Title	Woman

A woman (), pl: women () is a female human. The term ''woman'' is usually reserved for an adult, with the term girl being the usual term for a female child or adolescent. However, the term ''woman'' is also sometimes used to identify a female human, regardless of age, as in phrases such as "Women's rights".

Etymology

The Old English wifman meant "female human" (werman meant "male human". Man or mann had a gender neutral meaning of "human", corresponding to Modern English "one" or "someone". However in around 1000AD "man" started to be used more to refer to "male human", and in the late 1200s began to inevitably displace and eradicate the original word "werman"). The medial labial consonants coalesced to create the modern form "woman"; the initial element, which meant "female," underwent semantic narrowing to the sense of a married woman ("wife").

A very common Indo-European root for woman, *''g^wen''-, is the source of English queen (Old English ''cwēn'' primarily meant ''woman'', highborn or not; this is still the case in Danish, with the modern spelling ''kvinde'', as well as in Swedish ''kvinna''), as well as gynaecology (from Greek γυνή ''gynē''), banshee ''fairy woman'' (from Irish ''bean'' woman, ''sí'' fairy) and zenana (from Persian زن ''zan''). The Latin ''fēmina'', whence ''female'', is likely from the root in ''fellāre'' (to suck), referring to breastfeeding.

The symbol for the planet Venus is the sign also used in biology for the female sex. It is a stylized representation of the goddess Venus's hand mirror or an abstract symbol for the goddess: a circle with a small equilateral cross underneath (Unicode: ♀). The Venus symbol also represented femininity, and in ancient alchemy stood for copper. Alchemists constructed the symbol from a circle (representing spirit) above an equilateral cross (representing matter).

Terminology

thumb|upright|right|''Aphrodite'', a classical image of youthful female beauty in Western art. Womanhood is the period in a female's life after she has transitioned through childhood and adolescence, generally age 18. Puberty generally begins at about age 10, followed by menarche at age 12 to 13. Many cultures have rites of passage to symbolize a girl's coming of age, such as confirmation in some branches of Christianity, bat mitzvah in Judaism, or even just the custom of a special celebration for a certain birthday (generally between 12 and 21), like the Quinceañera of Latin America. The word ''woman'' can be used generally, to mean any female human, or specifically, to mean an adult female human as contrasted with ''girl''. The word ''girl'' originally meant "young person of either sex" in English; it was only around the beginning of the 16th century that it came to mean specifically a ''female'' child. The term ''girl'' is sometimes used colloquially to refer to a young or unmarried woman, however during the early 1970s feminists challenged such use because the use of the word to refer to a fully grown woman may cause offence. In particular, previously common terms such as ''office girl'' are no longer used.

Conversely, in certain cultures which link family honor with female virginity, the word ''girl'' is still used to refer to a never-married woman; in this sense it is used in a fashion roughly analogous to the obsolete English ''maid'' or ''maiden''. Referring to an unmarried female as a ''woman'' may, in such a culture, imply that she is sexually experienced, which would be an insult to her family.

There are various words used to refer to the quality of being a woman. The term "womanhood" merely means the state of being a woman, having passed the menarche; "femininity" is used to refer to a set of supposedly typical female qualities associated with a certain attitude to gender roles; "womanliness" is like "femininity", but is usually associated with a different view of gender roles; "femaleness" is a general term, but is often used as shorthand for "human femaleness"; "distaff" is an archaic adjective derived from women's conventional role as a spinner, now used only as a deliberate archaism; "muliebrity" is a neologism (derived from the Latin) meant to provide a female counterpart of "virility", but used very loosely, sometimes to mean merely "womanhood", sometimes "femininity" and sometimes even as a collective term for women.

History

The earliest women whose names are known were: Enheduanna, born , was the high priestess of the temple of the Moon God in the Sumerian city-state of Ur and possibly the first poet and first named author of either gender. Tashlultum, , Akkadian queen, wife of Sargon of Akkad, and mother of Enheduanna. Peseshet, , was a physician in ancient Egypt. Merit-Ptah, , also lived in Egypt and is the earliest known female physician and scientist. Merneith, was a consort and a regent of ancient Egypt during the first dynasty. She may have been ruler of Egypt in her own right. Neithhotep, , was the wife of Narmer and the first queen of ancient Egypt.

Biology and sex

In terms of biology, the female sex organs are involved in the reproductive system, whereas the secondary sex characteristics are involved in nurturing children or, in some cultures, attracting a mate. The ovaries, in addition to their regulatory function producing hormones, produce female gametes called eggs which, when fertilized by male gametes (sperm), form new genetic individuals. The uterus is an organ with tissue to protect and nurture the developing fetus and muscle to expel it when giving birth. The vagina is used in copulation and birthing (although the word vagina is often colloquially and incorrectly used for the vulva or external female genitalia, which also includes the labia, the clitoris, and the female urethra). The breast evolved from the sweat gland to produce milk, a nutritious secretion that is the most distinctive characteristic of mammals, along with live birth. In mature women, the breast is generally more prominent than in most other mammals; this prominence, not necessary for milk production, is probably at least partially the result of sexual selection. (For other ways in which men commonly differ physically from women, see Man.)

An imbalance of maternal hormonal levels and some chemicals (or drugs) may alter the secondary sexual characteristics of fetuses. Most women have the karyotype 46,XX, but around one in a thousand will be 47,XXX, and one in 2500 will be 45,X. This contrasts with the typical male karotype of 46,XY; thus, the X and Y chromosomes are known as female and male, respectively. Because humans inherit mitochondrial DNA only from the mother's ovum, genetic studies of the female line tend to focus on mitochondrial DNA.

Biological factors are not sufficient determinants of whether a person considers herself a woman or is considered a woman. Intersex individuals, who have mixed physical and/or genetic features, may use other criteria in making a clear determination. There are also transgender or transsexual women, who were born or physically assigned as male at birth, but identify as women; there are varying social, legal and individual definitions with regard to these issues. (See transwoman.)

Although fewer females than males are born (the ratio is around 1:1.05), due to a longer life expectancy there are only 81 men aged 60 or over for every 100 women of the same age. Women typically have a longer life expectancy than men. This is due to a combination of factors: genetics (redundant and varied genes present on sex chromosomes in women); sociology (such as not being expected in most countries to perform military service); health-impacting choices (such as suicide or the use of cigarettes, and alcohol); the presence of the female hormone estrogen, which has a cardioprotective effect in premenopausal women; and the effect of high levels of androgens in men. Out of the total human population, there are 101.3 men for every 100 women (source: 2001 World Almanac).

Most women go through menarche and are then able to become pregnant and bear children. This generally requires internal fertilization of her eggs with the sperm of a man through sexual intercourse, though artificial insemination or the surgical implantation of an existing embryo is also possible (see reproductive technology). The study of female reproduction and reproductive organs is called gynaecology.

There are some diseases that primarily affect women, such as lupus. Also, there are some sex-related illnesses that are found more frequently or exclusively in women, e.g., breast cancer, cervical cancer, or ovarian cancer. Women and men may have different symptoms of an illness and may also respond differently to medical treatment. This area of medical research is studied by gender-based medicine.

