is my favorite thing ever now. He is an Entertainer.

  44. Leno sticks around, Dan the Poet Man departs. #notfair

  45. This is just viral marketing for decks.

  46. Smiles are the herpes of expression.

  47. He owns hundreds of fannypacks. With all my heart I know this.

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