Jeff Foxworthy Turns Redneck Insult Into Badge Of Honor

Jeff Foxworthy managed to flip a harsh criticism into something positive when someone questioned his background. In a recent sit-down with Fox News Digital, the 67-year-old entertainer talked about his fresh stand-up special titled "The Joke's on Me." He also shared a specific memory where a person labeled him a redneck and he took that label and made it work for himself.

He noted that one of the kindest remarks ever directed at him described how he was able to turn what should have been an insult into a badge of honor. That is exactly what Foxworthy said when pressed about his response. He told the interviewer, Well, that's cool, because when people get offended, they act like if you gave rednecks a billion dollars, they wouldn't be rednecks.

He continued by saying he believed they would still be rednecks even with bigger boats and bigger trucks. He added that having more things to shoot at does not change who they are as happy people. When asked how he came up with such lines, Foxworthy admitted there is no research going on. It comes down to his family and his friend group that trust him completely.

Foxworthy started telling jokes about rednecks back in the late 1980s and found them successful so he kept doing them. He even closed out his 1990 special with one of these routines. His reasoning was simple: they were easy to remember and always got a laugh from the crowd. But eventually, he felt people had heard enough and decided to stop telling them.

The last time he performed those specific jokes on stage was during the Blue Collar Comedy Tour in 2003. After staying away for more than two decades, Foxworthy felt it was time to bring them back for this new project. He recalled telling a live audience that if they had ever peed in the pool, the entire room would respond by saying You might be a redneck.

He admitted that comment stuck to people's bones because he knew exactly what he was dealing with. He asked himself what if I did some of these to close out my first special and all these years later this is my last. That seemed like a nice little way to put a bow on the whole thing.

He went back through his archives, looked at every redneck joke he had written over the years, and pulled out a bunch for his next gig at a comedy club. It felt like he never really stopped doing them in the first place. He compared it to going back 35 years which was really cool for him.

It is like one of your babies that you bring back out and people go Oh, we still love it. His latest special The Joke's on Me began streaming on Fox Nation in June. Unlike other comedy specials, this one gives fans a behind-the-scenes look at the joke-writing process that goes into creating a show.

The comedian told Fox News Digital he was inspired to create this unique format after watching a documentary about the Beatles. He realized seeing the process did not take anything away from the finished product but rather made it better because you saw the struggle that went into creating that work. When Fox Nation approached him with the offer to do a stand-up special, he pitched them the behind-the-scenes idea immediately.

He said But if you're willing to try something different, if you will show me note cards in hand, going into a club on a Tuesday night or a Wednesday night and just throwing these thoughts out. One of the things that still fascinates him after over 40 years about stand-up is he still does not know what people are gonna laugh at. You would think after 40 years he would know exactly what works but sometimes he goes in there with an idea thinking Oh this is really funny and then nobody laughs.

Jeff Foxworthy admitted that he might finally be hanging up his act after years of hitting the road. He joked about coming up with cards so silly they make him cringe, only for audiences to laugh until their sides hurt while others look on in disbelief. That kind of reaction is why he wanted to share his story. Fox Nation was actually the very first outlet to agree to produce a special for him.

He has suggested this could be his final stand-up gig but wants fans to know it does not mean he will never step back on a stage again. When speaking to Fox News Digital, the comedian explained he has reached a spot in life where he prefers spending time with his grandchildren or tending to his tractor over performing.

"I've been on the road nonstop," he added. "I laugh at my music friends when they say they're on tour. I said, 'Well, tour implies it stops. At some point,' I said, 'I've been on tour since 1984.' It just never stopped." He confessed that while he still loves stand-up comedy, he is not sure if he is willing to keep doing it at this stage. To be honest with himself and the public, he feels he cannot improve his act any further than it currently stands. That feeling makes stopping feel like a natural choice for him right now.

His Fox Nation special titled "The Joke's On Me" is available to watch today.