Talk:Car Talk

Vandalism

I've reversed the edit by 111.69.234.134 on 31 October 2010 that added the comment "Following the removal of speed limits in Montana, the two made hysterical denunciations of the reasonable choices of traffic engineers in that state." — Preceding unsigned comment added by Meservy (talk • contribs) 09:15, 27 December 2010 (UTC)

graduation

According to The Cartalk FAQ, "Tommy graduated with a degree in Chemical Engineering, class of 1958. Ray barely graduated with a degree in General Science. He was MIT class of '70... '71... and '72." Clearly there's some jesting going on with the FAQ, but I'd believe the official FAQ's version of what degrees they earned over "humanities" and "economics" which as far as I know had never been confirmed and may have been jokes in the first place. --ABQCat 06:12, 12 Oct 2004 (UTC)

Doug Berman biography

copyright for credits?

The list of (humorous) credits seems to be from the cartalk web page http://www.cartalk.com/content/about/credits/credits.html. Is this fair use?

I would argue that this particular list may not be, however, what if I were to listen to the radio program (broadcast on the public airwaves) and transcribe the list of credits read at the end? I think at that point, you start pushing the limits of fair use. Cartalk would own the copyright to the list, but it's fair use to list the credits as read on-air. --ABQCat 01:34, 3 Apr 2005 (UTC)

The broadcasts are also copyrighted. Being broadcast over "public airwaves" in no way diminishes the copyright of the owners of that content. If you list a few examples of the the credits as a representative sampling, THAT might qualify as fair use, but using the entire listing, whether taken from the website or transcribed from a broadcast would be a bit more difficult to justify as fair use. older≠wiser 03:12, Apr 3, 2005 (UTC)

Personally I think that talk of copyright is ridiculous in this case as it is billed as "credits", regardless of whether they are fictional or not. We certainly wouldn't claim that an alphabetically ordered list of characters from "The Simpsons" was subject to copyright restrictions such that it would be unlawfull to reproduce it. Furthermore the effect of this is most likely beneficial to the ostensible holder of the copyright, and not for profit, which heavily leans this publication towards fair use. Furthermore the website suggests that it is listeners who submit the names for the credits, and thus cartalk has no claim on copyright, and submitters acknowledge permision of use by submitting. Nevertheless I have emailed "Car Talk" and will have explicit permission probably within a day or two. Certainly Bkonrad could have done the same instead of yanking it.

Catskul 03:31, 2005 Apr 4 (UTC)

This was an interesting convo 13 years ago, but it rather missed the point. The impediment to reproducing the credits wasn't a copyright issue, it was that without a reliable third-party source for the information the inclusion constitutes original research. Anything personally experienced by a Wikipedia editor that can't be sourced to an impartial observer is original research. Using the credits as listed on the website is using a primary source. Copyright only becomes an issue here if you are trying to claim their words as your own. Canonblack (talk) 14:30, 23 September 2018 (UTC)

Video of Car Talk guys

There is a free video of Car Talk guys that I put on some of the hydrogen related pages. I have never seen a TV show about them even after hearing them on the radio for so long. I'm putting this link here so you too can see what they long like and maybe learn a little about hydrogen cars:

• NOVA scienceNOW - A 14 minute video of the NOVA broadcast about hydrogen fueled cars that aired on PBS, July 26, 2005. Hosted by Robert Krulwich with guests, Ray and Tom Magliozzi, the Car Talk brothers. -Hyad 07:44, August 2, 2005 (UTC)

Pronunciation thingies

I always thought I heard a slight "r" sound in the word "Tappet", so it sounds a little like "tar pit". Makes a little more sense. « alerante ✆ ✉ » 15:01:58, 2005-08-20 (UTC)

They've got a pretty thick Boston accent, but it is indeed "Tappet." The copyright notice from their website:

CAR TALK, DEWEY, CHEETHAM & HOWE, SHAMELESS COMMERCE, and WARPED DISCS and are registered trademarks of Tom and Ray Magliozzi and/or Tappet Brothers Associates d/b/a Dewey, Cheetham & Howe.

