By Jason Apuzzo. Pixar has released a new trailer for Cars 2, which I’ve embedded above. I’m curious as to what people think of it.
I’m particularly interested in readers’ thoughts on Larry the Cable Guy’s ongoing performance as Mater. Here’s my question: is the ‘appeal’ of Larry the Cable Guy as a media personality real or imagined? Hollywood seems to assume Red State audiences just love this guy, that he is some sort of touchstone for middle American identity. Is that true?
Posted on May 13th, 2011 at 10:38am.
I’d say he’s good as Mater, and that’s more to do with the amazing story department at Pixar.
I don’t know anyone back in the Midwest who thinks Larry the Cable Guy is a particularly funny comedian, or one they care about. In fact, outside of his voice work for the two Car movies (and various Mater related shorts), I can’t think of anyone in Hollywood who thinks people in Red State America love him. What has he done, like one lousy non-Pixar movie that mid fair to middling business?
I don’t presume to speak for anyone other than myself, but my level of love for Larry the Cable Guy is pretty high. I can tiptoe into dangerous waters and assume it is the same for my wife. We also have a few friends who like him as well, their level of love a topic I wouldn’t dare to guess.
Now the question that you are really asking, I also think is safe to assume, is “why?” He is the exaggeration of a wide range of people. His show “Only in America” really does prove that even if they’re not of the southern variety, rednecks really do exist everywhere. I’ve had this debate with a lot of people and I’ve never had anyone completely agree with me, but I find his comedic lampooning of middle America every bit on par as Chris Rock’s bit about the difference between people he called the n-word and black people. In fact, some of Larry’s stuff about country life rivals Richard Pryor’s bits about his own hoods. And then, just like Rock’s and Pryor’s penis jokes, Larry has his fart and poop jokes. Sometimes a fart and poop joke goes a long way to getting people over the work week.
As for Cars 2, I loved Cars because of the story, which seemed to be a cautionary tale along the lines of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Simple Man. Cars 2? I don’t really get it. It seems to be a simple summer movie, devoid of all the joy and pain and emotion evident in Pixar’s best works. There seems to be no there there, no substance behind the main story. I’ll be there opening weekend and I’m guessing I’ll even enjoy it along the lines of A Bug’s Life or Monster’s Inc., but I’ve come to expect so much more than the obvious from Pixar, that I think this will be a disappointment. Sometimes a movie is just a movie. Sigh.
Jason, as stereotypes go, Larry the Cable Guy has made a successful career as a warped exaggerated parody of middle America. Just as Jason Lee’s character Earl is a parody of a lazy stupid white middle American in need enlightenment from “My Name is Earl”. Unfortunately, for those in Hollywood the parody becomes the truth, which just gets perpetuated over and over. So, for those in Hollywood, I believe your answer is “real”. The polemic chasm that exists between conservative and liberal exists between coastal blue states and the fly-over red states. It would serve middle America well to remember that Hollywood neither shares middle American values nor agrees with its identity. The same hold true for it portrayal of men. Just as the strong leading man of Robert Mitchum, Gary Cooper, and John Wayne have been replaced with the buffoonish Seth Rogan, Ben Stiller, and Adam Sandler (and Larry the Cable Guy).
Daniel Whitney’s comedic persona “Larry the Cable Guy” is not the character of Mater in the Pixar “Cars” franchise.
I can understand your point, and I imagine Pixar could be somewhat concerned at the crossover confusion as well.
Personally, I’m not a big fan of “Larry”, but I find “Mater”, who is only voiced by Whitney but written and “acted” by others, to be a charming representation of southern small town innocence and hospitality.
This is a copy of a post i had on another site regarding Cars. :
What i love about Cars is the films love for America and its culture. While it is not a political film, it does reveal a love for America. Allow me to explain, thought there are spoilers.
– It shows the love of the American small town and treats its inhabitants with respect.
– It shows love for the idea that America is a melting pot of different cultures that live together and respect each other regardless of ethnicity or ideology. (The liberal wagon and conservative Humvee always fight, yet they always hang out together throughout the film. even at the race. They may disagree and argue, but they want each other’s company).
– It shows a love for the American landscape: look at how it viewed when the Owen Wilson character and Bonnie hunt character go for a drive, or even when the cars are seen driving on the highways and through the towns.
– It even shows a love for both small and big American business. (The businesses in Radiator Springs are portrayed as honest businesses. The small business who supports Lightening Mcqueen is portrayed as a little goofy, but warm hearted and put their faith in Lightening Mcqueen when nobody else would. The giant Texas corporation, Dynaco, is portrayed as decent and friendly who believe in working with honorable people instead of just those who win races. They are also shown to be helpful to others without wanting anything in return.
– The film also shows a love for the traditions of racing and it fans. (LETS NOT FORGET THE NUMEROUS SHOTS OF THE AMERICAN FLAG IN THE FILM)
-Interestingly, the only thing this film outright attacks is the celebrity superiority mentality (but not celebrities in general, as the character of KING is a celebrity, but a humble warmhearted character). The Michael Keaton character is a celebrity who only cares about winning and looks down on those he feels are not as important as him or views things differently than he does. Lightening Mcqueen is heading down this path in how he treats those who are not as famous or powerful as he is. This is what he must learn to overcome.
*** What i found astounding is that this film was released during the Bush years; embraces American culture, American landscapes, American business (big and small), the different citizenry, small town values, the American flag, and yet looks down on the celebrity superiority complex. NO WONDER THE CRITICS DO NOT LIKE IT AS MUCH AS THE OTHERS. YET LOOK AT THE NUMBERS = 120 million budget/ 244 mil domestic/ 462 worldwide. NOT BAD AT ALL
The happy-go-lucky fool has had many incarnations: From the Marx Brothers and the Stooges to Get Smart, Inspector Clouseau, and Happy Gilmore. People love laughing at those they deem of inferior intelligence. As such, I think Mater would appeal more to those who don’t see him as one of them, though certainly redemptive elements (such as in Happy Gilmore’s case) would appeal to those who do identify with him in some way.
