The McGuiar Car Crazy guy creeps me out

[Tommy]

When the TV show Car Crazy first appeared on Speed TV several years ago I tried to watch it a few times. But there was something about the host, Barry Mcguiar, that made me uneasy. He seemed too earnest, too enthusiastic and too kind to be true. After a few shows I made it a point to not watch anymore.

Earlier today an episode of Car Crazy slipped on and before I could reach the remote control they announced it would cover car enthusiasts in Central America. As I find that topic interesting, I decided to try and watch it. Barry was his usual fawning, gushing, overly complimentary self. I gritted my teeth and kept watching. About halfway through the program he was interviewing a wealthy car guy in his palatial home when he mentioned how he had met the guy. The car guy had entered into a deal with Mcquiar’s to be their exclusive distributor in his region of Central America. Barry was sucking up to the guy who sells his products in the region.

I’ve tried to figure out what it is about Mcguiar that I find so discomforting. On the surface he is kind, generous with compliments and endlessly enthusiastic about people of all kinds that like cars. But there is something that feels wrong. I have the feeling that he may be a Jeckyll and Hyde type character in the same way that a person with bipolar disorder goes from being hyper energized to being deeply depressed. I can’t imagine that anyone could be as positive as he is without occasionally gutting a subordinate with an expletive filled tirade over some inconsequential matter. The guy just creeps me out.