A 'tappet' is a rocker arm...part of the valve train in a car engine. It's a word that is falling into disuse - but this is certainly what Click & Clack are referring too. Furthermore, I would speculate that since poorly adjusted tappets make 'clicking and clacking' noises, that this explains the whole "Click and Clack the Tappet Brothers" thing. SteveBaker 18:16, 26 February 2006 (UTC)

I live near Cambridge and I noticed this window in Harvard Square that says "Dewey, Cheetham & Howe." I think it is their office for the radio show or something because I looked it up in the phone book and they gave me a phone number and an address in Harvard Square. I called it and I got an answering machine with them on it. I just thought you guys would like to know this, they aren't lying when they say they have an office in Havard Square. BenWhitey 01:01, 11 January 2006 (UTC)

I live in the Boston area, and it sounds to me like they've totally lost their Boston accent. In fact, I noticed that all hosts on WBUR programs speak with that neutral Standard American Broadcasting English. I'm almost certain that they got trained in the standard, when the show went national. I and most of my relatives still have a heavy Boston accent, so I can tell the difference.

Speaking of pronunciation, I question the spelling pun names in this article. I hear "Marge N. O'Vera" and "Heywood U. Buzzoff." —Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.199.139.77 (talk) 20:26, 21 February 2011 (UTC)

Theme song

According to this page on NPR.org the composer of the theme song is BJ Liederman, not David Grisman. Car talk's web site states David Grisman is the composer as stated in the article and does not mention BJ Liederman. While I listen to the show fairly regularly it's hard to say who is behind the music. Can anyone with more knowledge than me clarify? JohnCub 13:33, 20 February 2006 (UTC)

I think the theme song is taken from Dawgy Mtn, but I could be wrong. That is, Grisman wrote the song and Liederman arranged it? Or did the song used to be different? I used to never pay attention to the show, so I only have a clear memory of the song from the last 7 years. -- Ipstenu (talk|contribs) 15:35, 8 June 2006 (UTC)

I've seen the same discrepancy and either they used to have an NPR theme song (BJ does NPR themes, not bluegrass) and now use Dawgy Mtn, or they are just wrong and nobody's bothered to fix it. The mandolin song at the beginning is definitely Dawgy Mountain. Gaviidae 14:37, 24 June 2006 (UTC)

Update, BJ does the music for "Stump the Chumps." [1] and the bluegrass is Grisman. This link also talks about two other songs which I don't think I've heard: a Randy Newman song and a song called "Plastic Banana." Gaviidae 08:36, 26 June 2006 (UTC)

Good News Garage

I believe only Ray is involved with the day-to-day operation of the Good News Garage, while Tom's day job is consulting. Somebody please verify.

I recieved the Best and Second Best of Car Talk, a double CD, after donating to NPR. It states inside the cover that indeed only one of them still runs the garage-- I can't remember which one, but I thought it was Raymie. Gaviidae 14:38, 24 June 2006 (UTC)

Puzzler guy

What happened to the guy who developed many of the puzzlers. They thought he was dead but then his son came on and said he was still alive. --Gbleem 01:45, 25 May 2006 (UTC)

Martin Gardner (but he was never affiliated with the show). AnonMoos 20:24, 11 June 2006 (UTC)

Like Generalissimo Francisco Franco, Martin Gardner is still dead. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.171.176.234 (talk) 10:37, 19 July 2010 (UTC)

Early history & interlude music

As I recall, when the show was originally produced at WBUR, the Puzzler was started in order to assess the listening audience size. It also provided a way to publicize The Good News Garage, which was announced as the mailing address for responses. Furthermore, in the mid-80s I think, listeners were invited to mail in car-related songs and music, which were then used to introduce the half-time break.

Apparently, these measurements of audience size led to the decision to establish the program as a more substantial business, and its transition away from WBUR to a separate production company independent of of the station. Any thoughts on how to verify this?? JXM 19:34, 17 June 2006 (UTC)

Phone up and ask? SteveBaker 21:04, 17 June 2006 (UTC)

I think that would count as publishing original research (see WP:NOR), unless the org. change is reliably documented somewhere. JXM 01:03, 18 June 2006 (UTC)

canned laughter / editing?

