Dissociative? Borderline? Sociopathic? Nah, just MA-A-A-AD!

September 19, 2007 2:28 PM

He's the spiritual grandparent of both Cal Worthington (very recently) and Crazy Eddie (previously). He's Earl "MadMan" Muntz, more than a successful car salesman, he was a carmaker, a television pioneer (who coined the abreviation "TeeVee"), car stereo pioneer (for the pre-8-track 4-track tape ), a Verb in Electronic Engineering Lingo, hero of Free Enterprise Land and ad icon in Napolean hat and red longjohns.

Sadly, YouTube has none of his old commercials (most of its "Muntz" content involves Nelson), but there was a documentary recently produced about his life. Also notable, the Muntz Mania car show.

posted by wendell (8 comments total)

There's Something About A Muntz TV, an animated commercial by the great Oskar Fischinger.
posted by StickyCarpet at 2:42 PM on September 19, 2007

Freeenterpriseland seems to think that free enterprise includes plagerizing from national.com.
posted by klangklangston at 2:47 PM on September 19, 2007

"They say I'm a madman, Barton. But I'm not mad at anyone, honest."
posted by fandango_matt at 2:54 PM on September 19, 2007

That Bob Pease article (the "electronic engineering lingo" link) was magnificent.
posted by exogenous at 3:39 PM on September 19, 2007

Fuck you to death fandango_matt for stealing my verbatim Barton Fink quote before I could come in here & type it!! That's my favorite movie of all time, and I literally salivated when I read the words 'Earl "Madman" Muntz' at the prospect of whipping out the quote. Now I have to stare at the limp flaccid quote, never to be posted, and weep. I hope you're happy.
posted by jonson at 4:09 PM on September 19, 2007

Speaking of crazy - and to sort of tie in the Southern Californian Cal Worthington theme of earlier today - it is appropriate to mention Crazy Gideon.
posted by redteam at 4:12 PM on September 19, 2007

Sorry jonson, I thought I was alone in knowing that weird bit of trivia.

You could link to the YouTube with Chet and the name of the hotel in which Barton stays, though...
posted by fandango_matt at 4:42 PM on September 19, 2007

See also the derail in this thread three months ago.
posted by shakespeherian at 4:47 PM on September 19, 2007