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The Right to Bare Arms

Larry the Cable Guy

Warner Bros. Nashville · Album · 2005 · 56 min

A massive commercial hit built on extreme similes and trademark catchphrases.

Dan Whitney’s exaggerated redneck alter ego was inescapable in the mid-2000s, and The Right to Bare Arms captures the character at the absolute height of his commercial power. The mechanics of the persona are completely visible. He builds the act on a foundation of hyperbolic, rural similes and deploys his trademark catchphrases to salvage punchlines that fail to connect on their own merits. When a joke about a one-legged prostitute or a gay bar gets a tepid reaction, he leans into his signature assurance that “that’s funny right there” to force the laugh.

Recorded in Houston in January 2005, the audio album chases shock value more aggressively than his previous tours. He works through blunt premises about little people and being startled by his own shadow. Contemporary comedy reviewers noted the set felt manufactured, leaning on the sheer momentum of his fame rather than solid writing.

The record-buying public did not care. Released on Warner Bros. Records, it became the first comedy album in SoundScan history to reach number one on the Billboard Country chart and secured a Grammy nomination.

The set list

5 bits

  1. Hank Williams Jr. High School

    Southern word-twisting wordplay questioning whether the name refers to Hank Williams, Jr. High School or Hank Williams Junior High School.

  2. Michael Moore DVDs

    Crowd-rallying joke about using Michael Moore DVDs to level an uneven couch.

  3. Hooters Airlines

    Comic exploration of the concept and operations of an airline run by the restaurant chain Hooters.

  4. Toddler Mail

    An encore routine in the style of 'kids say the darndest things' reading letters and toddler submissions.

  5. The closer (spoiler). Show it

    Song for a Friend closer

    Closing musical comedic ditty written about things thought of while drunk late at night.

How it plays

Tone
Brash, politically incorrect, raunchy, and self-deprecating.
On stage
Stereotypical proud redneck character delivery with a thick Southern accent, heavy innuendo, and signature catchphrases.
Pace
Fast-paced delivery with jokes rattling off at a Henny Youngman pace.
About
Southern culture, redneck stereotypes, relationships and sex, religion, current events, NASCAR and Hooters

What the critics said

AllMusic praised it as the comedian's best stand-up recording with rapid-fire delivery and clever wordplay that improved upon his television show, whereas The Serious Comedy Site deemed it unstructured, rushed, and reliant on punchy catchphrases to prop up weak and tasteless material.

In the room: Rowdy, receptive, and appreciative live crowd.

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: en.wikipedia.org, allmusic.com, musicbrainz.org, reference.org, theseriouscomedysite.com, dead-frog.com, bullz-eye.com.

Backstory

Free from the broadcast restrictions of his tame television show Blue Collar TV, allowing him to deliver uncensored, politically incorrect redneck comedy in front of a live Texas audience.

Details

Released
Taped
Verizon Wireless Theater, Houston
Runtime
56 min
Where
Warner Bros. Nashville (album)
Honors
RIAA Platinum Certification (1,000,000 units)Peak #1 on US Billboard Top Comedy AlbumsPeak #1 on US Billboard Top Country Albums and 1 more
Topics
Before
Git-R-Done (2004)
After
Morning Constitutions (2007)

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