What is the point of the paragraph about adding laughter via loop? The program is clearly edited like any other professionally produced radio show. Barring any specific detail about the production of the show (like when (and where) it is taped, when it airs, etc) it sounds less like an impartial statement of fact and more like an editorial comment. You'd might as well say "the jokes are regardess as funny by some listeners, but recognized for what they really are by smarter people."

On the same topic, has anyone seen or heard any background info on the production details? I'm curious about how (periodically) someone like a Magliozzi family member or an MIT "friend of the show" will call in seemingly in response to a comment made on the air earlier in the same show.

1963 Dodge Dart and citation

The "1963 Dodge Dart" joke has been mentioned hundreds of times over the years. Is the citation needed for this or just the "Dartre" part? BTW, this should cover the first part: http://www-tech.mit.edu/V114/N42/cartalk.42n.html --Og-emmet 16:31, 21 November 2006 (UTC)

Sponsorship?

Though the article says that listeners are encouraged to write the answers to Puzzler questions "on a $20 bill" or on nonexistent objects, lately the trend seems to be to suggest REAL objects -- typically expensive power tools -- complete with detailed descriptions of the features of those products. I have often wondered whether this is a form of sponsorship of the show, where companies pay to have their products described. Does anyone know? 71.198.65.9 17:53, 8 April 2007 (UTC)

I haven't listened to the full show within the past few months, but I think they gave both the monetary and object options.  — AnnaKucsma   (Talk to me!) 16:04, 12 April 2007 (UTC)

Fair use rationale for Image:Car Talk.gif

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fact?

"In May 2007, the program, which had only previously been available digitally as a paid subscription from Audible.com, became a free podcast distributed by NPR after a two month test period where only a 'call of the week' was available via podcast."

This can't be true -- I listened to this show for free online (which is obviously "digitally") going back to 2001, maybe 2000.

Maybe it wasn't available in *podcast* form before 2007?

69.3.238.172 08:43, 7 October 2007 (UTC)

Case for separating end credits

The Car Talk Official Staff Credits (seen here) run to several pages. My personal opinion is that some of them require explanation, especially for readers or listeners whose first language is not American English, are not regular listeners of NPR, younger than thirty years of age, etc. I would like to create a separate article listing and annotating the entire list, with links to referenced persons, explanations of idiomatic expressions, and links to people associated with unusual names, e.g. Clare Booth Luce for Turner Luce. Cstaffa (talk) 16:59, 8 March 2008 (UTC)

I'm in favor Catradar (talk) 07:30, 13 April 2008 (UTC)

Bias?

Suggestion to add something to the effect that Car Talk is the greatest radio program in the history of the world. I have no verifiable, third-party reference to support this, but I'd be glad to post such references somewhere else on the web and site them in the article.

Thoughts? (Gwopy (talk) 22:47, 22 September 2008 (UTC))

"Strong Boston Accent"?

They certainly don't have a stereotypical "Pahk the Cah in Hahvahd Yahd" or Kennedy-Quimby family accent; I doubt whether many people without first-hand Boston experience would be able to identify them as being from Boston based on their speech patterns alone... AnonMoos (talk) 00:55, 4 October 2008 (UTC)

Actually, that's "Pahk the Car in Hahvid Yahd." The 'r' in car is pronounced because it comes before a vowel in the following word. The 2nd 'a' in Harvard is unstressed, so it becomes a sound close to short 'i'.Bostoner (talk) 00:47, 9 December 2009 (UTC)

As a west coast person, I think they definitely sound at least New England, if not Boston accented. 24.21.10.30 (talk) 19:35, 23 March 2009 (UTC)

I think they are about as Boston-accented as it comes for people who have college degrees. Softlavender (talk) 04:11, 19 July 2009 (UTC)

Why would a college degree change your regional dialect? I have a degree and a key, and I have a very noticeable Boston accent.Bostoner (talk) 00:47, 9 December 2009 (UTC)

Are they back live on the air again?

