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'{{short description|American film critic, writer, and actor; alter ego of John Bloom}} {{Use mdy dates|date=August 2020}} {{Use American English|date=August 2020}} {{Infobox person <!-- for more information see [[:Template:Infobox writer/doc]] --> | name = Joe Bob Briggs | image = Joe Bob Briggs (2018, crop).jpg | caption = Briggs in 2018 | other names = | birth_name = John Irving Bloom | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1953|1|27}} | birth_place = [[Dallas|Dallas, Texas]], U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | occupation = {{hlist|Film critic|writer|actor}} | nationality = American | citizenship = | education = [[Vanderbilt University]] | alma_mater = | movement = | notable works= | spouses = {{plainlist| * {{Marriage|Joyce Karns|1978|1979|end=divorced}} * {{Marriage|Paula Leigh Bowen|1988}} }} | children = | relatives = | awards = | signature = | website = {{URL|http://joebobbriggs.com/}} | height = }} '''John Irving Bloom''' (born January 27, 1953), known by the [[stage name]] '''Joe Bob Briggs''', is an American [[print syndication|syndicated]] [[film critic]], writer, actor, comic performer, and [[horror host]]. He is known for having hosted ''Joe Bob's Drive-in Theater'' on The Movie Channel from 1986 to 1996, the [[TNT (American TV network)|TNT]] television series ''[[MonsterVision]]'' from 1996 to 2000, and ''[[The Last Drive-in with Joe Bob Briggs]]'' on [[Shudder (streaming service)|Shudder]] beginning in 2018. In 2019, he was named the [[Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards]]' Monster Kid of the Year,<ref name="18th Annual Rondos">{{cite web|url=https://rondoaward.com/rondoaward.com/blog/?p=1010|title=Here Are the Winners of the (Gasp!) 18th Annual Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards|website=RondoAward.com|first=David|last=Colton|date=April 6, 2020}}</ref> and in 2023 was inducted into the Rondo Hatton Awards' Monster Kid Hall of Fame.<ref name="21st Annual Rondos">{{cite web|url=https://rondoaward.com/rondoaward.com/blog/?p=1509|title=Here are the Winners of the (Gasp!) 21st Annual Rondo Hatton Classic Horror awards|website=RondoAward.com|date=May 29, 2023}} [https://web.archive.org/web/20230513013610/https://rondoaward.com/rondoaward.com/blog/?p=1509 Archive link]</ref> ==Early years== John Irving Bloom was born January 27, 1953, in [[Dallas]], Texas, the son of Thelma Louise (née Berry) and Rudolph Lewis Bloom.<ref name="filmreference">{{Cite web|url=http://www.filmreference.com/film/5/Joe-Bob-Briggs.html|title=Joe Bob Briggs Biography (1953-)|website=www.filmreference.com}}</ref> Bloom was raised in [[Little Rock, Arkansas]],<ref name="The New York Times">{{Cite news|last=Elias|first=Justine|date=August 1, 1999|title= Down-Home Boy Gives Hollywood's Worst His Best (and Silliest) Shot|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/08/01/tv/cover-story-down-home-boy-gives-hollywood-s-worst-his-best-and-silliest-shot.html|access-date=July 5, 2021|work=[[New York Times]]}}</ref> and by age 13 was a [[sportswriter]] at what was then the ''[[Arkansas Democrat]]''.<ref name="Vanderbilt">{{cite web|url= https://news.vanderbilt.edu/2020/12/11/five-alumni-selected-for-2020-student-media-hall-of-fame-class/|title= Five alumni selected for 2020 Student Media Hall of Fame class|date=December 11, 2020|publisher=[[Vanderbilt University]]}}</ref> He won a Fred Russell-Grantland Rice Sportswriting Scholarship to [[Vanderbilt University]], in [[Nashville]], Tennessee, where he majored in English and wrote for the student newspaper, ''The Vanderbilt Hustler''. After graduating in 1975.<ref name="Vanderbilt" /> he became a reporter for ''[[Dallas Times Herald]]'' and later wrote for ''[[Texas Monthly]]'' magazine.<ref name="The New York Times" /> Taking a leave of absence from the newspaper in order to co-write (with Jim Atkinson) his many books, the [[true crime]] book ''Evidence of Love'' (later adapted as the [[Television film|TV film]], ''[[A Killing in a Small Town]]''), he supported himself by writing movie reviews for the paper. There he created the humorous persona of "Joe Bob Briggs" to review [[exploitation films]] and other [[Film genre|genre movies]].