The John Clay Wolfe Show: Episode #170 (10.20.18)

Original Airdate: February 13, 2026
Host: John Clay Wolfe
Co-hosts: Bobbo, JD, Turley, and various callers
Episode Theme: A classic car, culture, and comedy episode veering into wild creative territory as the crew brainstorms an absurd, modern reboot of 'Smokey and the Bandit'—with listeners chiming in, the team riffing on pop culture, and the usual car buying hijinks.

EPISODE OVERVIEW

This episode is a raucous, freewheeling mix of car talk, nostalgia, wild movie pitch riffing, audience participation, music talk, workplace pranks, and the irreverent, quick-witted banter typical of The John Clay Wolfe Show. While car buying forms the show’s backbone, the main thread this week is the creative (and hilariously unhinged) group effort to reimagine 'Smokey and the Bandit' for the modern era—complete with diverse casting, ridiculous plot updates, and cameo brainstorms from listeners and hosts alike.

KEY DISCUSSION POINTS & SEGMENTS

1. Boise, Idaho: More Than Just Potatoes

[00:01–04:03]

• John spins a tale of moving to Boise for a tech job post-college, rubbing elbows (and sweet-talking secretaries) to pitch a computer patent to local magnates.
  • “The Potato King was rich, he's a billionaire, and he invested in some computer dorks in Boise. I called the Potato man and he wouldn't take my call. Imagine that.” – John Clay Wolfe [01:55]
• Comparison between Boise and Fort Worth, underlying the Idaho city’s “hidden” coolness, motocross culture, and car community.

2. How To Smuggle Weed Across State Lines (Satirically)

[04:10–08:55]

• The hosts muse about how kids are running edibles from Colorado back to Texas and joke about using delivery vans as “perfect camouflage.”
  • “A DHL wrapped van or a FedEx wrapped van? You could get on manheimonline.com and probably find one pretty easily.” – John Clay Wolfe [06:07]
• Prompted by this, they hit their “Stoney moment”: a riff imagining a weed-smuggling remake of 'Smokey and the Bandit,' starting a creative spiral that will thread through the episode.

3. ‘Smoking with the Bandit’: Ridiculous Remake Brainstorm

[08:55–15:44, returns throughout episode]

• Hyped up by Lynyrd Skynyrd and the “Boise, Idaho to Florida” route, the hosts cast the movie live, riffing on actors, vehicles, and political correctness:
  • “We need to make this culturally equal… it’s got to cover all bases. The truck driver needs to be a Mexican, of course. And the dog? Doesn’t need to be a dog—it needs to be a monkey. A transvestite monkey.” – John Clay Wolfe [11:04]
• Listeners call in to suggest actors (Matthew McConaughey as Bandit; Jack Black as sheriff; Lucy Liu for Sally Field’s role, etc.).
• Inventive, ever-escalating, and self-aware as spoof—a comic highlight lasting all episode.

Memorable Quotes

• “For those who don’t know what we’re talking about, we’ve had the Stoney moment and come up with a remake of 'Smokey and the Bandit' as drug mules going from Boise, Idaho to somewhere in Florida with a Skynyrd vibe.” – John Clay Wolfe [09:35]
• “Maybe the animal isn’t a dog anymore. It needs to be a transvestite monkey. BJ and the Bear had a monkey.” – John Clay Wolfe [11:32]

Notable Listener Calls

• [16:08, 18:08, 23:13, 32:22] Listeners propose the truckers be the two Hispanic guys from Fast & Furious, and casting ideas for law enforcement, Bandit, and more.
• Listener calls become a hilarious audition reel, dictating diverse, tongue-in-cheek casting.

4. On Air Shenanigans, Characters, and Music Riffs

[12:40, 17:00, 19:37, throughout]

• Michael McDonald impressions surface (with Bobbo), while callers try to deliver unfiltered praise—trouble with FCC-mandated language edits ensures chaos.
• Music talk—Earth, Wind & Fire, Commodores, Led Zeppelin, Greta Van Fleet, Hagar—breaks up the car chat.

5. Rush Limbaugh “Calls In”

[20:16–23:01]

• Bobbo impersonates Rush Limbaugh, who offers tongue-in-cheek advice about cabinet members’ preferred substances and pokes fun at politics and pharmaceutical excess.
  • “They actually exist on very different substances than I do. A lot of ibogaine in the cabinet.” – “Rush Limbaugh” [21:51]

6. Sports, Cars, and Riffing with Drunk Callers

[28:28–44:00; misc. throughout]

• Sports talk, notably reactions to controversial plays in Astros/Red Sox.
• The regular stream of listeners offer cars to sell, share bizarre stories, or join in casting the movie. Many are clearly calling in after a night of drinking, which becomes a running theme/joke.
  • “[To callers] You are spot on. Those people, they are not newly drunk. They are overnight.” – Caller “Stephen,” [44:02]

7. Facebook Stunt: Should Brandy Get Listener-Funded New Boobs?

[76:13-84:40]

• John brings up an employee’s real (and partly tongue-in-cheek) campaign to crowd-fund new breast implants, posting bikini pics for listener appraisal.
• Audience verdict: “No way, she looks fine!” Flood of comments.
  • “No one's feeling sorry for Brandy at this point.” – John Clay Wolfe [85:01]

8. Classic Car Buying Banter

[85:31–132:49]

