Comedian Jeff Foxworthy has spoken about how he transformed the term "redneck" from an insult into the foundation of his decades-long stand-up career. In a recent interview promoting his new special, "The Joke's on Me," the 67-year-old explained that he chose to treat the label as a badge of honour rather than take offence, arguing that people who use the term as a slur fail to understand that its subjects are happy with who they are regardless of wealth or status.

Foxworthy began performing redneck-themed jokes in the late 1980s, closing his 1990 special with one, before retiring the material in 2003 during the Blue Collar Comedy Tour out of concern audiences had tired of it. More than 20 years later, he decided to revive the jokes to close out "The Joke's on Me," which began streaming on Fox Nation in June and, unusually, shows the behind-the-scenes process of writing new material, an approach he said was inspired by a documentary about the Beatles.