<ref name="The New York Times" /> ==Persona== Bloom's acting persona as "Briggs" is that of an unapologetic [[redneck]] Texan with an avowed love of the drive-in theaters. He specializes in humorous but appreciative reviews of [[B-movie]]s and [[cult film]]s, which he calls "[[Drive-in theater|drive-in movies]]" (as distinguished from "indoor bullstuff"). In addition to his usual parody of urbane, high-brow movie criticism, his columns characteristically include colorful tales of woman troubles and high-spirited brushes with the law, which inevitably conclude with his rush to catch a movie at a local drive-in, usually with female companionship. "Briggs" revealed in an interview that he intended the character to have an ambiguous sounding name and initially thought of calling himself "Bubba Rodriguez", but was told that the name Rodriguez would be perceived as racist and decided to go with: "The whitest name I could come up with."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3vgJNlAJ8Y?t=1622 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211222/f3vgJNlAJ8Y |archive-date=2021-12-22 |url-status=live|title=Joe Bob Briggs Interview|via=[[YouTube]]|website=VHS Massacre|date=2014-01-14 |access-date=2014-01-14 }}</ref> The reviews typically end with a brief rating of the movie in question's "high points", including the types of action (represented by nouns naming objects used in fight scenes suffixed with "-[[Kung fu (term)|Fu]]"), the number of bodies, number of female [[breast]]s bared, the notional number of total pints of blood spilled, and for appropriately untoward movies, a "vomit meter".{{fact|date=February 2023}} A typical review summary might read: {{quote|"No dead bodies. One hundred seventeen breasts. Multiple aardvarking.{{efn|"Aardvarking" is one of many euphemisms Briggs uses in reference to [[sexual intercourse]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.joebobbriggs.com/list/aardvarklist.txt|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080302125316/http://www.joebobbriggs.com/list/aardvarklist.txt|url-status=dead|title=Aardvarking List|archive-date=March 2, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.joebobbriggs.com/drivein/1994/saturdaynightspecial.htm|title=Joe Bob's Advice to the Hopeless – "Dear Joe Bob, Why does the term "aardvarking" mean sexual intercourse..."|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080110092101/http://www.joebobbriggs.com/drivein/1994/saturdaynightspecial.htm |archive-date=January 10, 2008|date=1994|website=Joebobbriggs.com}}</ref>}} Lap dancing. Cage dancing. Convenience-store dancing. Blindfold aardvarking. Blind-MAN aardvarking. Lesbo Fu. Pool cue-Fu. Drive-In Academy Award nominations for [[Tané McClure]]. Joe Bob says check it out."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dallasobserver.com/film/joe-bob-briggs-6398041|title=JOE BOB BRIGGS APRIL 4, 1996 4:00AM}}</ref> }} Originally, Bloom's film reviews as "Briggs" were limited to pictures shown at local drive-ins. Later, after a tongue-in-cheek "battle" with his own convictions in ''[[Joe Bob Goes Back to the Drive In]]'', he also began reviewing films released on [[VHS]] and [[DVD]].{{citation needed|date=December 2021}} ===Reaction to redevelopment of 42nd Street=== During the early 1980s, when [[New York City]] was in the planning stages of redeveloping its run-down [[42nd Street (Manhattan)|42nd Street]], [[Times Square]] area, which included closing many [[grindhouse]]s showing [[B-movie]]s on double and triple bills around the clock, as well as many [[porn theater]]s, Briggs encouraged a "postcard-Fu" campaign encouraging genre-film fans to write to city officials and pressure them into saving "the one place in New York City you could see a decent drive-in movie".