Larry The Cable Guy

out of here. I said, I'm not lying. He said, let me hear you say get her done. I went, Gator. He goes, that's not even close. I don't like what the heck. I'm Larry the Cable Guy. Dan Whitney. That's my real name. Also, they know me as made her from cars and a lot of people don't know it, but I also played the orangutang in every which way but loose when I was a small child. Getor Done. Hello, and welcome one and all to your special Tuesday treat

that's right off the beat. I am your host, Brian Baumgartner. Today's guest. Well is the very funny Dan Whitney. Who's Dan Whitney, you might ask, Well, Dan Whitney, he has an alter ego. His name is Larry the Cable Guy. We actually spend quite a bit of time golfing together at various events, most notably the American Century Championship in Lake Tahoe. And next week I am going to Nebraska to participate in his Get or Done Classic. We'll talk more about that in a bit, but I'm gonna be

honest with you. See, I know more about Dan that I do about Larry and how Larry was born. So today I am very pleased to get to know the origins of Dan's alter ego, larry dance career, and how he manages to be the only Southerner who's actually from the Midwest. So please open your ears and your hearts to one of the kindest people that I have the pleasure of knowing, Larry the Cable Guy or my friend

Dan Whitney. Bubble and Squeak. I love it Bubble and Squeak on Bubble and Squeaker cooking at every moment left over from the night before. Larry the Cable Guy, how are you my friend. Oh mom Gardener, I love you to death and I'm doing fantastic good. Huh, Dan, I'm now listen. I texted you a little while ago. For those of you who don't know, we play quite a bit of golf together at various events, and I said, what do I call you? Larry or or Dan? And

this is a very interesting thing. I mean you really your your identity to the public has changed, well right, yeah, totally? Well, yeah, pretty much, because let me just give you a brief deal Brian. By the way, Brian is better than my golf, but I'm trying. I'm trying to get better. But I have more hair. You have. You have a lot more hair. Yes. I wrote a joke the other day about my my brother is going to make a lot of money because he invented a product for men that are balding. And

what it is. It's a liquid that comes in a spray can. And what you do is you bray it in people's face so they can't see your hair. They can't see that you're losing your hair. Believe it gets a big laugh. So anyway, let me give you a brief friend down, Brian. This is a crazy thing about my career. I was a comic and I went professional May of I got up on stage for the first time in night five. I worked out of the comedy Corner in West Palm Beach, Um. I started doing some

characters on a radio station in Tampa Bay. One of the characters was Larry the cable Guy. And as you know, a young comic and you're working on the road, anything you can do for some stage time or some extra cash, boy, that would be awesome. And that's just basically I started. It was totally a character for the radio. I could do anything I wanted to do. I was a big fan of all in the family when I was a kid, because it was the one thing my dad would just

belly laugh at. Because I grew up on a pig farm and Southeast Nebraska, and I grew up next to the cattle yard, and I worked over at the sale bar and on loading cattle trucks, and so I just kind of made a character that was kind of an archie bunker character that was kind of a mixture of everybody that I kind of knew, all these old farmers that bitched about everything when I was a kid. Then I went to college and Georgia, and I my roommate

was from Beaumont, Texas. My other one was from Dalton, Georgia. So I kind of mixed that in there. So it was kind of like a southern archie bunker. But I'll tell you but I'm me personally. I like people and I want, you know, I like to be liked, and I'm a nice guy, so I and I think I am. So I I wanted the character to be funny and shocking, but I want him to be likable. Like I wanted people to go, I can't believe he would say that, and then somebody else go, ah, you just edges Larry

the cable guy. Any don't mean nothing can. For most people, that's what it was, and then for other people that took away too serious. Of course it was something else, but that's what the whole character on the radio was intended to be. And a real funny story about that. With all my commentaries, I did social commentaries, and what I did was I signed off with get or done. And I remember the first time I ever heard somebody

else say that. I was at Peaches Records and Tapes in Orlando, Florida, and I was in the store and some guy was walking out and he sealed back and the guy working and I'll see you tomorrow. Getor done? And the guy says getor done back and I said, and the guy said, get or done? Would you hear that at And he literally goes at his guy on the radio here the rock station says, get or done, Larry the cable guy. It's funny as hell. And I go, that's me. And he looked at me. He goes, yeah,

shut up. I go, no, that's me. I'm Larry the cable Guy. He goes, get out of here. I said, I'm not lying. He said, let me hear you say get or done. I went get He goes, that's not even close. I don't like what the heck. I went and got it right away. I went got it copyrighted and started selling shirts and all that kind of stuff. It was all theater of the mind. Yeah, no, it is though, because you all of that makes sense. But I think the decision for you to become him in public,

I mean, here, here, here's here's an example. This is what I mean. I mean, you are Dan, but like when we're in Lake Tahoe, we're playing golf, we're on television, you are identified by announcers not as Dan but as Larry the Cable Guy. But when did you make the decision to make yourself like synonymous with this theater of the absurd that you were doing. Well, well, you know what it started. It was all by accident, honestly. I mean, you're a when you're a comedian, you're out there doing

stand up. You just want to be able to sell tickets and make some money and make a good living of doing something that you love. And it all happened by accident. I never meant to do it on stage. It was completely separate. It was something that was fun for me to do. Is an escape that was fun to write for, But my act was completely different. Uh. When Larry the Cable Guy did stuff, it was all commentaries and social commentaries. And I learned from the Howard Stern.

