How About A Kiss For Your Cousin Dupree

My cultural heroes Steely Dan have once again put their finger on a problem that I couldn't quite locate. First it was wide-mouthed tenor Donald Fagen declaring that "once David Letterman hit the airwaves, it was all over for irony"; now in a letter posted on their website they expose the the movie YOU ME AND DUPREE as a ripoff of a song from TWO AGAINST NATURE.

In typically devious fashion, the letter is addressed to Owen Wilson's brother, Luke. It cites the character of Cousin Dupree, from the same-named song, and the similarities are striking:

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

I'd quote the letter at length but Mssrs. Dan posted it as a graphic, but it's definately worth a read.