Comedian Larry the Cable Guy, one of the members of the former Blue Collar Comedy Tour, has castigated a group of “clueless” celebrities who participated in an online video last week singing lines from John Lennon’s “Imagine.” The funnyman then took on a serious tone to say that Jesus is the only source of our hope.
His comments, posted in a series of tweets, took the celebrities to task for being out of touch with the world around them. The video, posted by “Wonder Woman” actress Gal Gadot, featured Kristen Wiig, Sarah Silverman, Jimmy Fallon, Natalie Portman and others singing the Lennon anthem while self-sequestered in their homes because of the coronavirus.
“We’re all in this together,” Gadot wrote about her video, posted on Instagram. “We will get through it together. Let’s imagine together. Sing with us. All love to you, from me and my dear friends.”
Daniel Whitney, the man behind Larry the Cable Guy, was not impressed with the effort.
“Here’s a message from people with a lot of possessions that can take a year off of work and not flinch telling everyone outa work to imagine a world with no possessions while people are living in the street a half-mile away from ’em,” he tweeted.
Here’s a message from people with a lot of possessions that can take a year off of work and not flinch telling everyone outa work to imagine a world with no possessions while people are living in the street a half mile away from ‘em. RT @MattWalshBlog:
— Larry The Cable Guy (@GitRDoneLarry) March 19, 2020
Later, responding to fan tweets, Larry the Cable Guy added, “They’re clueless.”
They’re clueless.
— Larry The Cable Guy (@GitRDoneLarry) March 19, 2020
In a follow-up tweet, he said the video was in “bad taste,” but added he held no ill will toward the celebrities.
“I appreciate all the awesome tweets today. Sorry I couldn’t respond to all. I have no animosity toward these folks. The song was in bad taste. Marx would be proud of that song. I’m not imagining no heaven,” he said, referring to one of the lines in Lennon’s song. “Jesus gives hope. Government can’t give people a heart change or hope.”
I appreciate all the awesome tweets today. Sorry I couldn’t respond to all. I have no animosity toward these folks. The song was in bad taste. Marx would be proud of that song. And I’m not imagining no heaven. Jesus gives hope. Government can’t give people a heart change or hope.
— Larry The Cable Guy (@GitRDoneLarry) March 20, 2020
His comments hit a chord with many of his followers.
“This really p****s me off!” read one tweet. “Most of us don’t have any savings. Paycheck to paycheck.”
Another tweeted: “The GREATEST lesson we’re all going to learn, is how VERY LITTLE these people matter in our lives. Their red carpets. Their paid endorsements. Their fashions. Their films…”
During one exchange, Larry the Cable Guy challenged a critic.
“It’s a song about a communist utopia,” he said.
“Go go live in China and see if you love it. It’s easy to write that song living in a NY penthouse. No one living under communism would write it. People always love preaching socialism when they live in a country with buffets in every corner.”
It’s a song about a communist utopia. Go go live in China and see if you love it. It’s easy to write that song living in a NY penthouse. No one living under communism would write it. People always love preaching socialism when they live in a country with buffets in every corner.
— Larry The Cable Guy (@GitRDoneLarry) March 20, 2020
The comedian also likened it to responding to a natural disaster.
“It’d be like people losing everything in a tornado and your sending them a song to cheer them up about a world where no one cared about or needed possessions all the while living cozy with said possessions,” he tweeted.
Photo courtesy: ©Getty Images/Eric Francis/Stringer
Lori Arnold is a national award-winning journalist whose experience includes 16 years at a daily community newspaper in San Diego and 16 years as writer-editor for the Christian Examiner. She owns StoryLori Media and is a member of the Evangelical Press Association.