First of all, you have to be funny. Second of all, you have to say something that's a little shocking so that people go, did you hear what he just said?

And it becomes popular because people that like you are tuned in because they want to hear what you're gonna say next, and people that don't like you are tuning in because they want to hear what you're gonna say next, you know, So I wanted to have something in where people would go, you know what, Uh, there's a small percentage of truth and what he says, but he doesn't say it correctly, says it the way that it's It's it's kind of like how he equated with I remember

one time a guy came up to me and can I is there? Do I need to bleep myself? You don't, Okay, I'm being there. I haven't, but but I'm being completely honest with when I say this. This is kind of like people mean well, and people say things and they have a little bit of truth and what they're saying their way off base on other things, but they say things so funny. It's it's just like you gotta like

the guy. And I remember one time I did a commentary as Larry the cable By about keeping prayer in the public school, and so I would write it how if I were just writing just a serious commentary. To where the commentary started out is the men there's could be an op ed And next thing you know, there's two percent of it's an op ed and ninety eight percent of it is titty's farts, drinking beer that kind

of thing, right. But the guy that comes up to me, and when I say people meanwhile, but they say things just so like what do you The guy comes out and goes, hey, Larry can I talked to you for a minute. He was a construction worker done in Orlando. I said, yeah, what's up, buddy, Hey, listen, I know you've gotta be funny on the area with oh you're tad jokes, you've verge and all that kind of stuff.

But that thing you did today about keeping prayer in the public school, your goddamn right, we need prayer and damn school. And he fucking teach you got away from the fucking mad and the guy you know, and he's literally f this, g D that, f that. But his main and his main gripe is they've taken prayer out of this. So he means well, but he's saying it completely the wrong way, you know. So that's kind of

like how it developed. And so uh, back to the story about how it became part of my whole deal is, at one night at a comedy club, my buddy Less McCurdy, who owns mccurty's Comedy Club in sarah Sota wanted to sell some tickets, and he builled me as Dan Wittney, a k a. Larry the Cable Guy. And it was a little irritated because I tried to separate the two because, like I said, Larry was all comic, ridiculous political stuff.

I was all one liners. I'm a fan of the old time comic, just doing this and that and Pratt falls. And it was a funny act, you know. Dan Herera always said I had the funniest first twelve minutes in comedy and then after that nothing, you know, because I because I literally I literally went through like eighty five punch lines twelve minutes, and so I he builled me as day waiting ak Larry the Cable I went on stage and it sold out two shows in twenty minutes.

And then when I saw that he build me like that, it was kind of I didn't really have a stage act for it, and it was a little like what am I going to do now, you know? So I went up and I did my own act and they're yelling stuff out. You know, when your Larry, you get it. So I dropped down into the character and just killed it. And so he came up and and said, man, have you ever thought about doing your whole show like Larry

the Cable Guy. So he took my name off, and the second show I was build as Larry the Cable Guy. And I went up and I basically took my act and I slowed it down, had different timing, and then I added stuff from the radio station. And I was doing the Larry the Cable Guy stuff in Wallah. And so my next step was just to go tell radio stations this is what I'm doing, and I can do it for you. I'll do a commentary for you and

it'll get popular. And the only thing I asked for pay is just promote my show when I come to town. So I ended up getting about twenty seven radio stations, and I called radio stations every morning, five days a week for thirteen years. Yeah, and it finally paid off. So I mean, that's that's basically how I built my following. And I could do I could do Larry the Cable

Guy because I knew him better than anybody else. I sometimes people ask me about is it weird when you do stuff like you know that you were talking about the golf tournament. No, I don't. I don't find it where that strange because people know me as Larry the Cable Guy. They know it's a character. But Larry the Cable Guy is just a drawing name to get them

at the tournament, to sell some tickets. And you know, and and the best part about it it allows me if I want to to go up with no sleeves on and be comfortable and just play it up and have a good time with the crowd. And I'll be honest, I enjoy it. People enjoy it. You know. It's it's uh if I'm talking too much, Briban, let me know, because you have God one word talking if it's anything about me. Um. I think that when I was, when I wasn't married and didn't have kids, comedy was a

whole different thing than you just did. Stay up. You wanted to make people laugh. Nothing was off limits. I didn't have any kids. I didn't I get it. Cared less about that I didn't have you know, you know how it is you're a ten year old guy. And then I got married, and then I had kids, and then my act started changing because I had a heart change. On a lot of jokes that just I didn't need anyway kept the larry of the cable guy. What what

it's about, you know, it's about pushing buttons. It's about this guy that's just had it with this political correct, anti American world. And but I don't. I'm not as harsh as I once was. And that's just because I'm a better comedian. I have kids, and I'm sensitive to things about what how people would feel if I did a certain deal. Um, So that's that's how my act has kind of changed. But there's still a ton of differences.