I had understood that the Car talk guys had retired, as it says in this article. But when I look at the Car Talk web site, it lists the date that shows were first broadcast, and there are dates in 2013 and 2014. Furthermore, they still broadcast the call-in number. Wouldn't they have a disclaimer or something to say that the number no longer works? Davidb0229 (talk) 16:45, 25 January 2014 (UTC)

They're definitely still doing the show (I listen every week), but I can't find any RS saying "Hey, they're back!"...-- Brainy J ~✿~ (talk) 15:49, 6 February 2014 (UTC)

As the article already states, the current broadcasts are recompilations of previous segments from the archives. Also, @Davidb0229, I'm not sure why you think it'd be necessary to state that the call-in number no longer works. In my part of the world anyway, the outgoing msg simply directs callers to the various website resources. Is that not the case elsewhere? jxm (talk) 18:18, 6 February 2014 (UTC)

re-mixed shows continue to be produced and broadcast

Please add more details to the article about the production and broadcast of the ongoing re-mixed shows (as of the end of 2015).

These are sort of re-runs, yet not at all plain ordinary traditional simple re-runs. These are a small taste of the coming media future of famous people living on indefinitely in an eerie, ghostly way. Past recordings, including material never before broadcast, are being expertly re-mixed, perhaps with current fresh contributions from Ray, such that even tho the listeners know that Tom has been dead for years, it seems vividly that he is still here with us now, happily cackling away...

How are these shows produced, how are listeners experiencing this, what do media critics think, what other shows are moving in this direction, what is the technology and legal structure for keeping actors alive after death?-71.174.188.32 (talk) 18:48, 26 December 2015 (UTC)

Third Half

I'm fine with "Third Half" redirecting to this Car Talk article; I think the boys would be proud to make such an important contribution to our culture...

But it seems to me that folk not already familiar with the connection/explanation might be puzzled. Should there be more of an explicit linkage between the topnote and the relevant content, for the perplexed?-71.174.188.32 (talk) 18:57, 26 December 2015 (UTC)

External links modified

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• Added archive http://web.archive.org/web/20070403211725/http://www.cartalk.com:80/content/faq/faq-straight.html#17 to http://www.cartalk.com/content/faq/faq-straight.html
• Added archive http://web.archive.org/web/20110725155344/http://articles.boston.com/2011-03-29/ae/29360749_1_wizard-bitterness-magliozzis to http://articles.boston.com/2011-03-29/ae/29360749_1_wizard-bitterness-magliozzis

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"car talk" the play

When I search for "Car talk" on the Wikipedia app (on iOS 11), I am taken to what looks like the Car Talk entry on en.wikipedia.org, but the first line under the "Car Talk" title is displayed as:

"car talk" the play

Then the correct text appears, currently beginning with:

Car Talk is a Peabody Award-winning ...

The line that says "car talk" the play should not be there. When I have found incorrect text like this displayed on Wikipedia pages, I have generally been able to remove it. But when I click to edit the page and search for the string "the play", I see a paragraph down in the middle of the article, with the text "The play was not officially...". I don't see where a lower-case "the play" could come from.

Essentially the same thing happens on iOS 11, using the Safari or Chrome browser, opening a Wikipedia page, and searching for "Car talk". It shows articles you can click on, the first of which is Car Talk, and the second line just says

"car talk" the play

The second article is Tom and Ray Magliozzi, and its second line is correctly shown as:

"Car Talk" co-hosts

Somehow, the string "car talk" the play seems to be associated with the Car Talk article and may be treated as a sort of synopsis of the content of the article.

I have looked for a redirect or something that might cause this to happen, but at this point I am stumped. I just asked Alexa "What is car talk?", and got the expected response (the first sentence of the Car Talk article), so at least Alexa doesn't seem to be fooled into thinking she needs to tell us about "the play".

There's a lot I don't know about transclusion and other fine points of Wikipedia, and I know this doesn't seem like any sort of a big deal, but I consider this

"car talk" the play

to be spurious content that should not appear.

