Savage Car Talk

General Discussion
1

Has anyone on this forum checked out Savagecartalk.tumblr.com? It’s a super funny mash up of Tom and Ray answering callers to the Dan Savage Podcast.

2

I listened to The Show a couple of times…I thought the whole thing was staged…Do they EVER give the phone number?? If they do, it’s always busy…I think the “callers” are actually script-writers…

3 
I believe the ones you hear are real, but I suspect they weed out quite a few before they get one they will use on the air.   I know at least one person who at least claims he was recorded.
4

IIRC, people call in and are vetted ahead of time. You are then told when your call will be taken. You call in at the right time, then Tom and Ray answer your questions. This gives them time to consider the question and write a comedy script that goes a long with it. Oh, and maybe answer the question intelligently, too.

5

Actually, the show isn’t staged. Joseph and jts are partly right: the callers call ahead and leave messages. The producers then listen to around 2,000 calls a week, and pick around 8 for use on the show. At the time the show is taped, the callers get on the line with the guys to ask the question. While the producers know the topics to be addressed, the guys don’t. No script involved, believe it or not. They’re just being themselves!

Also, just to clarify: the tumblr site isn’t affiliated with or maintained by Car Talk. Just sayin’.

6

No, this tumblr site is not affiliated or maintained by Car Talk. The callers from savagecartalk are from the Dan Savage podcast “The Stranger.” The tumblr site is a mashup of the two shows by some jokesters.