I'm not I'm not a white trash guy. I'm not like, I'm not a PARTI er, I'm not a drinker, I'm not a well, you know, I don't do any of that. So I have just enough trailer jokes that I'm not associated. Right, what's fascinating to me because you brought up all in the family, right, and so I mean that character, I mean potentially one of the greatest comedy characters in the history of television. If Carol O'Connor had begun to associate himself as Archie Bunker, I mean, he may have gotten

killed right, like out on the street. I mean there were things that he said in that show that you just you truly can't say, you can't say and want to service on the streets. And I think that that what you bring up right there is such an interesting point because you began to adopt that as you you began to become, at least publicly that character. As you matured and as you grew up and as you had kids, you began to realize like, okay, that's me, but it's

also not. And and that that he talking about him in the third person. Larry began to soften as Dan's life changed and new things happened. I think that's I think that's really interesting. Yeah, well, you know, I I can write anything for the character and do the character. It's just that my writing is different. I I don't want to write that for the character anymore. I don't want to write that, but all write this. Yeah, it's

a definite it's a definite separation. But people say he's later the cable guy all the time, twenty four hours a day. No, I'm not. When I come home, I'm not, the only thing is it's when most people see me, they've asked me to come be Larry the Cable Guy. But Dan Witten is not selling any tickets, you know. So when people say he's always literally the Cable Guy,

he's become the character, that's not true. The only time that I'm Larry the Cable Guy is when I am doing something and I'm paid to be Larry the Cable Guy. That's pretty much yet, and I will say this, Bryan. The only one thing that I do kind of regret is when I did all my Pixar Disney stuff, it's all Larry the Cable Guy. And before I did all those I said that I wanted to be Dan Whitney. So but that's all part of the fault of my agent at the time, who said no, because it was

basically sold me. You're a brand, you have merchandise, you have a foundation, it's a brand. So everything goes under Larry the Cable Guy. But if I had anything to do different, I would have done my voiceovers as Dan Witt. I think the best compliment I ever got was John Lasseter. He says, you know, I love hanging out with Larry the Cable Guy, but I like hanging out with Dan a lot better. And he goes, when I look at made her made her talks like Larry the Cable Guy,

but made her acts like my friend Dan. Yeah, because in real life I'm more like made Her than I am Larry the Cable Guy. Absolutely, and I can attest to that for anybody listening. And I you know, there's nothing it's so cool, you know. I just recently animated a big old bear named Walter for this this new show, trash Truck. And there's kind of nothing like being out in public and being approached by a child about that work. And obviously Cars transcends this television show completely. And when

I've watched you, I'm not gonna say you're performing. It's like, but you're loud, you're fun, you're we're all having a party. And then a kid comes up to you and I see your eyes change and you may do the voice for him, which doesn't sound like you said all that different from Larry the Cable Guy, but I see you quite different in those moments for sure. Oh absolutely, And

I'll tell you I love that. I mean, that's why, I mean, that's the cool thing about when I got to do Made and Cars, because it allows me to be me and still do the do the voice. But the kids love it, and and I love being able to make them smile and laugh, and that's what it's all about. I mean, that's man so much fun to be able to bring joy to those kids. And absolutely it's uh, I'm definitely more of a major attitude than

a cable guy atitude. Absolutely, absolutely, you know what. I know, it gets confusing because you asked me, should I call you Dan or Larry? I know it gets confusing for people. When I did my movies, people just called me l D. They called me Larry Dan, l D my name l D. Well, look I understand, and I you know, I think even when we're at those things together, you know, I'll say good shot Dan in a quiet voice or whatever, and I understand the persona that people are expecting that from you.

