So, since I'm someone who likes to find out things as first hand as
possible, I thought I'd email this exchange (below) to Tom and Ray
Magliozzi, "Click and Clack the Tappet Brothers"
(http://www.cartalk.com).  I removed all names and and the university
reference, but don't worry, everything's archived and publicly
available, as it should be
(http://raven.utc.edu/cgi-bin/WA.EXE?A1=ind0509&L=utcstaff).
 
First, I think the PC aim of changing behavior is laudable (if that is
it's aim) but I'm skeptical of it's effectiveness.
 
Second, I find the extreme to which Ms. Robin Wooten Thompson takes the
method troubling.  This extremity denies the individual person and
treats mechanics as a class that needs her pity and her protection
rather than as individuals with the same job description who may or may
not have similar traits.  This is no better than people she wishes to
change.  (I'm thinking of Bill at Firestone/Hamilton Place who has
always been very helpful and sounds nothing like Morris, and probably
really doesn't need her help.)
 
I thought the Magliozzi brothers would be the perfect people to give an
opinion.  They both sound a bit like how Morris was written and they
both have undergraduate degrees from MIT (Tom also has a Ph.D.).
 
Maybe we'll get a good response.
 
Respectfully,
Stephen Leather
 
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Dear Click and Clack,
 
Okay, that subject line is mine only.  It's sad, I know.  I think your
show is great!!
 
Anyways, the following joke was distributed at work:
 
>The Mechanic
 
>Morris, the loudmouth mechanic, was removing the cylinder heads from
the motor of a car when he spotted a famous heart surgeon who was
standing off to the side, waiting for the service manager to come take a
look at his Mercedes.
 
>Morris shouted across the garage, "Hey Doc! Is dat you? Come on ova'
here a minute."
 
>The famous surgeon, a bit surprised, walked over to where Morris the
mechanic was working on the car.
 
>Morris straightened up, wiped his hands on a rag, and asked
argumentatively, "So, Mr. Fancy Doctor, look at dis here work. I ALSO
open hearts, take valves out, grind 'em, put in new parts, and when I
finish dis baby will purr like a kitten. So how come you get da big
bucks, when you an' me is doing basically da same work?"
 
>The surgeon leaned over and whispered to Morris the loudmouth mechanic,
"Try doing it with the engine running."
 
And here was one of the responses:
 
>I am sorry to say that I did not find this joke sent by [named person]
humorous nor did it brighten my day. In fact I found its reference to
mechanics degrading, and the language to be racially discriminative. I
am disappointed to know the [business] is represented in this way.
 
This was written in response to the last:
 
>Without taking any of this too seriously, I do want to point out that
[...]'s joke contained none of the pejoratives summarily banned by those
empowered by no one in particular.
 
>You suggest that the "mechanic" is somehow a victim, disabled, without
enough self-esteem, dignity and imagination to deal responsibly with his
own life on his own terms...deserving, therefore, to be lumped into the
heap of all the other PC penalized minorities deserving of quotas,
affirmative action, preferential treatment, euphemistic speech and
censorship.
 
>In my opinion, your reply was far more degrading to mechanics than
[...]'s joke.
 
So my question is this: being mechanics who actually sound a bit like
Morris was written, do you find this offensive? And do you think any
other mechanics would?
 

Thanks,
Stephen