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We’ve Been Thinking...

Jeff Foxworthy & Larry the Cable Guy

Netflix · 2016 · 75 min

Two Blue Collar veterans trade stadium stages for a theater crowd.

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Jeff Foxworthy has mostly retired his signature redneck catchphrase here, replacing it with a series of clean, observational truths he calls ‘the facts of life’ (things that are universally true but can’t be verified by a quick search engine query). It’s a subtle shift for a veteran comic who spent decades as a household name, but the underlying engine of his domestic, PG-rated observational humor remains exactly the same.

His longtime touring partner, Larry the Cable Guy, remains fully committed to the sleeveless, catchphrase-shouting character he has played since the early nineties. Yet even with the familiar ‘Git-R-Done’ shouts, there’s a self-aware edge to his set this time around. He dedicates a good chunk of his time to mocking his own high-profile commercial gigs as a spokesperson for Prilosec and Nutrisystem, while also taking a few gentle jabs at Foxworthy’s Golden Corral ads. This self-mockery grounds the cartoonish persona, keeping it just relatable enough for a modern crowd.

Filmed at the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis, the special splits the difference between their distinct solo styles. Foxworthy handles the first half with clean, domestic material about kidney stones and late-night Walmart trips, while Larry takes over the second half with broad, slightly bluer jokes about zoo visits and marital frustrations. The real appeal for longtime fans comes at the very end. The two pull up a pair of stools for an unscripted, loose Q&A session, fielding questions from the audience and trading stories about their decades on the road.

The set list

6 bits

  1. Foxworthy proposes a common-sense platform for president of the United States.

    He outlines bans on reality TV, sugar-free cookies, email forwarding for anyone over 65, and participation trophies for children.

  2. A man volunteers for medical student prostate exams over four decades.

    Foxworthy examines the absurdity of volunteering for the procedure and imagines how the man's mother would explain it to friends.

  3. Foxworthy shares 'facts of life' you cannot Google.

    Observational humor covering spouses getting walked in on by kids, farting etiquette, and traveling on airplanes.

  4. Foxworthy suffers through an agonizing kidney stone.

    He details the extreme pain that provoked him to use 'the F-word' repeatedly onstage while maintaining his family-friendly reputation.

  5. Larry the Cable Guy jokes about his signature catchphrase 'Git-R-Done'.

    He reflects on putting the phrase on condoms as his first piece of merchandise and wonders how it translates into other languages.

  6. Larry mocks his and Foxworthy's television advertising gigs.

    He jokes about going from Nutrisystem commercials to heartburn medication and mocks Foxworthy's Golden Corral ads.

How it plays

Tone
Homestyle, self-deprecating, broad, and accessible.
On stage
Jeff Foxworthy presents a middle-aged, clean-cut dad persona sharing life observations, while Larry the Cable Guy performs as an exaggerated, likable Southern character in a customized camo and American flag ballcap.
Pace
Foxworthy delivers measured observational routines and personal stories; Larry delivers rapid-fire one-liners, quips, and frequent folksy metaphors.
About
marriage and family life, aging and bodily functions, presidential politics and common sense, corporate endorsement commercials, modern life absurdities

What the critics said

Critics noted the special delivers exactly what fans expect from the Blue Collar pair, relying on familiar, low-hanging material made palatable by the duos enduring likability.

In the room: A packed theater crowd in Minneapolis cheering for classic catchphrases and blue-collar themes.

Summed up from reviews, articles and listings. Sources: comedydynamics.com, sg.flixboss.com, vulture.com, decider.com, rottentomatoes.com, thecomicscomic.com, imdb.com.

Backstory

Released during the 2016 U.S. presidential election cycle between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, which both comics touch upon in their sets.

Details

Released
Runtime
75 min
Where
Netflix
Director
Jay Karas
Topics

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