The End of American Culture?

Translation required....
American ....culture?...Surely a mistaken juxtaposition (just teasing guys)

Del

Click and Clack have long been a staple of NPR, a radio network that once caused James Carville to despair over stereotypes of "Volvo drivin', wine sippin', NPR tote-bag carryin' liberals." All politics aside, the notion of highbrow vs. lowbrow is not new in American culture. Speaking of which - American culture IS very much about cars. So, while some might argue that cars have no place in a highbrow place such as PBS, they are part of our national DNA.

That's just it. I've been listening to them for years. On NPR, they're a couple of nutty car experts who can solve any problem under the sun. On PBS, they were a couple of buffoons who didn't seem to even know what a car was.

Hi Moose:

James Carville missed the all important ratty little beard in characterizing liberals. On a positive note, though, liberals make good music.

Best regards.

DickL

This reply is especially for TVP45 and Moose, but can include anyone else who feels deserving if such recognition.

The end of American culture! & National DNA

I "Giggleled" this one up my self!

We here in America. "I think you are meaning the U.S. of A."

"never had a culture, has no culture now and likely never will have a culture." "Alas, where the word culture is applied" "DNA, means, Does Not Apply".

We, for better or worse, are nothing less than an incomplete implosion of cultures and counter cultures. Our gene pool of such forms of cultures is destined to continue evolving, even long after we are forced to give up our borders to the fanatics proposing

ONE WORLD ORDER. I am happy that I have no children to pass that renewed version of slavery onto. THINK ABOUT IT!

TMF

I think Moose and i were trying to decide whether Click and Clack are culture or not. I think their radio show is very high brow and their PBS cartoon is lower than American Idol. Or maybe it's the other way round - I think I got confused when Gus Wilson went fishing with Jerry and Doc.

When you get old, you'll find out how easy that is. You think you've got a good thought and then it turns out to be a bit of bad porridge.

Heck, I'm an American and I don't understand TVP45's Gus & Daisy reference. Then again, I'm not nearly as ancient as he is. Maybe they were characters on some 1930's radio program?

I'm a long time Car Talk fan and I did catch part of Click and Clack's animated outing. It seemed OK, but I was a little busy and it didn't keep my attention long. I'll give it another chance. Click and Clack...if you're out there please be aware my loyalty CAN be bought. I'm just saying.

In way of further explanation to our non-US (and US but non-NPR listening) CR4 amigos: Click and Clack (aka Tom and Ray Magliozzi) are sibling ex-auto engineers who many years ago started their own auto repair garage. Somehow they ended up with their own weekly 1 hr. radio show called Car Talk where they take questions from callers. Usually about car problems but as long as the question is even vaguely connected to cars (and maybe even if it isn't) they'll try to answer it. Or just as often avoid answering it if they don't know how. One running joke is how such a "lousy" show mistakenly ended up on "highbrow" NPR.

Even if you don't care about cars, the show is usually funny and well worth a listen. And you might happen to learn something automotive along the way. Check out the Car Talk website and listen to their weekly show's podcast.

Anyone got any links to anything about "Click and Clack"?

I'm sure I'm not alone in that it means absolutely nothing to me - never mind the Gus & Daisy reference.

Wups.

I should have mentioned that Tom and Ray frequently (and oddly) refer to themselves as "The Tappet brothers" named (again oddly) Click and Clack. Tom I think is Click and by default that would have Ray be Clack.

And I could have also added that they also have a regular newspaper column that is published in at least one paper somewhere. Maybe two, if you count the state of Alabama. But nobody there can actually read it.

Again, I can only recommend you drop by their website:

http://www.cartalk.com/

I'm from Alabama and I can and do read - very well thank you. I also listen to Click and Clack. You must be from Yankee land where everyone is above average ( at least in their perception of their superior intelligence). Tom and Ray have degrees from MIT and are obviously fairly intelligent, but they don't take themselves seriously and don't speak sanctimoniously when talking to members of their audience no matter where they are from. They do a fairly good job of diagnosing automotive problems on the fly, better than some engineers I have known.

Is there nobody out there who remembers the Model Garage? Maybe I'm so backwards in culture that it's like I'm really Hoot Coiter (That's a French phrase meant to impress folks).

Gus Wilson was the original Click and Clack, solving a unique problem each edition. I think he actually started in the 1920s, but he aged slow. I remember him driving a bright red '50 Ford pickup with Model Garage painted on the doors.

Anyway, here's a link to a 1968 story where the "high mileage" scams were already being sold.

And, of course, you were no doubt thrown by my calling him Gus Miller (who runs a newstand in Pittsburgh) rather than Gus Wilson, his real name. Ah, the joys of senility.

Did a little looking around for ol' Gus. He's a hard man to find these days.

TVP45...are you sure you're not actually "Martin Bunn"?

So, you think I might be Martin Bunn using a pseudonym for my posts? Mmmm? Interesting thought.

I used to listen to them on the Internet some years ago, but suddenly, they sold the internet rights to a company that want big bucks per show, so since then I have not listened to them again, though I do believe that they are on the American Forces Network on the medium wave here too.....for nothing......