Owen Wilson owes Steely Dan and apology. Or at least they think so. You see, back in 2001, Steely Dan won a Grammy for Best Pop Performance with a tune titled “Cousin Dupree.” It seems the Dupree character in Own Wilson’s new movie, You, Me, and Dupree has a whole lot of similarities to Cousin Dupree of the song. Right down to the same name.
Steely Dan, creators of such hits as “Hey Nineteen” and “Rikki Don’t Lost That Number” posted a humorous letter on their web page on July 17th to Luke Wilson, brother of Owen. They go on about what tripe You, Me, and Dupree is (despite making $21.5 million at the box office), saying that Owen is subject to lose his “coolness factor” if he does not stop making such lame movies.
As repentance, they ask Luke to have Owen come their July 19th concert in Irvine and publicly apologize for stealing their character. As a reward for acknowledging that he did wrong and shouldn’t have gotten involved in the movie project to begin with, Owen would receive Steely Dan merchandise and get to party with the band members, Walter Becker and Donald Fagen. There is even a joking hint of bodily harm if Owen doesn’t comply with their demands.
That appearance did not happen and Owen issued a statement through his representative that said, “I have never heard the song ‘Cousin Dupree’ and I don’t even know who this gentleman, Mr. Steely Dan, is. I hope this helps clear things up and I can get back to concentrating on my new movie “Hey, 19.” That statement cracked me up – I love Owen Wilson’s sense of humor.
What do you think? If you haven’t heard the song “Cousin Dupree,” here’s the lyrics – you can judge for yourself just how close Cousin Dupree and Dupree are:
Cousin Dupree
Steely Dan
(Two Against Nature)
Well I’ve kicked around a lot since high school
I’ve worked a lot of nowhere gigs
From keyboard man in a rock’n ska band
To haulin’ boss crude in the big rigs
Now I’ve come back home to plan my next move
From the comfort of my Aunt Faye’s couch
When I see my little cousin Janine walk in
All I could say was ow-ow-ouch
[CHORUS:]
Honey how you’ve grown
Like a rose
Well we used to play
When we were three
How about a kiss for your cousin Dupree
She turned my life into a living hell
In those little tops and tight capris
I pretended to be readin’ the National Probe
As I was watchin’ her wax her skis
On Saturday night she walked in with her date
And backs him up against the wall
I tumbled off the couch and heard myself sing
In a voice I never knew I had before
[CHORUS]
I’ll teach you everything I know
If you teach me how to do that dance
Life is short and quid pro quo
And what’s so strange about a down-home family romance?
One night we’re playin’ gin by a cracklin’ fire
And I decided to make my play
I said babe with my boyish charm and good looks
How can you stand it for one more day
She said maybe its the skeevy look in your eyes
Or that your mind has turned to applesauce
The dreary architecture of your soul
I said – but what is it exactly turns you off?
[CHORUS]