During early fetal development, embryos of both sexes appear gender-neutral; the release of hormones is what changes physical appearance male or female. As in cases without two sexes, such as species that reproduce asexually, the gender-neutral appearance is closer to female than to male.

Culture and gender roles

In many prehistoric cultures, women assumed a particular cultural role. In hunter-gatherer societies, women were generally the gatherers of plant foods, small animal foods, fish, and learned to use dairy products, while men hunted meat from large animals. Other antropologists however have suggested that women only began to follow this behaviour after permanent settlement had been made, thus making these gender roles a result of civilisation rather than evolution.

In more recent history, the gender roles of women have changed greatly. Traditionally, middle-class women were typically involved in domestic tasks emphasizing child care. For poorer women, especially working class women, although this often remained an ideal, economic necessity compelled them to seek employment outside the home. The occupations that were available to them were, however, lower in pay than those available to men.

As changes in the labor market for women came about, availability of employment changed from only "dirty", long houred factory jobs to "cleaner", more respectable office jobs where more education was demanded, women's participation in the U.S. labor force rose from 6% in 1900 to 23% in 1923. These shifts in the labor force led to changes in the attitudes of women at work, allowing for the revolution which resulted in women becoming career and education oriented.

Movements advocate equality of opportunity for both sexes and equal rights irrespective of gender. Through a combination of economic changes and the efforts of the feminist movement, in recent decades women in most societies now have access to careers beyond the traditional homemaker.

Although a greater number of women are seeking higher education, salaries often continue to be less than those of men. In the United States women who are ages 30 to 44 and hold a university degree make only 62 percent of what similarly qualified men do, a lower rate than in all but three of the 19 countries for which numbers are available. The nations with greater inequity in pay are Germany, New Zealand and Switzerland.

Education

OECD countries

Education

The educational gender gap in Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries has been reduced over the last 30 years. Younger women today are far more likely to have completed a tertiary qualification: in 19 of the 30 OECD countries, more than twice as many women aged 25 to 34 have completed tertiary education than have women aged 55 to 64. In 21 of 27 OECD countries with comparable data, the number of women graduating from university-level programmes is equal to or exceeds that of men. 15-year-old girls tend to show much higher expectations for their careers than boys of the same age.

While women account for more than half of university graduates in several OECD countries, they receive only 30% of tertiary degrees granted in science and engineering fields, and women account for only 25% to 35% of researchers in most OECD countries.

See also

Lady

Sex assignment

Trans woman

Lists of women

Medical:

Childbirth

Feminine psychology

Gender differences

Obstetrics

Dynamics:

Femininity

Feminization (sociology)

Matriarchy

Misogyny

Mitochondrial Eve

Sexism

Women in science

Women in religion

Political:

Feminism

Gender studies

Womyn

References

Further reading

Chafe, William H., "The American Woman: Her Changing Social, Economic, And Political Roles, 1920–1970", Oxford University Press, 1972. ISBN 0-19-501785-4

''Roget’s II: The New Thesaurus'', (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2003 3rd edition) ISBN 0-618-25414-5

McWhorter, John. 'The Uses of Ugliness', ''The New Republic Online'', January 31, 2002. Retrieved May 11, 2005 ["bitch" as an affectionate term]

McWhorter, John. ''Authentically Black: Essays for the Black Silent Majority'' (New York: Gotham, 2003) ISBN 1-59240-001-9 [casual use of "bitch" in ebonics]

''Routledge international encyclopedia of women'', 4 vls., ed. by Cheris Kramarae and Dale Spender, Routledge 2000

''Women in world history : a biographical encyclopedia'', 17 vls., ed. by Anne Commire, Waterford, Conn. [etc.] : Yorkin Publ. [etc.], 1999–2002

External links

;History

Women's History in America

A History of Women’s Entrance into Medicine in France studies and digitized texts by the BIUM (Bibliothèque interuniversitaire de médecine et d'odontologie, Paris) see its digital library Medic@.

;Religion

Women and Christianity: representations and practices

Women in Islam

Category:Gender

af:Vrou ang:Ƿīf ar:امرأة an:Muller arc:ܐܢܬܬܐ frp:Fèna gn:Kuña ay:Warmi az:Qadın bn:নারী bjn:Bibinian zh-min-nan:Cha-bó͘ be:Жанчына be-x-old:Жанчына bar:Wei bo:བུད་མེད། bs:Žena br:Maouez bg:Жена ca:Dona cv:Хĕрарăм ceb:Babaye cs:Žena cy:Dynes da:Kvinde pdc:Fraa de:Frau et:Naine el:Γυναίκα myv:Ава es:Mujer eo:Virino eu:Emakume fa:زن hif:Aurat fr:Femme ga:Bean gd:Bean gl:Muller gan:女人 hak:Ńg-ngìn ko:여성 hi:नारी hr:Žena io:Muliero id:Wanita ia:Femina is:Kona it:Donna he:אישה jv:Wadon krc:Тиширыу ka:ქალი sw:Mwanamke kv:Нывбаба ht:Fanm ku:Jin la:Mulier lv:Sieviete lt:Moteris lij:Donna ln:Mwǎsí jbo:ninmu lmo:Dona hu:Nő ml:സ്ത്രീ mt:Mara mr:स्त्री ms:Perempuan mn:Эмэгтэй хүн nah:Cihuātl nl:Vrouw nds-nl:Vraauw cr:ᐃᔅᐧᑫᐤ new:मिसा ja:女性 no:Kvinne nn:Kvinne nrm:Fenme oc:Femna mhr:Ӱдырамаш pnb:عورت nds:Fru pl:Kobieta pt:Mulher ksh:Frömmich ro:Femeie qu:Warmi rue:Жена ru:Женщина sah:Дьахтар sc:Fèmina sco:Wumman sq:Gruaja scn:Fìmmina simple:Woman sk:Žena sl:Ženska so:Naag sr:Жена sh:Žena fi:Nainen sv:Kvinna tl:Babae (kasarian) ta:பெண் te:స్త్రీ th:ผู้หญิง tr:Kadın uk:Жінка ur:عورت vi:Phụ nữ fiu-vro:Naanõ vls:Vrouwe war:Babaye wo:Jigéen wuu:女性 yi:פרוי yo:Obìnrin zh-yue:女人 bat-smg:Muotrėška zh:女性

Name	Katy Hill
Birth date	April 15, 1971
Birth place	Poole, Dorset
Nationality	English
Known for	''Blue Peter''
Occupation	Television presenter
Spouse
Children	Kaya Skye Akira Seven
Relations	Simon (brother)Naomi (sister) }}

Katy Hill (born 15 April 1971) is an English television presenter, who worked on the BBC children's magazine programme ''Blue Peter'' for five years.

Biography

Born in Poole, Dorset, her father, Chris Hill, was the local vicar and he now takes biblical tours to Israel - and will complete his 81st tour in October 2011. Hill has two siblings, an elder brother Simon and a younger sister Naomi. She gained 9 'O' levels and 4 'A' Levels at St. Edwards Church of England School in Romford, Essex and before she started presenting she worked in a record shop. Katy worked for free in Local radio station BBC Essex, to gain the experience required to become a presenter.