<ref>{{cite book |title=Ghosts of 42nd Street: A History of America's Most Infamous Block |last=Bianco |first=Anthony |year=2004 |publisher=[[HarperCollins]] |location=New York |isbn=0-688-17089-7 |page=230 }}</ref> ==Television== In 1986, as a result of the stage show, "Briggs" was asked to be a guest host on ''Drive-in Theater'', a late-night B-movie show on [[The Movie Channel]] (TMC). This led to his hosting ''Joe Bob's Drive-in Theater'', which ran from 1986 to 1996,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://bloody-disgusting.com/editorials/3711079/joe-bobs-drive-in-theater-was-our-original-introduction-to-joe-bob-briggs-tv-terrors/|title='Joe Bob's Drive-In Theater' Was Our Original Introduction to Joe Bob Briggs [TV Terrors]|date=April 15, 2022|website=[[Bloody Disgusting]]|author= Vasquez Jr., Felix}}</ref> It was twice nominated for the industry's [[CableACE Award]].<ref name="The Aquarian">{{cite news|url= https://www.theaquarian.com/2018/12/19/joe-bob-briggs-thrivin-with-the-drive-in/|title= Joe Bob Briggs: Thrivin' with the Drive-In|first=Bryan |last=Reesman |date= December 19, 2018|work=[[The Aquarian]]}}</ref> After the show ended, he hosted the [[TNT (American TV network)|TNT]] network's similar ''[[MonsterVision]]'' for four years through July 2000.<ref name="The Aquarian" /> In the late 1990s, "Briggs" spent two seasons as a commentator on [[Comedy Central]]'s ''[[The Daily Show]]'' (under his given name, John Bloom), with a recurring segment called [[List of The Daily Show recurring segments#God Stuff|God Stuff]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://uproxx.com/tv/the-daily-show-missing-correspondents/|title='The Daily Show' Contributors That Didn't Make It to Jon Stewart's Final Show|first=Andrew|last=Roberts|date=August 8, 2015|website=[[Uproxx]]}}</ref> He appears in [[Frank Henenlotter]]'s documentary ''[[Herschell Gordon Lewis]] – Godfather of Gore''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dreadcentral.com/news/38584/the-ghost-trap-gets-sprung-on-dvd-in-january/|title=The Ghost Trap Gets Sprung on DVD in January|last=Barton|first=Steve|date=October 18, 2012|website=[[Dread Central]]|access-date=2019-07-06 }}</ref> In 2018, the horror-themed subscription [[video on demand]] service [[Shudder (streaming service)|Shudder]], owned and operated by [[AMC Networks|AMC]], signed Briggs for a new series, ''[[The Last Drive-in with Joe Bob Briggs]]'', which premiered as a 13-film marathon on July 13, 2018.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://bloody-disgusting.com/tv/3506216/trailer-24-hour-marathon-last-drive-joe-bob-briggs-coming-shudder-july/|title=[Trailer] 24-Hour Marathon "The Last Drive-In with Joe Bob Briggs" Coming to Shudder in July|last=Squires|first=John|date=June 25, 2018|publisher=[[Bloody Disgusting]]|access-date=July 31, 2018}}</ref> During the premiere, Shudder's servers crashed as a result of a large number of subscribers attempting to access the show.<ref>{{cite magazine|url= https://ew.com/movies/2019/03/25/joe-bob-briggs-shudder-last-drive-in/| title= How movie critic Joe Bob Briggs' new show united horror fans — and broke the internet|first=Clark|last=Collis|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|date=March 25, 2019}}</ref> Shudder streamed two shorter marathons on [[Thanksgiving (United States)|Thanksgiving]] and [[Christmas Day]] 2018<ref>{{cite instagram|user=shudder|postid=BleRL7xF_17|date=July 20, 2018|title=Due to overwhelming demand, we're bringing @joebobbriggsofficial back later this year! Stay tuned for details - the drive in will never die!|access-date=July 31, 2018}}</ref> Beginning in March 2020, the show returned to Briggs' old double-feature format. A second season consisting of 10 films premiered April 24, 2020. Season 3 began April 16, 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Briggs|first=Joe Bob|date=February 23, 2021|title=Joe Bob Briggs on Twitter|url=https://twitter.com/therealjoebob/status/1364271401579016192|access-date=2021-03-07|via=[[Twitter]]|language=en}}</ref> "Briggs" was also a commentator for a [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]] TV news magazine for two seasons.{{citation needed|date=September 2022}} He also appeared in episodes of the Fox sitcom ''[[Married... with Children]]'' in season 8 and 9 as Billy Ray Wetnap, co-owner of Pest Boys Pest Control.