And so for me, it's it was more when I asked you, the question was more like, well, I don't want to shatter people's dreams or like, I don't I don't want like he is that, yes, but he's also way way more than that. So yeah, I know it's funny that you say that because I think by now I've been down there for so long. I think by now people know you know, I mean I do have a hint. I do have a hint of the twins of a Southern accent when I talked normal because I

lived in Florida most of my life. So I picked it up. You know, my wife said, my buddy Brad called me the other day, and my talk to Brad for about twenty minutes, and my wife goes, you know, you were sending like Larry the cable guy the whole time you're off the phone, and I'm like going up because they're brad Man. He talks like, I do you know I I have a chameleon. I just picked it up, by the way. You know, I didn't mean to to do this to you, because I know what a big

fan of Nebraska you are. And I say, I didn't mean to do it, but then, but then I didn't change my clothes. I'm wearing here the University of Georgia Bulldogs golf sweater. Here I myself, I'm I'm from Georgia, and uh, you work to pick it up. I spent I spent the first eighteen to twenty years of my life trying to get rid of that. It was like it didn't work so well for Ibsen and check Off

and Shakespeare when I started doing plays. But no, but sure enough when I go home, you know my my, my mom's from Florida and my you know I'm from Georgia. You know, it just it comes out right away, absolutely know. I tell everybody I go, I defy you. I defy you to move to Sanford, Florida and not come out talking with some kind of a Southern twins after six months, because you just I mean, it's one of those It's just a fun, lazy way to talk and you just

pick it up. It happens to everybody. Um, But you're not offending me, by the way. With Georgia Bulldogs a fox Worthy, of course, I uh, he roots for Georgia. So I rooted Georgia because of Jeff and we filmed Blue Collar TV and Athens, so I got a lot of good friends in Georgia. So I you ain't offending me with that. There you go. I want to go back just a little bit. You touched on it briefly before you grew up your pig farmer in Nebraska. As

you said, you eventually moved to Florida. Your father was a Christian minister and a school principle. Yeah, he did a lot of When was the moment that you decided you wanted to get into the comedy or at least into entertainment or or being actor. How was that taken by your family? Well, you know, I was just I was always funny. My brother was hilarious. And my brother used to write to comedy one act westerns and he started both of them as the old prospector. My brother's

way funny, and I ever think could be. And I mean, I'll never forget laughing so many times. And my brother and my sister's funny. My mom's doesn't know she is, but she's goofy funny. And my dad, my dad, when he wanted to be funny, was funny. But he was. He was gone all the time. He did so many things. You know. He was a guidance counselor at the school five days a week, and then he preached the two churches on a Sunday, and then he had a band of country, rhythm and blues band that he would play

in on the weekends. And and you know, it was just crazy. I mean I grew up. It was a crazy life growing up. Um. I remember being at some of my dad's at the VFW hall, you know, playing in the bed and there's one of the deacons sitting there half torque welcome, I preach, you can you play amazing Grace? You'd play that on his nineteen fifty three Fender Telecaster, which is an awesome guitar. But you know, I just I grew up pretty wild like that. That

was just a good crap. But I loved it. I loved my childhood and but as far as the comedy goes, I was just always funny, you know. Uh. I liked the one liners because you know, sometimes my dad would get mad. He had a temper on him. So whenever tempers would flare at the house, I'd be the guy that would find an opening to always lighten the mood up. You know. So my timing, I really learned good timing. If I was going to be a comedian. Back when

I was a kid. Um, I decided to be a stand up because I played baseball at a at a Baptist college in Georgia, and I loved baseball, and so I did not want to work while I played baseball. So I set out the first half of the year and uh, I started bell hopping at a hotel in West Palm Beach and I was the van driver and I'm cracking jokes, and everybody I always said, you ought to be a comedian, You ought to be a comedian,

You ought to be a comedian. But I, uh, I went to college to be a youth pastor and a baseball coach, because that's one of the guys I admired in my life, was my youth pastor. That then I started making money handover foot as a bell hop and I went on stage and I just got hooked on comedy. I got hooked on that ability to make people laugh and control the crowd. And and back then, you know, you're pretty much sucked the whole time, but you thought you were doing pretty good. You got a couple laughs,

and you thought you were pretty good. And another thing was I was always uh. I was always funny, but it took me a while to warm up. I was shy. But once I got to know people, then it was game on and I would have confidence because I made a couple of people laugh. And that's what comedy really did for me. It gave me confidence in other things that I never had. And I always knew that if

I wasn't successful at comedy. Everybody wanted to hire somebody that was a go getter and good with people, and so I always had you know, I always had a lot of stuff to fall back on because I I knew I could get a job, But man, I fell in love with comedy and then was off to the races after that. Yeah, but you know, it occurs to me. I mean, you talked about it before you found confidence,

but you were also working her ass off. I mean, this idea, I mean, I can't overstate how in a way groundbreaking it was and how much work and effort that must have taken to call into these video shows and to basically say like you were elevating yourself by simply offering to do work for people, right, Yeah, yeah, the work that you did though, to do that to elevate yourself obviously eventually creating a brand new identity for yourself. But I mean, that's that's amazing, dude, that that's really

that's so cool. Yeah, you know, it was awesome, and and the time I didn't even think it was going to turn into anything. I thought it might turn into something, but I didn't know at the time. It was fun, it forced me to write something and and not be stagnant and not do anything. So but yeah, it was. It definitely when I started getting more and more stations, When when I started selling out all these clubs, then