Career

Hill began her media career with voluntary work in Essex at EastWard Hospital Television, and presented ''Katy's Capers'' on BBC Radio Essex, before transferring to ''Nickelodeon''. While working for BBC channel controllers and the Head of Children's Television, as a BBC secretary she bombarded the Editor of ''Blue Peter'' with ideas and showreels, which resulted in an audition.

On 23rd June 1995, Hill joined the CBBC TV programme ''Blue Peter'' and left on 19th June 2000. Her assignments included living in Mongolia with a family for a week, training with the England football squad for a World Cup special, joining the Cirque du Soleil and of course, making things from yoghurt pots and sticky back plastic. She won the 2000 Children's BAFTA Award for Best Presenter, for her time on ''Blue Peter.'' She returned to ''Blue Peter'' for one episode on 30th March 2010 for the final programme to feature the dog Mabel.

As a result of her work on ''Blue Peter'', Hill also presented ''Live & Kicking'', ''Top of the Pops'', ''Football Fever'' (she supports Newcastle United) and ''The Millennium Quiz Show'' with Michael Parkinson. She also presented the BBC's Holiday and went on to present the weekend breakfast show on 95.8 Capital FM. Katy has written for numerous magazines including a regular column for ''Cosmopolitan Hair & Beauty'', ''Hello!'' and ''Closer''. In both 2000 and 2001, she presented the final of ''Song for Europe,'' the competition to select the United Kingdom's entry for the annual Eurovision Song Contest.

In 2004, she appeared on the Channel 4 reality TV show, ''The Games'', in which she came overall second in the female contenders, winning 5 out of the 7 required disciplines. After Neil Fox quit as the long-running host of the networked ''Hit40UK'' (also in 2004), Katy - previously one of his stand-ins - was recruited, initially to co-host with Hirsty, each Sunday, from the studios of Capital Radio in London. Katy chose to leave after a year due to other commitments, and Hirsty eventually went on to host the programme alone. During her time presenting ''Hit40UK'', Katy had her ears pierced for the very first time, in order to sport large hoop earrings at the producers request for TV appearances. She co-presented the concert held in Trafalgar Square where the host of the 2012 Olympics was announced, for which London was a candidate. When London was announced as the victor, Hill was seen cheering and shouting with joy with Olympian Kelly Holmes. She is the face of Arm & Hammer and has already done three massively successful campaigns for the company. Arm & Hammer.

Katy currently resides in Oxfordshire, following a period of time in Los Angeles, USA.

In May 2010, Katy joined women's lifestyle website iVillage.co.uk as a weekly blogger. Her blog, ""Here Are Two We Made Earlier"", explores her day to day experiences of motherhood from a 'refreshingly honest' angle.

In late December 2010, Hill acted as relief co-presenter on ITV's breakfast channel ''Daybreak'', where she continues to work as a presenter.

Personal life

Hill married childhood sweetheart and record producer Andrew Frampton in 1999. The marriage lasted two years before they split. Hill then began dating fellow ''Live & Kicking'' TV presenter Trey Farley. Hill became engaged to Farley after he proposed to her whilst on holiday in Venice, and the couple married in Tuscany on 4th July 2004, with white highly in evidence. The couple lived in Los Angeles, USA, and have a daughter called Kaya Sky born on 17 July 2006 weighing 9 lb 6oz, at Kingston Hospital in Surrey. They also have a son, Akira Seven.

References

External links

Katy Hill web page

EastWard Hospital Television

Katy Hill's iVillage Blog

Category:Blue Peter presenters Category:English television presenters Category:People from Poole Category:1971 births Category:Living people

name	Travis Alan Pastrana
fullname	Travis Alan Pastrana
nationality	American
birth date	October 08, 1983
birth place	Annapolis, Maryland
sport	Rally, Motocross, Supercross, Freestyle Motocross, Base Jumping, NASCAR, monster truck freestyle
event	X Games, Red Bull X-Fighters, Dew Tour, Rally America
supercross	125cc AMA Supercross Championship (2001)
motocross	125cc AMA National Championship (2000)
xgames	Freestyle MotoX Gold (7) and Silver Medalist, MotoX Best Trick Gold, Silver and Bronze Medalist, Rally Racing Gold (2) and Silver Medalist. }}

Travis Alan Pastrana (born October 8, 1983, in Annapolis, Maryland, USA) is a motorsports competitor and stunt performer who has won championships and X Games gold medals in several events, including supercross, motocross, freestyle motocross, and rally racing. He runs a show called ''Nitro Circus'' with some of his friends. For 2011, Pastrana has partnered with NASCAR team owner Michael Waltrip to form Pastrana-Waltrip Racing. He planned to drive the #99 Boost Mobile Toyota Camry for 7 races in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, but after an accident, his Nationwide Series debut was delayed until 2012.

Early life

He was born on October 8, 1983 in Annapolis, Maryland to parents Robert and Debby Pastrana. His uncle, Alan, played as a quarterback from 1965 to 1968 at the University of Maryland, which Travis Pastrana also attended. On June 11, 2003, 19-year old Pastrana was seriously injured when he crashed his Corvette into a tree in Davidsonville, Maryland. On June 4, 2011, Travis proposed to his longtime girlfriend Lyn-z Adams Hawkins.

Motocross/Supercross

Pastrana has won two motocross racing championships: the 2000 A.M.A. 125cc National championship, the 2001 125cc East Coast Supercross Championship, and the 125cc Rose Creek Invitational. Pastrana also raced in the 2000 MX des Nations. He moved up to the 250cc class in 2002. His stand-up style, ability to spot jump combinations and great speed through the whoops make him easy to spot on the track. Although Pastrana has never won a 250cc race, his kindness to the fans and love of the sport still makes him one of the most popular riders of all time. Pastrana has always raced and competed on Suzuki motorcycles, and remains fiercely loyal to the brand. He races with Team Cernic's Suzuki. All of his motorcycles and rally cars carry the number 199. He even sponsors a Monster Jam truck called Pastrana 199, and Nitro Circus after the TV show on MTV.

Team Puerto Rico

Robert Pastrana, Travis' father, is a native Puerto Rican, which made Travis directly eligible to represent Puerto Rico in international competition. On February 27, 2008, the ''Asociación de Motociclismo de Puerto Rico'' (Motorcycling Association of Puerto Rico) provided him with a license to represent the island, which was accepted by the ''Unión LatinoAmericana de Motociclismo'', the relevant sanctioning body in Latin America. His debut with the team took place on March 15, 2008. Here he qualified to the finals by defeating Erick Vallejo of Mexico. In the finals he finished third, behind local Costa Rican racer Roberto Castro and Vallejo.

X Games

1999 - Pastrana wins the first ever MotoX Freestyle event at the X-Games. He also scores the highest ever run of 99.00 points.

2000 - Pastrana wins the gold medal for the second time, and attempts the first ever backflip on a motorcycle.

2001 - Pastrana wins his third gold, still the only person to win the event.

2003 - Pastrana claims his fourth gold and becomes the second rider ever to complete a 360 in competition.

