Car Talk was one of the weirdest shows on NPR. Personally, I thought it was incredibly stupid when I first caught wind of it as I was gradually becoming a stronger fan of public radio in the Nineties. The program shared the same idiocy as numerous advice shows preceding it and it was a category my broadcasting professor Dr. Grams ridiculed.
I used to joke with a friend who worked at the NPR affiliate based in Illinois State during their pledge drives, “How much do I need to donate to get Car Talk dropped?”
The Sixty Minutes piece featuring Tom and his younger brother Ray made me do a 180 when I learned the brothers were real car mechanics and MIT graduates. With my apprehension addressed, I stopped dreading their show. I didn’t go out of the way to listen but at least I wasn’t in a hurry to change the station, especially if they were near the “Stump the Chump” segment. The brothers’ success rate was pretty impressive for a call-in program.
Thanks Tom and even though Cars is one of my least favorite Pixar flicks, I’m grateful they create a part for you and Ray.