• John and the team field dozens of car sale pitches—a mix of truly rare rides (CTS-V wagons, 2000 Honda Preludes, 82 Diesel Blazers, etc.) and standard fare.
• John’s no-nonsense, sometimes caustic style comes through:
  • “We do not deal with third parties. Only the owner. We will buy it, though. But when people call in with the friend stuff, we don't negotiate with friends... Friends can't sell other people's houses, either.” – John Clay Wolfe [131:54]

9. Pop Culture and Social Satire: Kanye, Kardashians, and Race Jokes

[72:32–118:28]

• The hosts dissect Kanye West’s “abolish the 13th amendment” comments, Dave Chappelle’s defense, and riff on pop-cultural absurdities, Kardashian effect, and more—as always, using a fast-mix of references and self-aware satire:
  • “We have Bruce Jenner’s Olympic jersey in a frame up on the wall just to remind us of the Kardashian effect—what it can do to a good guy.” – John Clay Wolfe [74:27]

NOTABLE MOMENTS & QUOTES WITH TIMESTAMPS

• Effort to reach the "Potato King" & Micron’s billionaire investors: “I called the Potato man and he wouldn't take my call. Imagine that.” – John Clay Wolfe [01:55]
• On the weed-smuggling van: “You grab one of those [delivery vans] and you look…that would be perfect camouflage. Next best thing to a police uniform in a police car.” – John Clay Wolfe [05:44]
• Political correctness satire: “We need to make this culturally equal if we're doing this. Got to cover all bases. The truck driver needs to be Mexican, of course...Dog doesn’t need to be a dog, it needs to be a monkey. Transvestite monkey.” – John Clay Wolfe [11:04]
• Casting callers, complete with FCC dump button drama: “I just want to say I love...Tell your actors that they're hilarious and I just love listening to y’all Saturday morning. But you said effing.” – John Clay Wolfe [14:29]
• Michael McDonald impression: “To the world you belong, so much for two come together on a special day. Hey it is. It's Michael McDonald, ladies and gentlemen.” – John Clay Wolfe [12:56]
• Rush Limbaugh drug advice bit: “A lot of ibogaine in the cabinet… That’s why nothing’s getting done in the cabinet these days.” – (as Rush) [21:53]
• On audience’s level of intoxication: “We have the drunkest audience in the nation.” – John Clay Wolfe [31:56]
• Listener input, 'Smoking with the Bandit': “So the cop needs to be Jack Black… Sally Field needs to be an Asian chick...like Lucy Liu with a little bit of a boob job?” – John & Caller [17:00]
• On crowd-funded boobs: “She works for us…she wants a new boob job…her boobs are old, 21 years old.” – John Clay Wolfe [76:15]
• Music cross-generational love: “Greta Van Fleet is a group of 20 year-old guys that sound and act and sound like Led Zeppelin. The singer sounds like Robert Plant. The guitar sounds like Jimmy Page. They have taken the Zeppelin sound and recreated it.” – John Clay Wolfe [107:32]
• On classic car price debates: “If you have a CTS-V wagon…I will pay retail damn near for it.” – John Clay Wolfe [111:18]
• Car dealer advertising honesty: “People get mad at us because we’re not liars. We’re buyers. Our book is a checkbook—not a comment gallery, not a forum.” – John Clay Wolfe [129:43]

IMPORTANT SEGMENTS AND TIMESTAMPS

• Boise anecdote & potatoes: 00:01–04:03
• Weed-smuggling/Smokey & the Bandit pitch begins: 04:10–12:06
• Remake casting brainstorming + caller ideas: 15:33–23:03, 32:22, 76:00, 82:11
• Rush Limbaugh call-in (impression): 20:16–23:01
• Listener-fueled casting brainstorm: 16:04, 17:44, 23:44, 32:22
• Sports, Astros/Red Sox controversy: 29:06, 100:11
• Brandy’s “crowd-funded boobs” Facebook stunt: 76:00–85:15
• Classic cars & car pitches: 85:31–132:49
• Kanye West, Chappelle, Kardashians commentary: 72:32–74:50, 116:13
• Music riff: Greta Van Fleet & Led Zeppelin: 107:32–110:17

TONE & STYLE

• Unfiltered, irreverent, and quick-hitting: Hosts and callers crack jokes, riff on each other, and switch topics at lightning pace.
• Self-aware and inclusive: The team invites listeners to help shape the central running joke—the 'Smoking with the Bandit' reboot—making for an engaging, participatory show.
• Pop culture savvy: References fly, from Lynyrd Skynyrd and Led Zeppelin to Kanye, the Kardashians, and classic SNL bits, all delivered with biting wit and comic timing.

SUMMARY FOR THE NEW LISTENER

If you haven’t listened: This episode is a potent dose of The John Clay Wolfe Show at its best—where car-obsessed radio, comedy improv, and pop culture satire collide. The central thread is a surreally modern reboot of 'Smokey and the Bandit,' organically constructed by the hosts’ jokes and listener call-ins, morphing into an ongoing comic highlight.

Expect rapid-fire banter, outlandish characters, bizarre real-life stories, and sharp observations on the car business, sports, and the state of pop culture—all delivered with a rowdy, self-deprecating sense of humor that turns a morning of car-buying into something close to southern-fried radio improv.

Memorable Quote:
“We need to make this culturally equal if we're doing this...and the dog doesn’t need to be a dog—it needs to be a monkey. Transvestite monkey.”
—John Clay Wolfe [11:04]

For the full effect, listen to the show—but this summary should provide both the framework and the flavor of an unforgettable episode.