2004 - Pastrana crashes while trying a 50 ft (15m) 360, sustaining a concussion, but is able to compete the next day and wins a silver medal. Nate Adams becomes the only rider to beat Pastrana at that time. Before this event, he had won Bronze in Best Trick, performing a One-Handed 360 and a Superman Seat Grab-Indian Air Back flip.

2005 - Pastrana wins his fifth gold in Freestyle and also attempts the first ever Backflip Barspin on a motorcycle, however the bike fails and he resorts to a regular bike and performs a Backflip Saran Wrap to take Silver in Best Trick.

2006 - Pastrana becomes the third athlete to win three Gold medals at a single X Games Event. He wins Gold in MotoX Best Trick, MotoX Freestyle, and Rally Car Racing. Pastrana also performs the first Double Backflip in competition, scoring a 98.60, the highest score in the Best Trick competition at X Games.

2007 - Pastrana takes bronze in Rally after sliding into the other drivers area while inside the Home Depot Center. He is disqualified but retains his medal. He also competes in the first MotoX Racing event at X Games, but does not achieve a medal after two false starts in the heat race and last chance qualifier.

2008 - Pastrana takes gold in Rally and competes in the Speed & Style event but does not place.

2009 - Pastrana attempts a rodeo 720 at X Games 15 in the Moto X Best Trick Event. He crashes on his first attempt and withdraws from his second after experiencing blurred vision. He places 4th for his efforts. He takes silver in Rally after being defeated by rookie and former Indy Car/Indy 500 champion Kenny Bräck. On November 8, Pastrana landed the famous Rodeo 720, and filmed it in his newest movie, Nitro Circus - Country Fried. Once he landed the trick, he named it the TP7, due to the fact that he was 20 degrees short of 720.

2010 - Pastrana wins Moto X Freestyle, landing yet another Double Backflip, the first one done at an X Games Freestyle. Travis also wins Moto X Speed & Style, beating silver medalist Nate Adams by a landslide. Travis had problems with his Rally Car during competition, costing him gold at Rally Car Racing and a chance to compete in the new event, Super Rally.

2011 - Pastrana launches "Pastranathon" which included Best Trick, a race at Lucas Oil Raceway in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, and then flying back to Staples Center in Los Angeles for RallyCross. However, Pastranathon seemed to be done when, in XGames Best Trick, Travis attempted the Rodeo 720, also known as the TP7, and failed, landing on his right leg. He had broken his foot and ankle, and was taken to a local hospital. Travis was thought to be done, and backed out of the NASCAR race. His team worked diligently to get Travis in the RallyCross event. A special hand-controlled device was made for the steering wheel, and Travis had to relearn to drive the car using the new controls. Travis won a qualifying event, then finished 4th in the final after a crash on the last lap.

Rallying

In 2003, Pastrana opened a rallying career in the Race of Champions, and began driving for the Subaru-backed Vermont SportsCar rally team in 2004. Starting in 2006, Pastrana was signed by Subaru to lead their new Subaru Rally Team USA, being paired once again with veteran co-driver Christian Edstrom. On August 5, 2006 Pastrana won the gold medal in the first rally car competition at the X Games, edging out rally legend Colin McRae by 0.53 seconds after McRae rolled his car through the last jump.

Pastrana and Edstrom clinched the 2006 Rally America National Series overall and open class championship on October 22, 2006 during day one of the Lake Superior Performance Rally. The team finished out the 2006 series with another first-place victory at the Wild West Rally in Olympia, Washington on December 31, 2006.

On December 16, 2006 Pastrana competed at the 2006 Race of Champions at the Stade de France in Paris. He represented the United States in the Nations' Cup by himself, after injuries forced teammate Jimmie Johnson and his replacement Scott Speed to withdraw.

February 19, 2007 brought news that Pastrana's longtime co-driver Edstrom had announced a sabbatical to concentrate on his career and family. Although former McRae co-driver Derek Ringer is set to compete with Pastrana for the 100 Acre Wood Rally in Salem, Missouri and Rally America, he has not announced a permanent replacement co-driver.

In September 2008, Pastrana took part in the ''Colin McRae Forest Stages Rally'', a round of the Scottish Rally Championship centred in Perth in Scotland. Derek Ringer was his co-driver and they entered in a historic Ford Escort RS1600. He was one of a number of celebrity drivers to take part in the event in memory of McRae, who died in 2007.

On August 29, 2009 Pastrana claimed the overall victory at Ojibwe Forests Rally, his fifth of the 2009 Rally America season. The victory sealed his fourth consecutive Rally America driver's title, the most in series history.

Complete Rally America results

! Year

! Car

! 1

! 2

! 3

! 4

! 5

! 6

! 7

! 8

! 9

! Drivers Championship

! Points

! Subaru Impreza WRX STi

bgcolor="#DFFFDF"

! Subaru Impreza WRX STi

! Subaru Impreza WRX STi

! Subaru Impreza WRX STi

! Subaru Impreza WRX STi

! Subaru Impreza WRX STi

International competition

On December 13, 2006, Subaru Rally Team USA announced plans to enter Pastrana in certain World Rally Championship events in 2007, 2008, and 2009.

In the 2007 season, he raced three P-WRC events in the Group N class, driving a Subaru Impreza WRX STI–based rally car. During March 9–11 2007, Pastrana competed in his first world rally at the 21º Corona Rally México. He finished fifth in the P-WRC (Group N) class (the best in-class finish by an American in a WRC event since John Buffum finished third in the Acropolis Rally in 1988), followed by a tenth place in Rally Argentina and an eleventh in Rally GB. Pastrana described his season as having gone "horribly".

Pastrana's 2008 season in the P-WRC was even less successful, with one retirement following a crash on stage one of Rally Argentina and one thirteenth place on the Acropolis Rally.

Injuries

''“I don’t remember most of the injuries, there have been too many.”'' - Travis Pastrana

Injuries have often taken Travis Pastrana off the circuit for weeks or months at a time. His medical records include: a dislocated spine, he has torn his ACL, PCL, LCL, and MCL in his left knee, his bucket handle meniscus, broken his tibia and fibula, he’s had surgery on his left wrist twice, left thumb once, two surgeries on his back, one on his right elbow, nine on his left knee, six on the right knee, one shoulder surgery which left him with the only piece of metal he has in his body.

When Travis was 14-years-old, he was severely injured while competing in an FMX competition. He came up short landing on the top of the front side of the landing ramp and the motorcycle went from 50 mph (80 km/h) to in less than one second. The bike was stuck into the dirt ramp with the front wheel just over the top and the crank case smashed into the dirt deep enough to support the entire bike upright. Upon impact Travis froze in the upright riding position and his feet went straight out to the sides like he was trying to straddle a bull. As soon as his legs went outward he fell off the motorcycle and his father took off across the dirt course in fear of what everyone just witnessed. He was seriously injured; he separated his spine from his pelvis. It also left him in a wheel chair for three months.

“I was in and out of consciousness for about three days and had six blood transfusions,” says Pastrana. He also adds that according to doctors, only three people in the U.S. have ever lived after such an injury. It was a long and difficult recovery. Pastrana would routinely ride wheelies in his wheel chair, around the hospital and therapy areas. While in the wheel chair recovering he vowed to continue motorcycle jumping. He was also injured in July 2011 while competing at the X Games when his bike did not rotate to the landing position, crushing his ankle and causing a fracture. However, Travis was back in his Subaru Impreza and competing in the Rally Cross final where he overshot the corner, forcing himself into the wall, on board footage shows his leg in plaster being slammed against the wheel well, much to his discomfort. He will need an operation to repair his ankle in the near future.