I knew that it was paying off. And I remember when I first auditioned for the Blue Color Comedy Tour. It was a show in South Carolina, and and that's when that's when I realized all this paid off, because they had heard me on the radio in South Carolina. So I probably sold three thousand tickets on my own just to that show. And when I went on stage, I mean the applause and they get it done. I mean right then, right when they introduced me, I knew

I had the gig. But all but all of that was just an accumulation of all of those years of doing that, And so yeah, it was. It was really cool to watch it evolved and metastasized into this unbelievable thing that was about to happen for me. Yeah, I mean, you become so synonymous with a Blue Color Comedy Tour. I mistakenly and until just this moment, thought that you and Jeff started it, but you you auditioned for it, so whose idea was it, whose original creation wasn't well

it Jeff, obviously Jeff. And I wasn't even here's the crazy thing, Brian, I wasn't even an original I'm the I'm ringo star of the Blue Collar Comedy Tour. I don't know about that. But the original crew was Jeff and his opening act were on White and Bill in his opening act, who was soon rested his soul. Craig Hacksley passed away here not long ago, and I love Craig. Uh. He was a great comic. But evidently Craig wasn't really as that blue collar, and so they really were looking

for somebody else's blue car. Now. I had known Jeff since ighties six seven. He was a good friend of mine, but he had never seen me do the Larry of the cable guy thing before, so that's what he wanted to see. And it worked out really good because I was so different than the other guys, you know, because I was just all one liners, set up, punch, set up, punch, set up, punch, Uh, not a lot of seguys, just

topic after topic, which worked really well. At the end of our show, when we all sat on stools and told stories because Bill would finish a story and so we needed something to segue into somebody else's story. So when here I come out with boom, boom, boom, three or four goofy stupid jokes and then Ron will go, oh, yeah, that reminds me I had a deal, you know, and then Ron would go So it really worked out good. If we needed if we needed something to tie into something,

I could always throw something out, something stupid. But you were the button. You and I were the buttons. I was the button. But it was it was really fun, hey and real quick. Going back to how you said, what did my family think about it? You know, my brother was a great supporter of my comedy, my sister, my mom used to come into my comedy club shows

all the time. My dad never came. The only thing my dad ever said to me was he was in the music best us and he did not like the people that you have to deal with in the entertainment business. And he basically said, be careful of the entertainment business, son, because there's a lot of snakes in the grass, and there's a lot of liars and a lot of thieves. And then when I hooked up with Jeff Foxworthy and

the Blue Collar Comedy Tour. My dad knew that Jeff was a good Christian guy and he was happy that I hooked up with somebody like Jeff. Six years it goes on. Tell me a little bit about the relationships that you made there and what what that tour really became for you. That was you know, it came at a time when I think people were just looking for that kind of comedy. You know, we we weren't trying

to act like we were better than anybody else. We were just talking about regular things that regular people about and we were always very um accessible to our crowds, and I think that was the thing. It was just you couldn't have picked a better moment in time for four guys that grew up with just humble roots. Really, I mean all of us. Ron grew up in Frits, Texas and people know his story, and I grew up in a small town in southeast Nebraska. And you know,

Jeff Word did IBM. But Jeff Man where he's from Hapeville, Georgia. You know he's a red just bona fide red deck man. That's how we grew up. Um uh, and he's super smart. You know, he's super smart. And Bill. You know, Bill is a country kid from Texas and grew up in the rodeo. And and so when we got on that tour, like I said, Jeff and I, he's like my adopted brother. I love him so much. And we're a lot of like really we laugh at the same things and we

like the same things. And so I already knew Jeff. I only I had never met Ron, and I didn't even know who Bill Angbow was. But the first time we met, we all got along. It was just like we had been doing that thing forever. Everybody was. Ron was awesome to me, and Bill was awesome to me. And I think what it was was everybody realized we were all in the same boat together. When one person had success, it was good for all three of us.

And I think the thing that helped us out a lot it was there was no jealousy, There was no sure. We had times where we were like brothers, where we would get somebody would do, somebody get little irritated at him. But I sound like Don Henley now with the Eagles, because he would say, you know, we were we were It was good for one It was good for the band, And that's about what it was like. It was good for the band and and and to this day, I mean,

we're all really good friends. And people say, well, we ever do blue Collar again? And I'll be honest, I don't know if we want to do it again, and I'll tell you why. So you don't want people to come and go, hey, how's the blue Collar show man? It was hilarious. Those guys are always funny. Man. It wasn't like it wasn't the day though, you know, it ben't like it wasn't a day, So probably won't see

it again. I think if we ever did it again, we would reunite for a weekend in Las Vegas just for some sort of an anniversary of the blue Collar thing, and that would probably be the only time. But I mean, yeah, that was just Brian the greatest times in my life. I'm touring and doing what I love with three of the most people that I love the most and just