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://tv.apple.com/us/episode/scared-single/umc.cmc.4yu44wyiguhb052ft4ejyn2pp?showId=umc.cmc.33l36gq9dd7x7xz2vcxkqtnfd|title=''Married... with Children'': 'Scared Single'|date=November 7, 1993 |publisher=[[Apple TV]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://tv.apple.com/us/episode/shoeway-to-heaven/umc.cmc.3d59tnp59ko3udfb3hggxm373?showId=umc.cmc.33l36gq9dd7x7xz2vcxkqtnfd|title=''Married... with Children'': Shoeway to Heaven'|date=September 4, 1994 |publisher=[[Apple TV]]}}</ref> He also wrote and performed in specials for Fox and [[Showtime (TV network)|Showtime]],{{citation needed|date=September 2022}} and collaborated with comedy writer [[Norman Steinberg]] on an unproduced [[NBC]] sitcom.{{citation needed|date=September 2022}} ==Magazine and newspaper writing== "Briggs" has written for ''[[Newsweek]]'',<ref name="Thomas Korosec">{{cite news|url= https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-xpm-1991-03-01-9102280424-story.html |title=A Wiser Side of Joe Bob|first=Thomas|last=Korosec|work=[[Fort Worth Star-Telegram]]|via=[[Orlando Sentinel]]|date=March 1, 1991}}</ref> ''[[National Lampoon (magazine)|National Lampoon]]'',<ref name="Thomas Korosec"/> ''[[Rolling Stone]]'',<ref name="Collider">{{cite news|url= https://collider.com/joe-bob-briggs-horror-hosts-why-its-good/|title=Joe Bob Briggs Proves That Horror Hosts Aren't Dead Yet|first=Spencer|last=Whitworth|date=April 23, 2022|work=[[Collider (website)|Collider]]}}</ref> ''[[Playboy]]'',<ref name="Collider" /> ''[[The Village Voice]]'',<ref name="Collider" /> and ''[[National Review]]'',<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nationalreview.com/author/joe-bob-briggs/|title=Joe Bob Briggs|work=[[National Review]].}}</ref> Bloom's two syndicated newspaper columns as "Briggs", "Joe Bob Goes to the Drive-in" and "Joe Bob's America", were picked up by ''[[The New York Times]]'' Syndicate in the 1990s.{{citation needed|date=September 2022}} For one year he wrote a humorous sex advice column in ''[[Penthouse (magazine)|Penthouse]]''.{{citation needed|date=September 2022}} In 2000, he started writing the "Drive-in" column again, this time for [[United Press International]],<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/2000/12/27/Joe-Bob-Goes-to-the-Drive-In/3547977893200/|title=Joe Bob Goes to the Drive-In|first=Joe Bob|last=Briggs|publisher=[[United Press International]]|date=December 27, 2000}}</ref> along with a second column, "The Vegas Guy", which chronicles Briggs' weekly forays into the casinos of America.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/2000/11/14/The-Vegas-Guy/9835974178000/|title=The Vegas Guy|first=Joe Bob|last=Briggs|publisher=[[United Press International]]|date=November 14, 2000}}</ref> "Briggs" was president of the [[Trinity Foundation (Dallas)|Trinity Foundation]] of Dallas, a non-denominational, non-profit public foundation that serves as a religious [[wikt:watchdog|watchdog]] group and publishes ''[[The Door (satirical Christian magazine)|The Door]]'', a Christian satire magazine, for which "Briggs" was a regular columnist.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.dallasobserver.com/arts/seedy-horror-film-reviewer-joe-bob-briggs-is-back-10164412|title=Drive-in Film Guru Joe Bob Briggs Returns to His Dallas Homeland Next Month|last=Gallagher|first=Danny|date=December 14, 2017|work=[[Dallas Observer]]|access-date=August 1, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://oklahoman.com/article/5645611/drive-in-movie-critic-joe-bob-briggs-bringing-how-rednecks-saved-hollywood-one-man-show-to-okc|title='Drive-in movie critic' Joe Bob Briggs bringing 'How Rednecks Saved Hollywood' one-man show to OKC|last=McDonnell|first=Brandy|date=October 30, 2019|work=[[The Oklahoman]]|access-date=August 1, 2020}}</ref> ==Books== Under his given name, John Bloom, he co-wrote (with Jim Atkinson) the nonfiction book ''Evidence of Love: The Candy Montgomery Story'' (1984). The book recounts the 1980 [[Wylie, Texas]] murder case in which Montgomery killed her ex-lover's wife, Betty Gore, by striking her 41 times with an axe and whose highly publicized trial ended in an unexpected acquittal.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.dentonrc.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/061110dnmetwylie.1d11ed4.html|title=Some in Wylie don't know of 1980 ax slaying; others can't forget|last=Weiss|first=Jeffrey|date=June 11, 2020|work=[[The Dallas Morning News]]|via=[[Denton Record-Chronicle]]|access-date=August 2, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100615042717/http://www.dentonrc.