Other activities

Travis is featured as a hidden surfer in the 2002 video game ''Kelly Slater's Pro Surfer''.

Travis lent his voice to the game Colin McRae: DiRT as himself, and the in-menu voice.

Travis also has part ownership in Ethika, an underwear company specializing in products for athletes.

Travis features as a driver in Colin McRae: DiRT 2 for Subaru Rally Team USA.

On September 26, 2007, Pastrana jumped out of an airplane over Arecibo, Puerto Rico, without a parachute in a carefully choreographed stunt. He met up in midair with another jumper, then latched himself into a harness to make a safe tandem landing.

On Sunday, February 8, 2009 at 10:00 PM, MTV Nitro Circus, his new television show that he is an executive producer, premiered on MTV. A spinoff of MTV's Jackass, the two shows shared producers, Jeff Tremaine and was partially created by Jackass frontman, Johnny Knoxville. It features Jolene Van Vugt, Erik Roner, Streetbike Tommy, Andy Bell, JD Larson, Jim DeChamp, among others doing dangerous stunts. Jackass' Johnny Knoxville, Bam Margera, Chris Pontius and Steve-O; BMX freestylers, T. J. Lavin and Mat Hoffman; and actor, Gary Coleman have guest starred on various episodes. Nitro Circus was also featured on an episode of MTV's Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory and vice-versa.

Travis and the rest of Nitro Circus appeared in the music video for Spaceship by Puddle of Mudd.

On Friday, January 1, 2010, Travis officially set a new world record in a ramp-to-ramp car jump. He jumped his rally car off the Pine Street Pier onto a floating barge anchored in Long Beach’s Rainbow Harbor, shattering the existing mark of and establishing a new world distance record of . To celebrate, after getting out of his car, he performed a gainer from the landing ramp into the harbor below.

In September 2010, Travis set the world record for fastest ascent of Mount Washington in a car, using his Subaru WRX STi: 6min 20.47sec. Travis is featured in "X Games: The Movie"; Travis' work with motocross and rally cars is shown.

Pastrana 199/Nitro Circus Monster Truck

Pastrana' 199 is a monster truck that races on the USHRA circuit. The truck is owned by Live Nation/FELD Motorsports and sponsored by Travis Pastrana. It was originally driven by Paul Cohen, then driven by Chad Tingler, then driven by Courtney Jolly and now driven by Cam McQueen. Travis made his monster truck debut on October 18, 2006 in the Pastrana 199 monster truck at the 2006 Monster Jam. Also, on an episode of Nitro Circus, Travis attempts to backflip the Nitro circus themed monster truck. Though unsuccessful, he walked away without injury. In 2008-2009, the Pastrana 199 truck was driven by Pastrana's good friend Cam McQueen. McQueen was invited to the 2009 World Finals for his second appearance. Pastrana himself competed in the freestyle competition of the event, finishing in a three-way tie for 5th place in a field of 24 trucks. On February 27, 2010 in Jacksonville, FL Cam McQueen nailed successfully a backflip in the Nitro Circus monster truck during the freestyle competition, making Nitro Circus the first to do a backflip in competition.

References

External links

Pastrana's official website

Travis Pastrana Fan Site

Pastrana at EXPN (X Games) site

Pastrana at WRC.com

Nitro Circus

Category:1983 births Category:AMA National Motocross Champions Category:American motorcycle racers Category:American rally drivers Category:American people of Colombian descent Category:American people of Puerto Rican descent Category:Freestyle Motocross riders Category:Living people Category:Motocross riders Category:NASCAR drivers Category:NASCAR owners Category:People from Annapolis, Maryland Category:People from Maryland Category:Sportspeople from Maryland Category:University of Maryland, College Park alumni Category:X-Games athletes

ca:Travis Pastrana de:Travis Pastrana et:Travis Pastrana es:Travis Pastrana fr:Travis Pastrana it:Travis Pastrana hu:Travis Pastrana nl:Travis Pastrana ja:トラビス・パストラーナ pl:Travis Pastrana pt:Travis Pastrana ru:Пастрана, Трэвис fi:Travis Pastrana sv:Travis Pastrana th:ทราวิส พาสทรานา

name	Jimmy Carr
birth name	James Anthony Patrick Carr
birth date	September 15, 1972
birth place	Hounslow, Greater London, England
medium	Stand-up, television, film, radio
nationality	British/Irish
active	2000–present
genre	Satire, deadpan, black comedy, blue comedy, cringe comedy
subject	Current events, sex, politics, celebrities, obesity, self-deprecation, relationships
influences	Denis Leary, Paul Merton, Emo Philips, Mark Lamarr, George Carlin
domesticpartner	Karoline Copping(2001-present)
notable work	''8 Out of 10 Cats'' ''Distraction'' ''The Big Fat Quiz of the Year''''10 O'Clock Live''
website

}} James Anthony Patrick "Jimmy" Carr (born 15 September 1972) is an English-Irish comedian and humourist with both British and Irish citizenship. He is known for his deadpan delivery and dark humour. He is also a writer, actor and presenter of radio and television.

Carr moved to a career in comedy in 2000. After becoming established as a stand-up comedian, Carr began to appear in a number of Channel 4 television shows, most notably as the host of the panel show ''8 out of 10 Cats''.

Early life

Carr holds dual British-Irish citizenship, as his parents were from Limerick: Patrick James "Jim" (born March 1945), a Roman Catholic, and Nora Mary (née Lawlor, 19 September 1943 – 7 September 2001), who died of pancreatitis in St Thomas' Hospital, London, aged 57. His parents married in 1970, separated in 1994, but never divorced. His father married Natasha in 2003. Carr has an older brother, Colin, and a younger brother, Patrick. He attended Burnham Grammar School, Buckinghamshire and Royal Grammar School, High Wycombe, along with rugby player Matt Dawson, before gaining a place at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, where he graduated with a 2:1 degree in Political Sciences. Carr was a marketing executive for Shell in the late 1990s.

Career

Television

Whilst working at JC Productions with his father, Carr made his first television pilot / short film at Pinewood starring Craig Charles, Roy Dotrice and himself. The mockumentary, ''The Colour of Funny'' was essentially a vanity project for Carr.

Hosting

Carr has hosted Channel 4 game shows ''Distraction'' and ''Your Face or Mine?''. He has also presented the ''100s'' series of programmes for Channel 4: ''100 Worst Pop Records'', ''100 Worst Britons'', ''100 Greatest Cartoon Characters'', ''100 People Who Look Most Like Jimmy Carr'' (a spoof) and ''100 Scary Moments''. Carr has also presented a series of ''Commercial Breakdown''.

From 2004 to 2006, Carr hosted a United States version of ''Distraction'' for Comedy Central. He was also nominated for the 2006 Rose d'Or award for Best Game Show Host. Carr presents the ''Big Fat Quiz of the Year'' on Channel 4, having presented the first 7 shows each December (2004–2010). He also currently hosts the quiz show ''8 out of 10 Cats''.

