By William Loeffler

Published: Wednesday, November 7, 2012, 8:55 p.m.
Updated: Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Jon Reep wears his redneck roots on his sleeve.

Yes, the guy wears shirts with sleeves.

With his DVD “Metro Jethro,” the ginger-haired comic from Hickory, N.C., is reaping the rewards of the redneck renaissance that has vaulted reality shows like “Duck Dynasty” and “Here Comes Honey Boo Boo” to a mainstream audience.

He coined “Metro Jethro” after moving to Los Angeles and dealing with the culture shock. In the song of the same name, he talks about liking his martinis made with moonshine.

“It's not just one type of Metro Jethro,” he says. “There are famous ones, athletes, musicians. Steve Martin, to me, is a Metro Jethro. He loves art and wears a white suit, but he also plays the banjo.”

Reep performs Thursday through Saturday at the Pittsburgh Improv. Chances are, he'll talk about living in Los Angeles and dealing with the reaction of the beautiful people to his pronounced Smoky Mountains twang.

“They think you're an idiot and they think you're racist,” he says. “When you live out here in L.A., it's impossible to be a racist, because you'd be exhausted.”

Reep has made darn sure that his career didn't peak when he won season five of “Last Comic Standing” on NBC. His first significant acting role came when he played a scruffy rube in a series of Dodge truck commercials. The “Hemi Guy” also had a recurring role as cop Gerald Bob in the ABC sitcom “Rodney.” He'll be featured in “Black Sky,” an upcoming action-thriller from New Line Cinema. Reep says the film uses the “found footage” format to document the devastation to a small town by a series of tornadoes. A The film is set for release next year.

Reep will host his own reality television show beginning in February: “Are You Faster Than a Redneck” .

Reep also co-hosts a popular podcast with fellow comedian John Heffron on www.heffronandreep.com.

William Loeffler is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. He can be reached at wloeffler@tribweb.com or 412-320-7986.

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