enjoying every single flipping minute of it. I Mean, it's you can't really explain to people unless they've actually done so anything like that and they know what it's like. But just showing up and just thous I mean, it's it's crazy, you know. And I try to tell my kids because now that I got my kids, I'm slowing down. I only read anywhere from seventeen to people still, you know, depending on the shows you do, and you know, the kids will going, Man, look how many people Kevin Heart

did at that? You know, kids? You know I did a stadium right, No, you did not. It's like, all right, well it's you know. It reminds me of that Dave Chappelle pit where he takes his kid to see Kevin Hart and he's laughing at Kevin Hart and it's doing nothing but pissing Dave off because he's going, you know, I do this too, you know. So I feel like that sometimes when my kids want to go to a comedy show. It's like, boy, you know I used to do this. You just mentioned Chappelle. So I'm gonna ask you,

do you ever feel scared for yourself on stage? No, because I'm I'm an arena full of hilarity of the cable guy. The are packing anyway, so some of them are just itching for somebody to rush the stage. You know. Uh yeah, you know. You with the environment today, you do get very cautious of it. But I have a buddy of mine that retired from the Secret Service, and I take I take two retired Secret Service agents with me. There are two of my best friends, and no one

would ever know they were with me. They blend in with crowd and they walk around and they keep an eye out. They don't walk the show. They do nothing but stand on separate sides and watch the crowds. Yeah, it's so scary. Obviously, I'm asking you because of the guy rushing Chappelle. Uh, you know what, I absolutely I you were you you do worry about it? Um, you can't. You just can't think about it all the time because it is what it is. So you know, I don't think.

But you know, I don't think. I'm you know Chappelle right now. I mean he's very you know, he's in the mix of the political thing and the you know, I mean, if somebody's going to rush the stage over my poopil is on you joke, then I got problems. You know, they're very mentally unstable if they're mad at a poopil is on you joke. I hope this is not a red herring. I I just heard this information I had to ask audit, and I think it if so, it says a lot about Dan that's different from from Larry,

obviously known for the blue collar comedy. Um. But I was just hearing that you're also very close friends with maybe the most outspoken and liberal of them all, Louis Black. Um. You know, how did that relationship mature? You know what? I have not talked to Lewis literally probably in four years. But back in the day when I was doing comedy and working the Funny Bones, Lewis and I we worked together our paths with cross and we'd go out and do stuff He's on. I love Louis to death. Lewis

is a super nice guy. Obviously our politics are completely different. But there's a lot of comedians so that I'm friends with that My politics are completely the opposite, and I'm not. Here's the thing, though, Brian politics isn't my religion, so you know I'm not. It's not my first priority in life. I mean, I can only do so much. Here's what I can do when it comes to politics. I can vote. It does no good for me to bitch and moan. And you know I used to go on Twitter and

I used to send stuff out. So I learned. I learned a while back. I'm not doing that anymore because I don't want to be I don't want to be part of the division. I don't want to be part of the hatred. Because people that like you and agree with you already like you and agree with you. People that don't like you would disagree with you. You're not doing anything to change their mind in anything. So I I resorted myself to the fact, I'm not doing anything

like that anymore. I'm staying away from that. So that's how I can get along with comics that have different politics and because it's not my religion. So yeah, I'm friends with Lewis. If Lewis were to be on your show right now, I gots what's that, buddy, I'm instument, you know like that, because I do. I love Louis UM. But yeah, no, we are friends. And he wrote I wrote that goofy book. It was I told Louis. I said, hey, Louis, you wanna write the forward in this UM And I

basically did it for that, just to let you know that. UM, I can be friends with people that don't agree with me, and I can still be their friends, which was the basic of a couple of chapters in the book. But the book was full of nonsense. It was all one

liner jokes and stupid stuff. So but Louis did it, and uh, I'm sure he's had to feel a lot of those questions to when it's probably the same the same answer that I, um, you uh so many movies, Larry the Cable Guy, Health Inspector, Delta Farce, uh Tooth Fairy Jingle, all the way to um and the and and the Cars franchise. I mean, it's very interesting what you said about Dan uh and and Larry the Cable Guy.

But Larry took over the world of of entertainment. Are you glad that it happened the way that it happened that it was Larry and not Dan. You know what? Absolutely? I mean. I here's the thing. I I don't take myself too seriously. I'm a comedian. My job is to make people laugh. I am not I am not a politician. I'm not I'm not a preacher when I'm doing Larry the Cable Guy. I'm a comedian. And so, um, that's

what I'm happy with. I'm happy that it's made people laugh when I get people, uh in hospital beds that tell me that my jokes got them through a rough time in their life. When troops send you things and saying, hey, we were in Afghanistan and we were on a patrol and then one night it just we've just man, we popped in one of your c d s and may you just made a smile? And uh, you know, I did a sixty minutes interview one time and Bob Simon