Any ideas what's going on here? NameIsRon (talk) 18:35, 22 September 2018 (UTC)

OK ... I think I figured it out. I used Inspect, located the wikidata entry for Car Talk and changed it from

  "car talk" the play

to

  NPR talk show

I'm not sure that's 100%-correct, but at least I think it's less misleading than what was there before. NameIsRon (talk) 00:06, 23 September 2018 (UTC)

Looking for small 4door truck withcab cover 47.138.232.168 (talk) 21:41, 25 August 2023 (UTC)

references needed

This section needs references -Classicfilms (talk) 20:22, 5 November 2023 (UTC)

Features

The show originally consisted of two segments with a break in between but was changed to three segments. After the shift to the three-segment format, it became a running joke to refer to the last segment as "the third half" of the program.

The show opened with a short comedy segment, typically jokes sent in by listeners, followed by eight call-in sessions. The hosts ran a contest called the "Puzzler", in which a riddle, sometimes car-related, was presented. The answer to the previous week's "Puzzler" was given at the beginning of the "second half" of the show, and a new "Puzzler" was given at the start of the "third half". The hosts gave instructions to listeners to write answers addressed to "Puzzler Tower" on some non-existent or expensive object, such as a "$26 bill" or an advanced digital SLR camera. This gag initially started as suggestions that the answers be written "on the back of a $20 bill". A running gag concerned Tom's inability to remember the previous week's "Puzzler" without heavy prompting from Ray. During a tribute show following Tom's death in 2014 due to complications of Alzheimer's Disease, Ray joked, "I guess he wasn't joking about not being able to remember the puzzler all those years." For each puzzler, one correct answer was chosen at random, with the winner receiving a $26 gift certificate to the Car Talk store, referred to as the "Shameless Commerce Division". It was originally $25, but was increased for inflation after a few years. Originally, the winner received a specific item from the store, but it soon changed to a gift certificate to allow the winner to choose the item they wanted (though Tom often made an item suggestion).

A recurring feature was "Stump the Chumps," in which the hosts revisited a caller from a previous show to determine the accuracy and the effect, if any, of their advice. A similar feature began in May 2001, "Where Are They Now, Tommy?" It began with a comical musical theme with a sputtering, backfiring car engine and a horn as a backdrop. Tom then announced who the previous caller was, followed by a short replay of the essence of the previous call, preceded and followed by harp music often used in other audiovisual media to indicate recalling and returning from a dream. The hosts then greeted the previous caller, confirmed that they had not spoken since their previous appearance and asked them if there had been any influences on the answer they were about to relate, such as arcane bribes by the NPR staff. The repair story was then discussed, followed by a fanfare and applause if the Tappet Brothers' diagnosis was correct, or a wah-wah-wah music piece mixed with a car starter operated by a weak battery (an engine which wouldn't start) if the diagnosis was wrong. The hosts then thanked the caller for their return appearance.

The brothers also had an official Animal-Vehicle Biologist and Wildlife Guru named Kieran Lindsey. She answered questions like How do I remove a snake from my car? and offered advice on how those living in cities and suburbs could reconnect with wildlife. They also would sometimes rely on Harvard University professors Wolfgang Rueckner and Jim E. Davis for questions concerning physics and chemistry, respectively.

There were numerous appearances from NPR personalities, including Bob Edwards, Susan Stamberg, Scott Simon, Ray Suarez, Will Shortz, Sylvia Poggioli, and commentator and author Daniel Pinkwater. On one occasion, the show featured Martha Stewart as an in-studio guest, whom the Magliozzis twice during the segment referred to as "Margaret". Celebrities and public figures were featured as "callers" as well, including Geena Davis, Ashley Judd, Morley Safer, Gordon Elliott, former Major League Baseball pitcher Bill Lee, journalist Farhad Manjoo, and astronaut John M. Grunsfeld.