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/061110dnmetwylie.1d11ed4.html|archive-date=June 15, 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/notorious_murders/classics/betty_gore/12.html|title=Murder By the Book: Candy and Betty|last=Krajicek|first=David|website=[[TruTV.com]]|access-date=August 2, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100322230759/http://www.trutv.com:80/library/crime/notorious_murders/classics/betty_gore/12.html|archive-date=March 22, 2010}}</ref> The book was adapted into the CBS [[Television film|TV film]], ''[[A Killing in a Small Town]]'', starring [[Barbara Hershey]], and the [[HBO Max]] miniseries, ''[[Love & Death (miniseries)|Love & Death]],'' starring [[Elizabeth Olsen]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.texasmonthly.com/the-stand-up-desk/hbo-max-orders-love-and-death-tv-series-inspired-by-texas-monthly-articles/|title=HBO Max Orders 'Love and Death' TV Series Inspired by Texas Monthly Articles|date=May 3, 2021|work=[[Texas Monthly]]|access-date=December 3, 2021}}</ref> As "Joe Bob Briggs", Bloom has published five books of satire—''Joe Bob Goes to the Drive In'', ''A Guide to Western Civilization, or My Story'', ''[[Joe Bob Goes Back to the Drive In]]'', ''The Cosmic Wisdom of Joe Bob Briggs'', and ''Iron Joe Bob'', his homage to the [[men's movement]] and the nonfiction books ''Profoundly Disturbing: Shocking Movies That Changed History''<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-7893-0844-3|title=''Profoundly Disturbing: The Shocking Movies That Changed History''|work=[[Publishers Weekly]]}}</ref> and ''Profoundly Erotic: Sexy Movies that Changed History''.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/62270221|title=''Profoundly Erotic: Sexy Movies that Changed History''|publisher=[[WorldCat]]|oclc=62270221 }}</ref> In 2016, again under his given name, Bloom wrote the nonfiction book ''Eccentric Orbits: The Iridium Story'' in which he traces the conception, development, and launching of the [[Iridium satellite constellation]] and the race to save it from destruction.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/books/jacketcopy/la-ca-jc-eccentric-orbits-20160601-snap-story.html|title='Eccentric Orbits' chronicles the stunning failure (and improbable revival) of the Iridium satellite phone|last=Athitakis|first=Mark|date=June 17, 2016|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]|access-date=August 1, 2020}}</ref> ==One-man shows== In July 1985, Bloom's one-man show ''An Evening with Joe Bob Briggs'' debuted in [[Cleveland]], Ohio. Later re-titled ''Joe Bob Dead in Concert'' for home release, the show evolved into a theatrical piece involving storytelling, comedy and music. The show was performed in more than 50 venues over the next two years, including [[Carolines on Broadway]] in New York and regular engagements at Wolfgang's and the [[Great American Music Hall]] in [[San Francisco]], as well as at convention centers, theaters, music clubs and other comedy clubs. In 2019, Briggs began performing a new one-man show, ''How Rednecks Saved Hollywood'', at genre film festivals and revival movie houses.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://joebobbriggs.net/shows/|title=Gigs|website=Joe Bob Briggs}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://1428elm.com/2019/03/11/joe-bob-briggs-how-rednecks-saved-hollywood/|title=Joe Bob Briggs hits the road for How Rednecks Saved Hollywood tour|date=March 11, 2019}}</ref> ==Other== "Briggs" has contributed [[audio commentaries]] to DVDs released by Media Blasters and Elite Entertainment including ''[[Jesse James Meets Frankenstein's Daughter]]'', ''[[The Double-D Avenger]]'', [[Michael Findlay (filmmaker)|Michael Findlay]]'s ''Blood Sisters'', ''[[Warlock Moon]]'', ''[[Samurai Cop]]'', ''[[I Spit on Your Grave]]'', and several [[Ray Dennis Steckler]] films including ''[[The Incredibly Strange Creatures Who Stopped Living and Became Mixed-Up Zombies]]'' and ''[[Blood Shack]]''. Bloom appeared as himself in the [[Jonathan Maberry]] novel ''Bad Moon Rising'' (2008). Joe Bob is one of several real-world horror celebrities who are in the [[Pine Deep Trilogy|fictional town of Pine Deep]] when monsters attack.