he told me the same thing. Bob Simon said. He said that he, uh, whenever he was in a situation that was dangerous, he would just go over comedy routines in his head that would help the uplift him. And and and he said, I was one of the guys that was in that roller dex So you know it, You're that's what God gives us all the sense of humor, that's what it's about. And we all have a different sense of humor. And I say, it's just it's like beer. You may not like that beer, somebody else does like

that beer. You know what you want your what you want to do as a comic is you want to be the kind of beverage that a lot of people like to drink, you know, And fortunately for me, I was I was in a Budweiser camp. I was in a course camp, you know what I mean. And regardless if you like that kind of beverage, a lot of people did, and all it did was refreshed them for a little bit, you know. And so I have no

regrets at all. Like I said, the only thing I wish I would have done different is I wish that I would have got something with my name on it attached, especially the Pixar Disney stuff. I wish my name was attached to it. And then if there was anything else, it would probably be in those early days of Larry the Cable Guy when I was single. When I hear some of those bits that I did, it's just like, oh my gosh, it's hilarious. But man, I can't believe

I would I did that joke, you know. But then when you look back on that, Brian, would you have been as popular if you wouldn't have done those Because like I said, I went to the Howard Stern School of Radio, so I can look back on that all day long and though I should I have done that? Well, now I wish that I wouldn't have but now I I'm glad I did because it got you to where you're at. And that's how it is. And you know,

I'll say this like I do. There's a thing here called Back to the Bible Broadcast, and I, uh, my wife writes Christian books, and I started doing a Bible podcast, you know, and just as myself, and you know, Jeff Foxworthy does it with me. Jim Brewer does it with me. I like getting comics on that loved Jesus and so I do that as well, and that brings me a lot of joy. But as as far as the career goes, it is what it is. And I never dreamed in a million years doing Larry the Cable Guy would bring

all of these things to me. I never in a million years. It's like the movies brilliant. I never asked to do a movie. I was sitting on my bus one day and got a phone call and said, hey, you want to do a movie. And I'm like, are you serious? They're like yeah, I'm like, well, yeah, let's do one. What do they got They got one coming out called literally the cab I Health Inspector. We'll send you the script. And I literally said, well, have you read it? And they go, yeah, I go, is it funny?

It's hilarious. All right, well let's do it so great, that's so great. I love that. And I do have to say you talked about this a little bit before. I have born witness to you, uh, specifically at a hospital with kids, and I'm telling you, the look on little kids faces who are suffering to hear made her suddenly coming out of your mouth. Well, I'll never forget it. It's it's awesome. It's yeah, it's pretty cool. Man. I'm very blessed to be able to do that. And that's

why I love doing that stuff. I've had a complete change as far as of jokes and things that I do, and I just I just want to make the world a better place, you know. I just there's so much hate and I love doing those golf tournaments because what are we doing. We're raising money to help people, to make people's lives better. You know. Yes, well you transitioned amazingly as always, Uh, Dan Larry, whoever you are, has a foundation, the Get or Done Foundation. I am about

to head to Nebraska. By the way, I talked to my mom last night and I said to my Mom, Yeah, I'm going to Nebraska. Why are you going to Nebraska? Well, Dan Larry the cable guy, he has he has his event in Nebraska. My mom goes, he doesn't live in Nebraska. She's like, he doesn't live in Nebraska. He's from the South. Mom, No, in Nebraska. He's always lived in Nebraska. Nebraska is his home. She didn't believe me. I had to explain it. Well, she's She's kind of right, Brian, because I did live

in uh San, Florida for seventeen years. No, I know, but she was very surprised that you were. You settled by the way you traveled all around the world. You've seen everywhere. Why what what brought you back to Lincoln. Well, look, I grew up here in Poney City, Nebraska, and I loved the way I grew up. I love the small town. I love the people of Nebraska. Um, I just love the weather. I mean we're bad for maybe three months a year. Other than that, it's pretty awesome. We tell

everybody it sucks all the time, so they don't move here. Um. I love Don't get me wrong. I flipped in Love Florida. It's my second home, and I got a ton of I might have more friends in Florida than I do here, but I said, when we have kids, if we have kids, I want to go back to Nebraska because I want to raise my kids like I was raised. So I love it here. I know a lot of people like the views of the mountains and the rivers and lake oceans.

But I'll be honest, in October, there ain't nothing better than being surrounded by corn fields and bean fields. I'll tell you I love it. Well, I am. I'm so excited to be there. The Getter Done Golf Classic, As I said, the get Ter Done Foundation raised millions and millions of dollars. Why did you found it? Well, my you know, my kid was born with hip displacia and we went to a doctor in Omaha and they had

no clue about it. They go, well, you know, they basically said, well, we can fix it when he gets a little older. It was way out, it was out of a joint. But he's definitely gonna have to have you know, hip surgery in his forties or fifties because it's not gonna And like, well, what kind of an answer is that? And so we went on the internet. They knew more about hip displacier and animals than they did in humans. And he directed us to a guy. He said, you know, there's one guy that's been doing

stuff on this in Orlando. His name is Dr Chad Price at the Arnold Palmer of Children's Hospital. Chad said, you know what, I knew I can cure this. I just man, I've been going down to Mexico and I've been uh doing this, uh doing a way to swallow kids down to Mexico, and I think I can with the way that we're doing this, I think we can eradicate hip displasher newborns. But we just need some funding.