Space program calls

Astronaut and engineer John Grunsfeld called into the show during Space Shuttle mission STS-81 in January 1997, in which Atlantis docked to the Mir space station. In this call he complained about the performance of his serial-numbered, Rockwell-manufactured "government van". To wit, it would run very loud and rough for about two minutes, quieter and smoother for another six and a half, and then the engine would stop with a jolt. He went on to state that the brakes of the vehicle, when applied, would glow red-hot, and that the vehicle's odometer displayed "about 60 million miles". This created some consternation for the hosts, until they noticed the audio of Grunsfeld's voice, being relayed from Mir via TDRS satellite, sounded similar to that of Tom Hanks in the then-recent film Apollo 13, after which they realized the call was from space and the government van in question was, in fact, the Space Shuttle.

In addition to the on-orbit call, the Brothers once received a call asking advice on winterizing an electric car. When they asked what kind of car, the caller stated it was a "kit car", a $400 million "kit car". It was a joke call from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory concerning the preparation of the Mars Opportunity rover for the oncoming Martian winter, during which temperatures drop to several hundred degrees below freezing.

Click and Clack have also been featured in editorial cartoons, including one where a befuddled NASA engineer called them to ask how to fix the Space Shuttle.

Humor

Humor and wisecracking pervaded the program. Tom and Ray are known for their self-deprecating humor, often joking about the supposedly poor quality of their advice and the show in general. They also commented at the end of each show: "Well, it's happened again—you've wasted another perfectly good hour listening to Car Talk."

At some point in almost every show, usually when giving the address for the Puzzler answers or fan mail, Ray mentioned Cambridge, Massachusetts (where the show originated), at which point Tom reverently interjected with a tone of civic pride, "Our fair city". Ray invariably mocked "'Cambridge, MA', the United States Postal Service's two-letter abbreviation for 'Massachusetts"', by pronouncing the "MA" as a word.

Preceding each break in the show, one of the hosts led up to the network identification with a humorous take on a disgusted reaction of some usually famous person to hearing that identification. The full line went along the pattern of, for example, "And even though Roger Clemens stabs his radio with a syringe whenever he hears us say it, this is NPR: National Public Radio" (later just "... this is NPR").

At one point in the show, often after the break, Ray usually stated that: "Support for this show is provided by," followed by an absurd fundraiser.

The ending credits of the show started with thanks to the colorfully nicknamed actual staffers: producer Doug "the subway fugitive, not a slave to fashion, bongo boy frogman" Berman; "John 'Bugsy' Lawlor, just back from the ..." every week a different eating event with rhyming foodstuff names; David "Calves of Belleville" Greene; Catherine "Frau Blücher" Fenollosa, whose name caused a horse to neigh and gallop (an allusion to a running gag in the movie Young Frankenstein); and Carly "High Voltage" Nix, among others. Following the real staff was a lengthy list of pun-filled fictional staffers and sponsors such as statistician Marge Innovera ("margin of error"), customer care representative Haywood Jabuzoff ("Hey, would ya buzz off"), meteorologist Claudio Vernight ("cloudy overnight"), optometric firm C. F. Eye Care ("see if I care"), Russian chauffeur Picov Andropov ("pick up and drop off"), Leo Tolstoy biographer Warren Peace ("War and Peace"), hygiene officer and chief of the Tokyo office Oteka Shawa ("oh, take a shower"), Swedish snowboard instructor Soren Derkeister ("sore in the keister"), law firm Dewey, Cheetham & Howe ("Do we cheat 'em? And how!"), Greek tailor Euripides Eumenades ("You rip-a these, you mend-a these"), cloakroom attendant Mahatma Coate ("My hat, my coat"), seat cushion tester Mike Easter (my keister) and many, many others, usually concluding with Erasmus B. Dragon ("Her ass must be draggin'"), whose job title varied, but who was often said to be head of the show's working mothers' support group. They sometimes advised that "our chief counsel from the law firm of Dewey, Cheetham, & Howe is Hugh Louis Dewey, known to a group of people in Harvard Square as Huey Louie Dewey." Huey, Louie, and Dewey were the juvenile nephews being raised by Donald Duck in Walt Disney's Comics and Stories. Guest accommodations were provided by The Horseshoe Road Inn ("the horse you rode in").

Classicfilms (talk) 20:22, 5 November 2023 (UTC)