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://blogcritics.org/books/article/interview-with-jonathan-maberry-part-two|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111123061450/http://blogcritics.org/books/article/interview-with-jonathan-maberry-part-two/|url-status=dead|title=BC Books Interviews Author Jonathan Maberry|archive-date=November 23, 2011}}</ref><ref>Maberry, Jonathan. "Bad Moon Rising". Pinnacle Press, 2005.</ref> ==Controversies== In 1985, Briggs wrote a satirical column about the "[[We Are the World]]" video. The resulting controversy, which included accusations of racism towards Bloom,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1985/04/18/us/charges-of-racism-cause-texas-paper-to-cancel-column.html|title=Charges of Racism Cause Texas Paper to Cancel Column|date=April 18, 1985|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=December 3, 2021}}</ref> ended Bloom's position at the ''Dallas Times Herald''. His syndicated column changed distributors.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.dallasobserver.com/news/joe-bob-in-bloom-6401265|title=Joe Bob in Bloom|last=Fowler|first=Jimmy|date=December 17, 1998|work=[[Dallas Observer]]|access-date=August 1, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1986/12/22/the-life-and-times-of-joe-bob-briggs-so-far|title=The Life and Times of Joe Bob Briggs, So Far|last=Trillin|first=Calvin|date=December 15, 1986|magazine=[[The New Yorker]]|access-date=April 27, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.dmagazine.com/frontburner/2018/01/earburner-joe-bob-briggs-ne-john-bloom-gets-serious-sort-of/|title=EarBurner: Joe Bob Briggs, né John Bloom, Gets Serious. Sort Of.|last=Goodman|first=Matt|date=January 25, 2018|work=[[D Magazine]]|access-date=August 1, 2020}}</ref> In May 2020, Briggs received backlash for writing articles published on the right-wing website ''[[Taki's Magazine]]'' in which he criticized the [[LGBTQ]] initialism "and argued for the 'need' to listen to [[white supremacist]] speakers.<ref name="Hallock 2020">{{cite news|url=https://www.dallasnews.com/arts-entertainment/movies/2020/07/29/joe-bob-briggs-reveals-he-had-covid-19-but-kept-it-under-wraps-at-the-time/|title=Joe Bob Briggs reveals he had COVID-19. Here's why he didn't tell anyone|last=Hallock|first=Jeremy|date=July 29, 2020|work=[[The Dallas Morning News]]|access-date=December 3, 2021}}</ref> ==Personal life== In May 2020, Bloom contracted [[COVID-19]] but did not make his condition known to the public. Discussing the experience on the podcast ''Geek Tawk''—hosted by his ''Last Drive-In'' co-host Diana Prince (Darcy the Mail Girl)—in July 2020, Bloom stated, "Many people have had [COVID-19] and most of them were much worse off than me. [...] I wish everybody thought it was a death sentence, because then everyone would wear the fucking mask and then we would get rid of it."<ref name="Hallock 2020" /><ref>{{cite podcast|host=Prince, Diana|title=Season 2 Shenanigans w Mr. JB|website=[[SoundCloud]]|publisher=Geek Tawk|date=July 23, 2020|url=https://soundcloud.com/geektawk/geek-tawk|access-date=December 3, 2021}}</ref> Bloom was married to Joyce Karns from 1978 until they divorced a year later in 1979. He married Paula Leigh Bowen in 1988.<ref name="filmreference" /> ==Filmography== {| class="wikitable" |- align="center" ! colspan=4 style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Film |- align="center" ! style="background: #CCCCCC;" | Year ! style="background: #CCCCCC;" | Title ! style="background: #CCCCCC;" | Role ! style="background: #CCCCCC;" | Notes |- | 1986 | ''[[The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2]]'' | Gonzo Moviegoer | Scenes deleted<ref>{{cite book|last=Armstrong|first=Kent Byron|date=2003|title=Slasher Films: An International Filmography, 1960 Through 2001|publisher=[[McFarland & Company]]|pages=319–320|isbn=0-7864-1462-6}}</ref> |- | 1989 | ''[[Great Balls of Fire! (film)|Great Balls of Fire!]]'' | Dewey "Daddy-O" Phillips | |- | rowspan=2|1990 | ''Hollywood