A Hilarious Open Letter from David Cross to Larry The Cable Guy

The talented actor-comedian David Cross has launched a return salvo in what could be called an ongoing comic-on-comic flame war. In "An Open Letter to Larry the Cable Guy" that Cross wrote and posted on BobandDavid.com, the website he runs with "Mr. Show" alum Bob Odenkirk, he offers a side-splitting and thorough critique of "Blue Collar Comedy Tour" star and fellow-comic Larry the Cable Guy and his "Git-R-done" schtick of Southern, redneck stand-up humor.

The "Arrested Development" cast member Cross wrote the letter as a response to a mischaracterization of the comedian by Larry the Cable Guy. The mischaracterization was made when Larry the Cable Guy commented on misquoted remarks by Cross that appeared in a recent Rolling Stone magazine interview. Cross had been talking about Southern audiences and redneck comedy in the Rolling Stone piece.

Even though Cross' post is critical, it is not hateful nor is it quite a personal attack. In the end, it rolls off the Web as a work of humor grounded in telling observations. One observation that's illustrative and ironic is how Larry the Cable Guy is a "Southern" character by a guy who didn't grow up in the South, while Cross, a bi-coastal (LA and NYC) urban Jewish comic grew up in the deep South, suburban Atlanta, GA.

We've been fans of David Cross ever since we saw his HBO series "Mr. Show," which he collaborated on with Odenkirk. While Larry the Cable Guy has made us wince far too often those few times when we've stumbled across his act on Comedy Central. We're siding with Cross on this one, though we'd like to see Larry the Cable Guy's response. Comedian food fight, anyone?

Essential Linkage

An Open Letter to Larry the Cable Guy [BenandDavid.com]
Ben and David Web Site

Posted by Robsam at December 27, 2005 04:39 AM