In April 2010, Carr hosted the first British version of a comedy roast show, Channel 4's ''A Comedy Roast''. On 6 May 2010, he was a co-host of Channel 4's ''Alternative Election Night'', along with David Mitchell, Lauren Laverne, and Charlie Brooker. He joined the three presenters again for 10 O'Clock Live, a Channel 4 comedy current affairs show, which started airing on 20 January 2011.

Writing

Carr is also a writer as well as performer, with writing credits including ''Bo' Selecta!'' (C4), ''Meet Ricky Gervais'' (C4) and material for Lily Savage and Frank Skinner.

Guest appearances

Carr was a guest presenter for one edition of ''Have I Got News For You''; later he joined Ian Hislop's team in the edition of the show first shown 23 November 2007, chaired by Ann Widdecombe with whom he “flirted” outrageously. Widdecombe later vowed "I will never appear on ''Have I Got News for You'' again."

Carr has appeared on ''Never Mind The Buzzcocks'' twice, as well as multiple times on ''QI''.

During a guest appearance on the BBC motoring show ''Top Gear'', Carr set a new celebrity test track lap record on the 'Star in a Reasonably Priced Car' segment. He was described as "the worst driver we've ever had" and "the luckiest man alive" by ''Top Gear'''s test driver The Stig. His re-appearance on ''Top Gear'' in May 2006 placed him last in the brand new Reasonably Priced Car, with the slowest time ever (due to the fact that he spun off on his timed lap). Carr also hosted a highlights edition of the show, and on the Top Gear Live World Tour of 2009/10 he hosted the section 'Carmageddon' in which The Stig successfully attempted a 'gear change'.

In the United States, Carr has appeared on ''Late Night with Conan O'Brien'' twice and ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'' three times. Carr has also appeared on the Irish news comedy show ''The Panel''.

In 2003, Carr was in the music video for the song "Proper Crimbo".

Carr appears at the end credits of Ross Noble's ''Randomist'' DVD, where he punches Noble on his way back to the dressing room. Noble had joked in his show that Carr only performed for a "weak" 1 hour 20 minutes, as opposed to Noble's 2 and a half hour show. Carr can also be seen for a few seconds in the audience for Dara Ó Briain's live DVD.

In January 2008, Carr appeared on E4 show ''Big Brother Celebrity Hijack'' as a hijacker for the day.

Carr appeared on the Royal Variety Performance in December 2008.

Radio

Carr is a regular guest and interviewer on ''Loose Ends'' (BBC Radio 4) and ''The Fred MacAulay Show'' (BBC Radio Scotland). In January 2005, Carr hosted 'It's Been a Terrible Year' — a comedy review of 2004, on BBC Radio 2. Up until July 2006, he had a Sunday morning radio show on XFM, with the mercurial comedian Iain Morris. The show had a strong emphasis on toilet humour.

Features, of varying popularity, have included:

Goth Classics — Item lasting about four weeks in which The Sisters of Mercy track 'This Corrosion' was played twice.

Now That's What I Call A Jukebox — Long running item invented by Iain Morris where a number of songs are selected from a Now That's What I Call Music album, and are put to a vote. The song with the most votes is played.

The Songs You Should Like And The Songs You Do Like (But You Like The Song You Should Like As Well) — This catchy-titled item consists of playing in sequence one credible but underrated or overlooked song (The first was 'Touch Sensitive' by The Fall) and one guilty pleasure (Liberty X's 'Just A Little Bit' followed) On 9 July 2006, the item was renamed 'A Song to Patronise, A Song To Sanitise.' Traditionally, items are carried out with little professionalism, presumably to match the rest of the show content.

In January 2006, Carr made a joke on Radio 4's Loose Ends, the punchline of which implied that Gypsy women smelled. Although the BBC issued an apology, Carr refused to, and continues to use the joke during his acts.

Carr appeared in 2 episodes of the radio series of Flight Of The Conchords in 2005.

On 22 January 2009, he covered Zane Lowe's evening show on BBC Radio 1 between 7 and 9pm.

Stand-up comedy

Carr does stand-up tours continuously over the course of the year, taking only five weeks off between them. In 2003 he sold out an entire month's performances of his Edinburgh Festival show ''Charm Offensive'' by the second day of the festival, and received 5-star reviews from four major newspapers. In 2004 he performed sold out solo shows at Dublin's Vicar Street, Leicester's Comedy Festival, Glasgow Festival, Kilkenny Cat Laughs and the Galway Festival along with appearances at The Bloomsbury Theatre where he filmed his first live DVD. Also in 2004 he threatened to sue fellow comedian Jim Davidson for using a joke that Carr considered 'his'. The matter was dropped when it became apparent that the joke in question was an old one used for decades by many different comedians. He toured the country with his show, ''A Public Display of Affection'', starting on 9 April 2005 at the Gulbenkian Theatre in Canterbury and ending on the 14 January 2006 at the Gielgud Theatre in London's West End. He also appeared at the EICC during the Edinburgh Festival in August 2005 with his ''Off The Telly'' show. Later on in the year, in late November, he released his second DVD "Jimmy Carr: Stand Up".

In August 2006, he commenced a new tour, ''Gag Reflex'', for which he won the 2006 British Comedy Award for "Best Live Stand up". He released his third DVD, ''Jimmy Carr: Comedian'' in November 2007. He also performed at the 2006 Just for Laughs festival in Montreal, as well as making a return visit to the Newbury Comedy Festival. In 2003, he was listed in ''The Observer'' as one of the 50 funniest acts in British comedy. In 2007, a poll on the Channel 4 website for 100 Greatest Stand Ups Jimmy Carr was the 12th. A new national tour commenced in autumn 2007 named ''Repeat Offender'', which began at the Edinburgh Festival that year. In Autumn 2008, Carr began touring his new show, entitled ''Joke Technician''. As with his previous tour, he performed many shows at the Edinburgh Festival, even adding an extra date due to ticket demand.

On 23 April 2009, the dates for Carr's 2009/10 tour, entitled ''Rapier Wit'', were announced. The tour opened on 20 August 2009 with 9 shows at the Edinburgh Festival before touring the country.

On Twitter, Carr released details about his new DVD entitled ''Jimmy Carr: Telling Jokes''. The DVD was released on the 2 November 2009.

In July 2009, Carr revealed that he is currently touring with Las Vegas band The Killers. Killers frontman Brandon Flowers explained that it was part of his vision for his band’s shows to become more of a Las Vegas-style spectacle. Flowers, who grew up in Vegas, said: “We had met Jimmy before, at a Comic Relief gig, then we bumped into him again at a party a couple of weeks later. “We were just throwing ideas around and having a comedian as part of the show sounded like a Las Vegas thing to do — it used to be common in the Sixties and Seventies – “Jimmy seemed to like it so we are giving it a go.”

Carr's sixth Live DVD, ''Jimmy Carr: Making People Laugh'', was released on 8 November 2010.

Carr's 2010/11 tour, entitled ''Laughter Therapy'', was announced on 8 April 2010. The tour will start with a run at the Edinburgh Festival before touring the country.