Boulevard II'' | Himself | |- | ''A Killing in a Small Town'' | Writer | Book "Evidence of Love" |- | 1992 | ''The Chiller Theatre Expo Video Vol. 1'' | Himself | Documentary film |- | rowspan=2|1995 | ''[[Casino (1995 film)|Casino]]'' | Don Ward - Slot Manager | |- | ''After Sunset: The Life & Times of the Drive-In Theater'' | Himself | Documentary film |- | 1997 | ''[[Face/Off]]'' | Shock Technician | |- | 1999 | ''The Storytellers'' | Scrappy the Janitor | |- | 2002 | ''The Many Lives of Jason Voorhees'' | Himself | Documentary film short |- | rowspan=3|2004 | ''[[All That You Love Will Be Carried Away#Film, TV or theatrical adaptations|All That You Love Will Be Carried Away]]'' | Alfie Zimmer | |- |''Drive-in Movie Memories'' | Himself | Documentary film |- | ''Chainsaw Redux: Making a Massacre'' | Himself | Documentary film |- | rowspan=2|2005 | ''The Perfect Scary Movie'' | Himself | Documentary film |- | ''Horror Business'' | Himself | Documentary film |- | rowspan=4|2006 | ''Evil Ever After'' | Marvin | Direct-to-DVD release |- | ''Inspector Mom'' | Writer | TV movie |- | ''[[American Scary]]'' | Himself | Documentary film |- | ''Texas Frightmare Weekend 2006'' | Himself | Documentary film |- | rowspan=4|2007 | ''Ghosts of Goldfield'' | Clancy | Direct-to-DVD release |- | ''Rapturious'' | Doctor | |- | ''Wretched'' | Eric | |- | ''One by One We Will Take You: The Untold Saga of the Evil Dead'' | Himself | Documentary film |- | 2010 | ''Herschell Gordon Lewis: The Godfather of Gore'' | Himself | Documentary film |- | 2012 | ''[[The Sleeper (2012 film)|The Sleeper]]'' | Doctor Briggs |"Special Guest" |- | 2012 | ''[[Foodfight!]]'' | Additional Voices | |- | 2014 | ''The Nail Gun Massacre: Texas Frightmare Weekend'' | Himself | Documentary film short |- | rowspan=3|2016 | ''The Ghosts of Johnson Woods'' | Warren | |- | ''VHS Massacre'' | Himself | Documentary film |- | ''In Defense of Henry'' | Himself | Documentary film short |- | rowspan=2|2017 | ''Its Exactly What You Think It Is! An Appreciation of 'Pieces'' | Himself | Documentary film short |- | ''Roar: The Most Dangerous Movie Ever Made'' | Himself | Documentary film |- | rowspan=4|2018 | ''Poetry Slammed'' | Warren | |- | ''Survival of the Film Freaks'' | Himself | Documentary film |- | ''Jim Dandy to the Rescue: A Film by Joey Skidmore'' | Himself | Documentary film |- | ''B-Documentary Part Two'' | Himself | Documentary film |- | rowspan=2|2019 | ''[[In Search of Darkness]]'' | Himself | Documentary film |- | ''[[Scare Package]]'' | Himself | "Horror Hypothesis" segment |- | rowspan=5|2020 | ''Hogzilla'' | Andy McGraw | Release originally planned for 2007 |- | ''Joe Bob's Haunted Drive-in'' | Himself | |- | ''VHS Massacre Too'' | Himself | Documentary film |- | ''In Search of Darkness: Part II'' | Himself | Documentary film |- | ''Rondo and Bob'' | Himself | Documentary film |- | TBA | Werewolf Santa | Himself | <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.starburstmagazine.com/new-werewolf-movie-frostbite-production|title=New Werewolf Movie FROSTBITE is in Production|last=Unsworth|first=Martin|website=[[Starburst (magazine)|Starburst]]|date=September 23, 2020|access-date=July 5, 2021}}</ref> |- | TBA | ''[[Cryptids (film)|Cryptids]]'' | Major Harlan Dean | <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/cryptids-feature-length-creature-horror-anthology#/|title=Cryptids-Feature Length Creature Horror Anthology|last=Seaman|first=Justin M.|website=[[Indiegogo]]|access-date=July 28, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rue-morgue.com/exclusive-poster-comments-joe-bob-briggs-stars-in-cryptids/|title=Exclusive Poster, Comments: Joe Bob Briggs Stars in "Cryptids"|last=Gingold|first=Michael|date=July 27, 2020|website=[[Rue Morgue (magazine)|Rue Morgue]]|access-date=July 28, 2020}}</ref> |- |- align="center" ! colspan=4 style="background:#B0C4DE;" | Television |- align="center" ! style="background: #CCCCCC;" | Year ! style="background: #CCCCCC;" | Title ! style="background: #CCCCCC;" | Role ! style="background: #CCCCCC;" | Notes |- | 1980 | ''[[Hello, Larry]]'' | Big Guy | 1 episode |- | 1986-1996 | ''Joe Bob's Drive-in Theater'' | Himself | 527+ episodes |- |1986 | ''Ed Busch