So we started funding it and next thing, you know, the first donation that we made the International Hip Displacia Institute that has my boy's name on it. Whyat what the Wyatt Whitney and International Hip Displacer Institute and by guy ship works. So now when you go on the internet, all these doctors are trained in the same way coming out of that Hip Displacer Institute, and man, they're doing unbelievable work at it. And that's how it started. So

we start. In the meantime, we just started just a couple of other things that we did the thing here in Nebraska. We did the Madonna Rehabilitation Center that's for people with traumatic brain injuries, and that's for kids and veterans, and then we started doving into a lot more kids things, and so it's mainly vets and children, and so yeah, we're just man, it's it's really done well. And I

gotta tell you it's not huge, you know. I mean when I have the golf tournament, it's in Lincoln, Nebraska, and it's hard to get hardcore celebrities to come here. But man, I get some of the best celebs. For instance, you Brian, I can't thank you enough. I mean, you're a big star and coming to Lincoln, Nebraska, just your name on it. It really all those kind of things

lifted up. It's I'm getting some of the same ones that that playing the ones that were normally, but just to get them to come to link in nebraska's pretty awesome and so I thank you for that. No, well, let me just say this for real. First off, if anybody wants to donate, if you're a fan of Dan Larry the Cable Guy, Get or Done Foundation, there's a website you can give and let me just say this.

I am coming for two reasons. One because of the great work that your foundation is doing, and two because of you. Because through all the years now that I've been fortunate enough to get to know you play a little practice round, even us playing in these tournaments, your heart and your kindness comes through every single time, and it is always just a pleasure to say that I know you and who have gotten to know you over these years. So I want to thank you for that.

Congratulations of course on all of your success, and I just want you to know that I am could not be more excited. Who who ever said this, I could not be more excited than to come to Nebraska and see you right, You're You're very kind. Thank you so much, and I obviously I'm so happy that you're coming. And I love playing with you out in Tahoe. Like I said, though, you're always better than me, and I'm trying to get good, but you're a very good golfers. So one day, one day,

maybe I'll make a run of it. You'll you'll make a You'll make it. You'll make a run for sure. Have you ever hit have you? Have you ever? Have you ever hit anybody? I've hit three people so far in Tahoe. You know, I remember we have played quite a bit together there. I don't think you've ever hit anybody with me, but I remember one time you coming up to me shaking, very distraught in the tent because you would just hit somebody. Oh my gosh, I have not I have not hit anybody, thank you. But now

you've done it. I'm going to hit somebody this year. Yeah. No, you'll be fine. You don't shank as much as I do, so you'll be good. I will tell you this. I did watch another just absolute amazing human being, Charles Barclay, so I'm not piling on. But I did play with him one time, and I can't remember if you if you were the third with us where he hit one on eighteen dead right and there was a woman on her cell phone. Had she not been on her cell phone,

it would have hit her in the temple. The ball hit right on her cell phone that she was had held up to her face. Uh, and broke her cell phone. But yeah, it's scared. That's like the one I did. I hit that guy on the drive and if his cell phone, It hit his cellphone and shattered his cellphone and knocked him out gold really. Yeah, that was the first year I was there. You're not supposed to laugh like that. Well he was okay though, And he was okay though. They gave him a bunch of merchandise and

gave him lifetime tickets. Oh well, that's good. He's good. You are a peach. Thank you so much for talking to me, and I will see you soon. You gotta thanks for having me on Brian and I will see you in a couple of weeks and then it will tee it up and talk baby. Yeah we will. Dan Larry Larry, Dan l D. Maybe maybe it's l D. We're gonna work on that swing in a couple of weeks in Lincoln. And now that I know how often you hit people, well, I guess it's my duty to

help protect the public from your stray golf balls. But I really appreciate you talking to me and learning more about you and your life on and off the green. Thanks for listening today, everybody, and every day that you listen. Know how much I appreciate you. I want you to go and like, subscribe, comment, follow us on well any channel you see fit and come next week or more.

Off the Beats Off the Beat is hosted an executive produced by me Bryan Baumgartner alongside our executive producer Langley. Our producers are Diego Tapia, Liz Hayes, Emily Carr, and Hannah Harris. Our talent producer is Ryan Papa Zachary. Our theme song Bubble and Squeak performed by my great friend Creed Bratton, and the episode was mixed by seth Olandski