The John Clay Wolfe Show – Episode #180 – 01.05.19 (Aired February 16, 2026)
Podcast: The John Clay Wolfe Show
Host: John Clay Wolfe
Show Description: Cars, sports, sex, drugs, rock & roll, and whatever won't get fined by the FCC.
Episode Overview
This lively, wide-ranging episode features the signature blend of irreverence and insight from John Clay Wolfe and his roundtable of co-hosts. Listeners are welcomed back after the holidays with conversations bouncing from New Year’s resolutions and health fads to legalization of marijuana, airport anecdotes, car auction insights, and plenty of show banter. The hosts riff on work culture, college football, weed economics, relationships, and "swinger" signals at grocery stores—with listeners calling in throughout to share stories or get car bids. The show is powered by GiveMeTheVIN.com, and, as always, the mood is humorous, rowdy, and loaded with unscripted moments.
Key Discussion Points & Timestamps
1. New Year's, Resolutions & Cleanses
[00:22–10:10]
- Hosts return after the holidays with a humorous take on learning Spanish, health kicks, and attempting to get back to routine.
- New Year’s Resolutions: Uncle Bobbo wants to learn Spanish; JD and Mike embark on a 10-day “lemon cleanse” (lemon juice, cayenne pepper, maple syrup). The crew debates the sensibility and effectiveness of fad cleanses.
- “Man, if I’m more energy…” – JD [04:49]
- Failure Stories: Colleagues abandon the cleanse for rotisserie chicken and midnight snacks, highlighting fad diet struggles.
- Cleanses vs. Fad Diets: Panel debates whether the lemon cleanse is a legitimate health reset or just another passing fad.
- “Rich people in Dallas Fort Worth that are hearing you right now are gonna die over the course of the next month because they drank lemon juice and maple syrup and didn’t eat anything.” – Bobbo [06:53]
2. The Economics, Culture, and Law of Marijuana
[19:46–44:35]
- Legal Weed Culture: John shares stories of visiting Colorado dispensaries, comparing their donut-shop vibe and customer service to the old black market.
- “You can walk in and buy…? Please give me a picture.” – John [22:52]
- ID & Tracking: Dispensaries scan IDs, and out-of-state customers pay more. The paranoia (and legality) of mailing weed or crossing state lines is discussed—with input from both hosts and listeners, including some law enforcement banter.
- Tax Revenue & Social Change: A caller details how marijuana tax revenues have benefited Colorado’s police departments, schools, and city services [35:09].
- "They took the tax money and they dedicated it straight to the school and the police department and the fire department." – Caller [35:27]
- Pricing Across States: Listeners call in from Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Texas to compare black market and legal marijuana prices (ranging from $150-$450/oz).
- "An ounce is about 350 to 400 for really good..." – Lafayette, LA caller [32:05]
- Growing Culture Wars: Colorado vs. Mexico: Is "ditch weed" racist? Are Mexican or Canadian growers superior? Norm, the show's mechanic, and other callers rhapsodize about the personal touch needed to grow premium buds.
- "The Canadians got a little bit more finesse. They talk to them and they caress them." – Caller [39:06]
3. Workplace Dynamics & Mechanic Drama ("Norman’s Raise")
[60:26–76:48]
- Auction Expansion: John reveals GiveMeTheVIN.com's record 714 cars registered for auction and the challenge of managing such volume.
- Norman's Performance Review: The show devotes a long segment to lively, sometimes brutal, group feedback on Norm's management and mechanical skills.
- Norman is praised for morale-boosting and coaching but criticized for lack of organization and failing to properly log repairs and car status.
- Showdown: Glenn (operations manager) and Brandy (another supervisor) call in live to deliver candid evaluations.
- “He’s the only mechanic I know with clean hands…None of Norman’s team is here. That’s what he trained them to do.” – Brandy [73:02]
- Outcome: A six-week probation is agreed upon, after which Norman’s raise will be reconsidered.
- "Right now, it’s zero percent.” – John [76:21]
- “Be more involved. Be less of a social butterfly and more of a trainer.” – Brandy’s New Year’s wish [75:24]
4. Listener Calls: Cars, Culture & Comedy
Sprinkled throughout episode
- Car Appraisals: Regular listeners call to get quick car bids. Ex.: 2012 Ford F150 Raptor—offered $27,000 [77:51].