Show'' | Himself | 2nd episode – recorded live at the [[State Fair of Texas]] in [[Dallas]] |- | 1987 | ''[[KDAF|KDAF 33 Friday Movies]]'' | Himself | 10 episodes |- | 1992 | ''[[The Tonight Show with Jay Leno]]'' | Himself | 1 episode |- | rowspan=2|1993-1994 | ''Front Page'' | Himself | |- | ''[[Married... with Children]]'' | Billy Ray Wetnap | 2 episodes |- | 1994 | ''[[The Stand (1994 miniseries)|The Stand]]'' | Deputy Joe-Bob Brentwood | Miniseries |- | 1996-2000 | ''[[MonsterVision]]'' | Himself | 207+ episodes |- | 2000-2003 | ''[[The Daily Show]]'' | Contributor 'God Stuff' |- | 2004 | ''Super Secret Movie Rules'' | Himself | "Slashers" episode |- | rowspan=2|2018 | ''Cinemassacre Interviews'' | Himself | 1 episode |- | ''Without Your Head'' | Himself | 1 episode |- | 2018–present | ''[[The Last Drive-in with Joe Bob Briggs]]'' | Himself | 5 seasons, 20 specials |- |2022 |''[[The Boulet Brothers' Dragula: Titans]]'' |Himself, guest judge |Episode 8 |} ===Podcast appearances=== "Briggs" appeared on [[Ken Reid (comedian)|Ken Reid]]'s ''TV Guidance Counselor'' podcast on June 16, 2016,<ref>{{Cite web|last=Reid|first=Ken|date=June 16, 2016|title=TV Guidance Counselor Episode 156: Joe Bob Briggs, Frank Conniff and Trace Beaulieu|url=https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/tv-guidance-counselor-episode-156-joe-bob-briggs-frank/id821665905?i=1000370861430|access-date=July 5, 2021|website=[[Apple Podcasts]]}}</ref> as well as the podcasts ''Frightday'' on July 11, 2018,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.frightday.com/a-conversation-with-joe-bob-briggs/|title=A Conversation with…Joe Bob Briggs|website=Frightday|language=en-US|access-date=March 28, 2019}}</ref> ''Astonishing Legends Podcast'' on December 9, 2018,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.astonishinglegends.com/al-podcasts/2018/12/7/ep-127-hosting-horror-with-joe-bob-briggs|title=Ep 127: Hosting Horror with Joe Bob Briggs|website=Astonishing Legends|language=en-US|access-date=March 18, 2019}}</ref> and ''[[The Last Podcast on the Left]]'' on March 28, 2019.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://directory.libsyn.com/episode/index/show/lpotl/id/9172463|title=Side Stories: Joe Bob Briggs|website=The Last Podcast on the Left|language=en-US|access-date=March 28, 2019}}</ref> He also appeared on AEW wrestler Chris Jericho's podcast Talk is Jericho. ==Notes== {{Notelist}} ==References== {{Reflist}} ==Bibliography== *''Evidence of Love: A True Story of Passion and Death in the Suburbs'' (1984) with Jim Atkinson, {{ISBN|1-5040-4952-7}} *''Joe Bob Goes to the Drive-in'' (1987), {{ISBN|0-385-29442-5}} *''A Guide to Western Civilization, or: My Story'' (1988), {{ISBN|0-385-29671-1}} *''Joe Bob Goes Back to the Drive-in'' (1990), {{ISBN|0-385-29770-X}} *''The Cosmic Wisdom of Joe Bob Briggs'' (1990), {{ISBN|0-394-58890-8}} *''Iron Joe Bob'' (1992), {{ISBN|0-87113-488-8}} *''Profoundly Disturbing: Shocking Movies that Changed History!'' (2003), {{ISBN|0-7893-0844-4}} *''Profoundly Erotic: Sexy Movies that Changed History'' (2005), {{ISBN|0-7893-1314-6}} *''Eccentric Orbits: The Iridium Story'' (2016), {{ISBN|0-8021-2168-3}} ==External links== {{Wikiquote}} *[http://www.joebobbriggs.com/ Official website] *{{IMDb name|89185}} *[http://www.acmewebpages.net/joebob/index.html ACME Joe Bob Briggs] *[http://www.kittenpants.com/20_peed/joebob.asp Interview] with [[Kittenpants]].org *[http://www.avclub.com/article/interview-joe-bob-briggs-14065 Interview at The Onion AV Club] {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Briggs, Joe Bob}} [[Category:1953 births]] [[Category:Male actors from Arkansas]] [[Category:American film critics]] [[Category:American male film actors]] [[Category:American male television actors]] [[Category:American performance artists]] [[Category:Horror hosts]] [[Category:Journalists from Texas]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Male actors from Little Rock, Arkansas]] [[Category:Male actors from Dallas]] [[Category:People from Grapevine, Texas]] [[Category:Vanderbilt University alumni]] [[Category:Writers from Little Rock, Arkansas]] [[Category:Comedians from Dallas]] [[Category:Comedians from Arkansas]]'