Successful comics typically graduate to films and sitcoms. But these days, there's another lucrative option for established wiseguys: Game shows.
Drew Carey helms "The Price is Right," while Wayne Brady took over the revamped "Let's Make a Deal."
And then there's Jeff Foxworthy. The 51-year-old comic and host of the Fox game show "Are You Smarter Than a 5th-Grader?" isn't surprised that comics are hot commodities in the realm typically populated by more traditional broadcasters like Alex Trebek.
"I think it works having comics do these shows, because we can think fast on our feet," Foxworthy says, calling from Seattle. "We can bust on people, but I never try to be mean. I just try to think fast."
That's the same attitude Foxworthy, who will perform tonight at the RBC Center, brings to his stand-up. "There are always times during my shows when I'm out there in the moment," he says. "I love thinking on my feet."
Foxworthy will have plenty of prepared material when he hits the RBC Center stage, which he will share with his Blue Collar pals Larry the Cable Guy and Bill Engvall. Count on the bits to be mined from personal experience. "I was at a family wedding and it was so redneck that I wanted to jot down notes when I was there," Foxworthy says. "I saw some funny stuff."
Also, expect clean jokes. "Jay Leno once told us comics when we were starting out, if you're not blue you can perform for mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers," Foxworthy says, nailing Leno's distinctive Boston accent. "He was right. You can do jokes without being an obscene jerk. It's OK to be nice."
In fact, Foxworthy proves that nice guys don't always finish last. The laid-back entertainer, who has sold more comedy albums than any other humorist, is an anomaly among comics, who are stereotypically neurotic and loopy. Foxworthy is pleasant and levelheaded.
It's not uncommon to find the Blue Collar Comedy ringleader shaking hands with fans. Recently he surprised a second-grader by visiting him in his Atlanta classroom. "The student's father sent me a letter saying that his son wrote that I was his hero," Foxworthy says. "I asked where the school was and I stopped in, and it was fun."
Foxworthy, who is writing his third children's book, often drops in to Georgia classrooms for readings. "It's not a paying gig, but it's a lot of fun. I love meeting people."
Larry the Cable Guy, aka Daniel Whitney, who has become one of the most popular comics in the country thanks to the support of Foxworthy, is impressed by his pal's friendliness. "You would never guess he's the most successful comedian in the business. He's such a good person," says Whitney. "I'm just so glad he became a comedian. He's not one of those guys who can just do comedy."
Still, it wasn't a given that Foxworthy would become a comic. The Georgia Tech alum worked for five years at IBM before entering and winning a contest at an Atlanta comedy club in 1984.
"I was just following in the footsteps of my father, who worked there," Foxworthy says. "Comedy was not a safe way to make a living, so I worked on mainframes. But thanks to friends who worked at IBM, I went up onstage, and I loved it. They encouraged me to give it a shot, and they were right: I could do it."
'Redneck' pays off
After honing his considerable skills for a decade, Foxworthy hit pay dirt in 1993 with the album, "You Might Be a Redneck If." The disc, which sold more than 3 million copies, topped the comedy album charts and started a fad. Foxworthy wrote three redneck books as well. "People can relate to the redneck jokes," he says. "Everyone knows a redneck, or they might be that redneck. You can be anywhere in the country and be a redneck."
Everything Foxworthy touches these days is panning out just fine. "I'm fortunate that way," he says. "I can't believe ["5th Grader"] is in syndication. I'll find out more within the next week about '5th Grader' for next season. I get to write more books and then there is my stand-up, which put me where I'm at right now. I have no complaints."