I feel the ‘appeal’ of Larry the Cable Guy as a media personality is definitely real. He blasted onto the scene just when I got out of college and started to write for a very small newspaper. I can still remember people quoting him at every event I covered for months if not years.
My take on Larry is basically the same as Shin’s — he shares a lot of the same cultural impact as Chris Rock, Richard Pryor. I’d even go so far as to add Eddie Murphy’s work about his family picnics, Aunt Bunny, and some other material from the ’80s.
Is he “some sort of touchstone for middle American identity”? I’d say no, but he taps into some sort of nerve — I know I laugh at him all of the time.
When I see him, I think of a great episode of “King of the Hill” when Bobby took a comedy class at the local community college where he forged this character called Tartuffe the Spry Wonder Dog. It was, of course, a disaster, and Bobby went back to whoopi-cushion jokes — which went over big.
The lesson there, is that there’s great value in making people laugh.
1. It’s a kids’ movie.
2. Rednecks love to laugh at themselves. Most people do, but rednecks more so. It’s an affectionate parody..
I think what you’re getting at is that Larry isn’t funny or that his schtik is patronizing. I’m not a huge fan, but he doesn’t seem mean spirited at all.
I didn’t know who he was until I saw a preview for that movie he did (can’t remember the name), and then he dropped down the memory-hole again as quickly as he entered. I’ve never seen anything he’s done – I may have seen an interview with him once, but my reaction has always been “meh.” I’m surprised to hear that he has the cache of a Chris Rock (not that I’m a big fan of his, but he’s been someone who one knows about, more or less, whether one wants to or not, whereas I’ve managed for years to get by hearing nothing about Larry). And I’m not someone who doesn’t pay attention to pop culture.
Then again, I don’t live in middle America, so there is no way I would know about the touchstones there. Not that there’s anything wrong with middle American touchstones. I’m simply honestly surprised to hear the impact he’s had.
The more you know!
I’m not much of a fan, but his appeal is definitely real. He’s one of the biggest-grossing stand-up acts of the past decade. According to Forbes, he made upwards of $25m in 2007. He and the rest of the Blue Collar Comedy guys (Jeff Foxworthy, Ron White, and Bill Engvall (sp?)) pretty much stunned the comedy world with the attendance they were able to pull in areas that more “edgy” comics tended to avoid. If you saw the roast of LTCG on Comedy Central last year, his success and the resentment it generates among other comics was an ongoing theme.
It does seems to project a typical stereotype that’s probably the safest one left to portray in Hollywood’s mind. (Remember the two minor car characters from Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen that projected an ethnic vibe that got the PC crowd up in arms.) That said, I personally do not understand why Cars has gotten a sequel. Of all the Pixar movies it’s the least imaginative and by the numbers script that any studio anywhere could have come up with.(I actually fell asleep watching it.) It doesn’t hold a candle to the quality and depth of imagination and script that ALL other Pixar movies possess. But this is Disney and they’ve always got their mind on their money and money on their mind. Hell, I just read this morning that Disney has trademarked the name “Seal Team 6”. I honestly can’t wait to see the Pixar take down off OBL!
OK, I want to thank everyone for contributing (feel free to continue, if you’re so moved), and now I should show my own cards. What I’m wondering here is whether people would have the same attitude toward Larry the Cable Guy and his schtick if, say, he were a French comedian doing the exact same act. My sense is that in that case people wouldn’t find his whole Southern yokel/ass-scratching routine quite as charming or benign.
It’s interesting to me, for example, that The History Channel has given Larry his own series, called Only in America. Joel Surnow couldn’t get 8 hours’ worth of The Kennedys onto the same channel, but Larry gets a whole series. The reason for this, I suspect, is because what Larry does isn’t really threatening to the people who own that network.
Jason, the gold standard for mean spirited “good ol boy” comedy is “Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby”. If that’s a 10, Whitney’s work, which does have an uncomfortable edge to it, would only rate a 3. I don’t detect any of that edge in the Pixar offerings – at least so far.
What really attracts me to Cars 2 is the 1960s spy vibe. : )
The only reservation I’ve had was a scene from the second trailer, I believe showing a sea full of oil derricks – some of them burning off gas into the atmosphere. I’m trusting Pixar not to hit me with a sucker punch, though.
Yes, K, I’m totally with you on the 1960s spy vibe! I do like that very much in the trailer.
Comparing Larry to a French comedian isn’t quite apt, IMHO–The average American knows what a Southerner sounds like (at least enough to know the accents on “True Blood” are horrendous), whereas I doubt most of us could distinguish French regional accents and idioms enough for a similar character to be funny. As for Only in America–the history/reality/folksy genre is booming: Pawn Stars, Swamp People, How the States got Their Shapes, etc. It’s also got be a much, much cheaper to send one (very popular) guy around the country than mount a period drama. The Cars sequel looks adorable. It’s funny how people seem to put it down because it doesn’t carry the philosophical heft of other Pixar films. But as a clever children’s movie that has generated staggering profits and become part of countless childhoods, it’s a great success.
What I meant was if he was a French comedian imitating an American. In other words, exact same act but done by a French guy.
I watched Cars with my kids; they didn’t care for it; I went insane from boredom. And it’s not b/c I don’t like animated stuff: I loved the Toy Stories, Ratatouille, Up etc. Judging by the trailer, this new Cars might be even worse than the first. It doesn’t matter, I don’t plan to waste my time with it.