The Right to Bare Arms (CD - 2005)

Recording information: Verizon Wireless Theater, Houston, TX (01/15/2005-01/16/2005).

Photographer: Stephen Stickler.

Following up the BLUE COLLAR COMEDY TOUR (which also featured Ron White, Jeff Foxworthy, and Bill Engvall), Larry the Cable Guy presents THE RIGHT TO BARE ARMS, his third solo outing. This disc clearly distinguishes the burly comic with the trucker's cap and bulging biceps, since unlike his compatriots, LCG isn't afraid to identify himself as a proud right-leaning son of the South, often taking potshots at easy lefty targets like Michael Moore and Oprah Winfrey.

But rather than come off as a raging conservative, Larry plays into the "good ol' boy" stereotype, using his catch phrase "Git-R-Done!" to profess his love of auto racing ("NASCAR"), a certain racy food chain ("Hooters and Hooters Airlines"), and other redneck-related topics. And while his take on the culture wars finds him lambasting political correctness ("The Right to Bare Arms!"), this joke-telling preacher's son also gets his whacks in with crooked ministers ("Faith Healers and Weight Problems"). Larry the Cable Guy's appeal boils down to his willingness to not just laugh at his kinfolk ("Family in Sanford"), but at himself ("Shavin', Waxin', Primpin' and Shootin' Quail! [This Is Funny, I Don't Care Who Ya Are!]"), making him quite the populist standup. minimize