Carr will also be appearing at the Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal in July 2011. At which he will be performing his 2010/11 tour show 'Laughter Therapy'. He is due to appear at the Gesu Theatre from July 21 – 30.

Carr's latest stand up DVD is due out on November 21st with the title of ''Jimmy Carr: Being Funny''.

DVD releases

!Title	!Released	!Notes
''Live''	8 November 2004	Live at London's Bloomsbury Theatre
''Stand Up''	7 November 2005	Live at London's Bloomsbury Theatre
''Comedian''	5 November 2007	Live at London's Bloomsbury Theatre
''In Concert''	3 November 2008	Live at London's Bloomsbury Theatre
''Telling Jokes''	2 November 2009	Live at London's Bloomsbury Theatre
''Making People Laugh''	8 November 2010	Live at Glasgow's Clyde Auditorium
''Being Funny''	21 November 2011

Second Life

On 21 December 2006, Carr announced plans to become the first major comedian to perform in the virtual reality world of ''Second Life''. This was confirmed on his MySpace webpage on 3 January 2007, and a competition launched to choose a select audience from the list of his MySpace friends.

Carr's ''Second Life'' show took place on 3 February 2007 at 7pm, at Adam Street Bar and Members Club in central London. Fifty MySpace friends made up his live audience, with 100 virtual attendees in ''Second Life'' itself. The show was enjoyed by both sets of audiences, with excellent feedback received on both Carr's MySpace profile and within ''Second Life''.

Carr hinted at the show that he may perform future shows in ''Second Life''.

In March 2007, Laura Jackson from the Guinness Book of World Records confirmed that Carr had obtained the world record for being the first comedian in cyberspace, following on from his ''Second Life'' show.

Criticism

Detractors of Carr's humour include Conservative politician Ann Widdecombe, who — following an appearance with him on BBC One panel show ''Have I Got News For You'' — wrote in the ''Daily Express'' that "His idea of wit is a barrage of filth and the sort of humour most men grow out of in their teens".

Veteran comedian Arthur Smith was quoted in the ''Sunday Mirror'' in 2005 as saying "He has a terrible act. There I've said it and already I feel better". Smith has gone on to criticise Carr on other occasions. In a 2009 interview with ''The Times'' he said: "He (Carr) makes jokes like little clocks. He has no interest in their context or meaning, only that they cause an explosion of laughter. I want a comedian to have a hinterland. The best comedians are interested in jazz, poetry, and the world".

In October 2009, Carr received criticism from several Sunday tabloid newspapers for a joke he made about British soldiers who had lost limbs in battle in Iraq and Afghanistan. The newspapers themselves came under criticism for falsely claiming the audience reacted with stunned silence when the joke was told. Carr himself has defended the joke as "totally acceptable" in an interview with ''The Guardian'', in which the interviewer noted his tendencies to make jokes about disabilities and rape. Carr would go on to describe the interview, with ''Guardian'' journalist Stephen Moss in the paper's G2 section, on his Twitter account as about "[selling] my DVD to the liberal elite."

Personal life

Carr currently lives in North London with his girlfriend, Karoline Copping, a commissioning editor for Five, whom he has been with since 2001.

In March 2004, Carr's father Jim, a self-made millionaire, was arrested by the Metropolitan Police after Carr and his brother Colin accused their father of harassment. The father was later acquitted of all charges and awarded costs by the Court. His acquittal was followed by a written apology from the CPS. Later the Metropolitan Police also apologised and paid him substantial damages in an out of court settlement of the false arrest and false prosecution charge.

During an appearance on BBC's ''Would I Lie to You?'' (Series 1, Episode 3), Jimmy Carr revealed that he had been a Catholic until his mid-twenties, and remained a virgin until the age of 26 due to his faith. Carr became aware of the writings of Richard Dawkins and renounced his religion, becoming an atheist. He stated that he felt religion limited people's desires to live their own lives.

Awards

LAFTA Awards 2008: Best Stand Up

LAFTA Awards 2007: Funniest Man

British Comedy Awards 2006 – Best Live Stand Up

Rose D'Or Nomination 2006: Best Game Show, 'Distraction'

LAFTA Awards 2005: Funniest Man

Rose D'Or Nomination 2004: Best Presenter, 'Distraction'

Loaded Lafta Award 2004 – Best Stand Up

Royal Television Society Award Winner: Best On-Screen Newcomer 2003

Perrier Award Nominee: 2002

Time Out Award Winner: Best Stand Up 2002

Filmography

! Year !! Film !! Role
rowspan="3"		Gary's manager
	Antony
	John Crawford
		Video Store Guy
		Gentleman

References

External links

Jimmy Carr on Chortle, including forthcoming tour dates

Official website

Official Twitter Feed

Category:1972 births Category:Living people Category:21st-century actors Category:Alumni of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge Category:Antitheists Category:English atheists Category:English comedians Category:English film actors Category:English game show hosts Category:English people of Irish descent Category:English stand-up comedians Category:English television personalities Category:Former Christians Category:Irish comedians Category:Old Wycombiensians Category:People educated at Burnham Grammar School Category:People from Buckinghamshire Category:People from Hounslow

da:Jimmy Carr de:Jimmy Carr es:Jimmy Carr fr:Jimmy Carr ga:Jimmy Carr it:Jimmy Carr nl:Jimmy Carr simple:Jimmy Carr fi:Jimmy Carr sv:Jimmy Carr

name	Larry the Cable Guy
birth name	Daniel Lawrence Whitney
birth date	February 17, 1963
birth place	Pawnee City, Nebraska, US
medium	Stand-upTelevisionFilmRadioBooks
nationality	American
active	1991–present
genre	Character comedy, Redneck comedy, Country comedy, Observational comedy, Satire
subject	Culture of the Southern United States, obesity, human sexuality, political correctness, self-deprecation, family, personal hygiene
influences	Steve Martin, Don Rickles, Milton Berle, Henny Youngman, Jeff Foxworthy
influenced	Billy the Bass Man
spouse	Cara Whitney (2005–present; 2 children)
notable work	Blue Collar Comedy TourLarry McCoy in Delta FarceHimself in Larry the Cable Guy: Health InspectorLarry in Witless ProtectionMater in ''Cars'' and ''Cars 2''
website	Official site
religion	Christian }}

Daniel Lawrence Whitney (born February 17, 1963), better known by his stage name and character Larry the Cable Guy, is an American comedian, actor, and former radio personality.

He is one of the co-stars of the Blue Collar Comedy Tour, a comedy troupe which also includes Bill Engvall, Ron White, and Jeff Foxworthy, with whom he has starred on ''Blue Collar TV''.

Larry the Cable Guy has released seven comedy albums, of which three have been certified gold by the RIAA for shipments of 500,000 copies. In addition, he has starred in three Blue Collar Comedy Tour-related movies, as well as in the films ''Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector'', ''Delta Farce'', and ''Witless Protection''. He has also provided the voice of Mater in the Disney/Pixar films ''Cars'' and ''Cars 2''. His catchphrase, ''Git-R-Done!'', is the title of his book.