- Swingers Signals: A Houston caller educates the crew about “pineapple” signals in grocery carts and swinger culture [129:18].
- Relationship Stories: Panel recounts tales of crazy exes, vindictive partners, and the “locked bedroom door” defense [114:33+].
- Comedian Guest: Steve Treviño calls in to discuss his comedy, marriage, edibles, and life back in Texas.
- “It’s about family. It’s about my wife. It’s about how much I hate her. And women seem to get it.” – Steve Treviño [52:34]
- "It's so real that my wife... was literally using my joke to get some of the information." – Steve Treviño [56:02]
5. News, Sports & Satire
[95:42–107:42, interspersed throughout]
- Bowl Game & Playoff Fatigue: Dissection of college football’s changing landscape, bowl game irrelevance, and predictions for playoffs.
- Mascot Mishap: Bevo the Longhorn attacks Uga the Bulldog—a call for the end of live pop mascots [110:03].
- Pop Culture: Review of "Bird Box" challenge (Netflix) and Ed Sheeran's alleged plagiarism of Marvin Gaye [104:00].
- Rush Limbaugh & Satan Appearances: Comedic skits with Rush and the Devil, maintaining the show’s off-kilter vibe.
- “Luckily, I have my attorney here at my side…” – “Rush Limbaugh” character [105:13]
- “No, surprisingly, I had nothing to do with [legalized marijuana].” – “Satan” character [108:08]
6. Behind the Scenes: Business Growth
[136:12–end]
- GiveMeTheVIN.com Expansion: Discussion of auction logistics, recession fears, and the stress of exponential growth.
- “How the hell am I gonna rep 730 cars? ... Now, I’m getting worried about it.” – John [136:21]
- Leveraging Dealership Networks: Guidance for regular people to buy at dealer auctions through the GiveMeTheVIN platform.
- Workplace Humor: Paranoia over “too many cars,” worries about the government shutdown affecting tax-return-fueled sales [141:20].
Memorable Quotes & Moments
-
On Cleanses:
“Lemon water, cayenne pepper...sounds like a great place for some rum.” – Bobbo [04:57] -
On Workplace Reality:
“We want to keep this in simple, lame terms...it is a princess or it is a whore.” – Norman [63:49] -
On Legal Weed:
"Colorado police departments...make enough money off of us, off the growers and the storefront that they don't need the federal government money." – Colorado caller [35:27] -
On Relationships:
“The best thing we ever, ever did was have children. The second best thing...was break up.” – Bobbo [117:44] -
On Swingers:
"If you have a pineapple in your cart and if your pineapple is standing up, it’s a mama daddy party." – Jay, Houston caller [129:40]
Original Tone & Style
The episode pulses with the John Clay Wolfe Show’s signature blend of blue-collar humor, sarcasm, cultural irreverence, and unfiltered opinions. Banter flows organically—a blend of friendly ribbing, honest self-deprecation, and open-mic spontaneity sets the tone. Tangents abound, but car buying/auto industry wisdom is never far away.
For New Listeners: Why This Episode Stands Out
- Unscripted authenticity: The Norman "review" is a masterclass in how blue-collar workplaces hash out disputes—with humor, bluntness, and zero HR-speak.
- Constant engagement: Callers shape the show, able to both challenge and amuse the hosts.
- Topic diversity: From the mechanics of weed transportation and auction logistics to swingers’ grocery codes, no stone goes unturned.
- Audience-relevant insights: For those in the car biz, or curious about shifting American cultures (from diet fads to weed to sports), this two-hour romp is both instructive and wildly entertaining.
Selected Timestamps for Key Segments
- New Year Resolutions & Cleanses: [00:22–10:10]
- Marijuana Economics & Law: [19:46–44:35]
- Norman’s Performance Review/Raise: [60:26–76:48]
- Comedian Steve Treviño Interview: [51:14–58:19]
- Swingers and Pineapple Signals: [129:18–132:49]
- Locked Door/Relationship Stories: [114:44–119:44]
- GiveMeTheVIN Expansion/Car Selling Advice: [136:12–139:19]
Final Word
If you want deep laughs, genuine car-industry know-how, and a real taste of modern American radio banter, this episode delivers. Advertisements, intros, and outros are minimal. The true payoff is unfiltered insight into how people really talk—in shops, on the road, and between friends who know nothing is sacred except keeping it real.
