Performer Dan Whitney stays pretty busy being Larry the Cable Guy
by Troy Reimink | The Grand Rapids Press
Thursday January 22, 2009, 6:05 AM

GRAND RAPIDS -- To the delight of his fans and the chagrin of his critics, the Larry the Cable Guy juggernaut shows no signs of slowing down.

Last year was another big'n for the sleeveless-shirt-wearin', "git 'er done"-sayin' blue-collar comedy icon. Larry, real name Dan Whitney, had a high-rated Christmas special, remained a top-grossing touring comic and scored another modest success with his latest low-budget comedy film, "Witless Protection."

The Oscar nominations are announced today, and Whitney was expecting to be shut out again.

"We did it wrong. We should have released 'Witless Protection' to just six or seven theaters and then started the hype on it. Then, once it's got the hype, re-release it in the big cities," he joked. "We didn't do that."

The first half of this year will find Whitney hitting the road -- starting with the questionable logic of touring the Midwest in the dead of winter, requiring him to leave his home in Florida. (When he called for an interview, it was unusually cold there, which Whitney took as sufficient evidence global warming is a hoax.)

"That's the best time of year to tour, because nobody likes going to the Midwest in January and February," he said. "So I'll do it. I'll fall on the knife and I'll take it."

After that, Whitney will take his aw-shucks, good-ol'-boy act across the pond for the first time, where he'll perform in England, Ireland, Denmark, Norway and Sweden.

Later this year, he'll be the subject of a Comedy Central roast, one of the spectacles that are wildly popular when broadcast in all their offensive glory and that acknowledge a comedian has reached the highest levels of success in the business.

"It's an honor, first of all, to do it, because you're actually getting accolades for your accomplishments, and everybody likes that, to be recognized by their peers," Whitney said.

"I kind of hesitated at first, only in the fact that some of the roasts are just way too dirty for me. I'm not a prude or nothin', but if you're gonna start dropping f-bombs, at least make 'em clever."

Whitney said his live show hasn't changed much over the years, and the title of his tour, "Eat, Drink & Be Larry," is pretty arbitrary. Fans know what to expect, and that's what he delivers.

"My fans know my show. It's all one-liner-type comedy," he said. "From the minute I get on stage, I don't shut up until I get done. You're laughing at one joke, you're missing another."