On January 26, 2010, the TV channel History announced it was ordering a series starring Larry the Cable Guy, titled ''Only in America with Larry the Cable Guy'', in which the comedian explores the country, immersing himself in different lifestyles, jobs and hobbies. The first episode of the series aired on February 8, 2011.

Early life

According to a CMT bio, Whitney grew up on a pig farm in Pawnee City, Nebraska. Whitney went to college at the now defunct Baptist University of America. He credits his roommates from Texas and Georgia for developing his imitation Southern accent. He dropped out after his junior year after trying his hand at comedy.

Career

Radio career

Whitney started his career in radio as a disc jockey in Blue Springs, Missouri. He became known in the early 1990s when he made regular radio appearances via phone on programs such as ''The Ron and Ron Show,'' ''The Chris Baker Show'' on KOOO and KEZO's ''The Todd and Tyler Show'' in Omaha, Nebraska, as well as the ''Kirk, Mark, and Lopez'' morning show on WIYY in Baltimore, Maryland. He was also a frequent guest on the ''Johnny Dare and Murphy'' show on 98.9, KQRC, Kansas City. He also did appearances on WJRR in Orlando, Florida, on the Monsters in the Mid Day (presently the Monsters in the Morning), as he was a personal friend of BlackBean (Carlos Navarro) with whom he had done voice-over work. He was brought to New England on ''Greg and the Morning Buzz'' on WHEB 100.3 and WGIR 101.1 in Portsmouth and Manchester, New Hampshire, respectively, doing two commentaries a week.

Stand-up career

He became famous developing the Larry character, a personality that he now maintains throughout his stage act. The Larry character has a stereotypical redneck appearance, a thick Southern accent, recounts stories about his "family", and uses, among other common expressions, his own catchphrase "Git-R-Done!" A part of Whitney's routine is his affected Southern accent. He says in interviews and in his autobiographical book ''GIT-R-DONE'' that he deliberately "turns on" the accent both on and off stage, because he may forget it if he kept his normal accent intact. He uses catchphrase humor, including "Git-R-Done," "Lord, I apologize, and be with the starvin' Pygmies down there in New Guinea. Amen." and "I don't care who ya are, that's funny right there" after certain jokes. He appears in Nutrisystem commercials with Dan Marino. Marino delivers the catchphrase, "Git-R-Done," and is shown dressed in Whitney's trademark attire, including a pair of jeans, a cut off, untucked flannel shirt, and camouflage hat.

His first two comedy albums, ''Lord, I Apologize'' (2001), and ''The Right To Bare Arms'' (2005), have both been certified gold by the RIAA. A third album, ''Morning Constitutions'', and its accompanying TV special were released in 2007.

Other work

In 2006 he was approached by Comedy Central to voice a character for an as-yet-unnamed animated series. The show would involve his character as one of two owners of a small cable channel (the other, a high-classed, high-attitude woman). A half-hour pilot was ordered by the network, but has yet to air.

Whitney was roasted in a Comedy Central special on March 15, 2009. During the roast he can be heard greeting roasters out of character and in his normal speaking voice, as well as being called "Dan" by Bill Engvall.

On Tuesday, February 8, 2011 the premiere of his newest travelogue series, "Only in America with Larry the Cable Guy", debuted quite successfully on the History Channel. A total of 4.1 million viewers, 1.7 million adults 25-54, tuned in, nearly doubling the total for the "Top Shot" season 2 opener.

Personal life

Whitney resides in Lincoln, Nebraska. He married his wife Cara in 2005. They have two children together, a son, Wyatt (born August 2006), and a daughter, Reagan (born October 2007). In 2010, Whitney and his wife disclosed in an article that their son Wyatt has hip dysplasia.

His home town of Pawnee City, Nebraska has a street named after him. Whitney also donated money to buy new theatrical equipment for the local high school.

He is an avid Nebraska Cornhuskers fan and his signature camo hat has the Nebraska N emblazoned in it.

Radio shows

Whitney was a radio personality on:

KKAR 1290 AM in Omaha, Nebraska

KGDE 101.9 The Edge in Omaha, Nebraska

KEZO "Z-92" in Omaha, Nebraska

KQRC 98.9 FM "The Rock" in Kansas City

KMYZ "Z104.5 The Edge" in Tulsa, Oklahoma

WWRM 94.9 FM "Magic 94.9" in Tampa, Florida

WJRR 101One in Orlando, Florida

WDIZ in Panama City, Florida

WPLA "Planet Radio" 107.3 in Jacksonville, Florida

WIYY 97.9 "98 Rock" in Baltimore, Maryland

WPYX in Albany, New York

WHEB in Portsmouth, New Hampshire

KTPI-FM in Tehachapi, California

WPBZ 103.1 "The Buzz" in West Palm Beach, Florida

Blue Collar Radio on Sirius XM Radio

Discography

Title	Album details	Peak chart positions				! style="width:45px;"	! style="width:45px;"
		''[[Lord, I Apologize">Music recording sales certification
! style="width:45px;"	! style="width:45px;"	! style="width:45px;"
''[[Lord, I Apologize''		* Release date: October 30, 2001	* Label: Hip-O Records	1	53	—		Recording Industry Association of America>US: Gold
''A Very Larry Christmas''		* Release date: November 16, 2004	* Label: Warner Bros. Records	1	8	43		* US: Gold
''The Right to Bare Arms''		* Release date: March 29, 2005	* Label: Warner Bros. Records	1	1	7		* US: Gold
''Morning Constitutions''		* Release date: April 3, 2007	* Label: Warner Bros. Records	1	5	16
''Christmastime in Larryland''		* Release date: October 3, 2007	* Label: Warner Bros. Records	1	12	42
''On the Can''		* Release date: July 21, 2009	* Label: Warner Bros. Records	7	50	—
''Tailgate Party''		* Release date: September 22, 2009	* Label: Warner Bros. Records	1	19	71
''The Best of Larry the Cable Guy''		* Release date: November 16, 2010	* Label: Warner Bros. Records	4	72	—

Filmography

''Larry the Cable Guy: Git-R-Done'' (2003)

''Blue Collar Comedy Tour: The Movie'' (2003)

''Blue Collar Comedy Tour: Rides Again'' (2004)

''Blue Collar TV'' (2004–2006) as various characters

''Larry the Cable Guy: Health Inspector'' (2006)

''Cars'' (2006) as Mater

''Blue Collar Comedy Tour: One For the Road'' (2006)

''Delta Farce'' (2007) as Larry

''Witless Protection'' (2008) as Deputy Larry Stalder

''Cars Toons: Mater's Tall Tales'' (2008–2011) as Mater

''Comedy Central Roast'' (2009)

''Larry the Cable Guy: Tailgate Party'' (2010)

''Cars 2'' (2011) as Mater

Notes

External links

Interview with Larry the Cable Guy about 'Cars 2'

Category:American stand-up comedians Category:People from Pawnee County, Nebraska Category:Entertainers from Nebraska Category:Warner Bros. Records artists Category:1963 births Category:Living people Category:American voice actors Category:American video game actors Category:American film actors Category:American comedy musicians Category:American male singers Category:Actors from Nebraska

it:Larry the Cable Guy