Over the years in this car wash blog we’ve told you about serious subjects like how mag chloride can destroy parts of your car. We’ve told you about how car washes can actually make your car safer, from washing debris off the brakes to providing you with cleaner windows so that you can see out better. We’ve also detailed (pun intended, why not?) the ways in which getting your car washed at our express car wash is actually better for the environment than doing it yourself in the driveway.
Those are all pretty serious subjects. And after writing so many of them, don’t you think it’s about time for something a bit more lighthearted? Today we’re going to take a look at some of the car washes you’ll find in movie and TV comedies.
Car Wash (1976)
When a movie is called Car Wash, that’s the movie you start the blog off with! This 1976 film is about the characters who show up at a Los Angeles car wash throughout the day. It features Richard Pryor, Otis Day, and George Carlin. This was the first movie written by Joel Schumacher, the man famous for ruining the Batman franchise with Batman Forever and Batman and Robin.
The Simpsons
Considering the Simpson family has been on TV for 27 years, it’s no surprise that they’ve been just about everywhere that a real family could go. That includes the car wash, on two separate occasions. One time the banner outside says that “workers now have new employee smell.” In a separate episode the car wash promised to be extra gentle with everything, but they end up intentionally vacuuming off all of Comic Book Guy’s bumper stickers, including “My other car is the Millennium Falcon.” (Trust us, even our most powerful vacuum isn’t going to pull off a bumper sticker).
Worst of all is that Homer’s car makes it through the car wash service completely unscathed, shiny and clean. Only after it comes out looking great does a robotic arm come down and snap off his car’s antenna vindictively.
Futurama
While we’re on the subject of The Simpsons, let’s take a look at Matt Groening’s lesser-known masterpiece Futurama. In the cold open during the first season’s episode “My Three Suns,” Bender (the series’ robot) takes a ride through a “Streakless Robot Wash.” He gets to pick from Regular, Deluxe, or Sub-Standard (you won’t find that last one at Speedy Sparkle!). After he moves down the conveyor belt and exits the wash, he’s rewarded with a pine scented necklace shaped like a tree (to give him that new robot smell, we guess). Of course, as soon as he leaves it starts to rain, because isn’t that just the case? We hope he’s a member of a club like ours that gives him unlimited automatic car washes…er, robot washes.
Sing (2016)
Okay, we have to admit that we are not fans of this animated movie from last year. When you take a look at the concept, how could it fail? There are singing animals that are performing 50 or more of the biggest songs ever. There’s also the voice talents of Matthew McConaughey, Reese Witherspoon, Scarlett Johansson, and John C. Reilly. Where did it go wrong? We’ll tell you where: the animals just aren’t cute! How can your main character be a koala and not make him cute? They’re just the most mundane renderings, and the plot couldn’t be more standard and predictable. Oh, and it’s just not funny.
No, wait, there is one funny part. And it involves washing a car. Now you might think “sure, you thought that part was funny. It involves a car wash.” But it’s legitimately funny, even if you’re not in the industry. The main character, Buster Moon, is a fluffy koala who has just lost his job. He’s decided to go back to his old job of washing cars, and we can respect that. But what he does is get himself wet and hurl himself onto the windshield, slowly “swimming” his way across it. His friend the sheep gets in on the action (made all the more funny because chamois come from sheep). All of this is done to ironic opera music. Hey, look, you can find the clip right here. Watch those three minutes and you’ll save yourself 1.5 hours of unfunniness.
By the way, we promise that we won’t wash your car in this manner!
Every Which Way But Loose (1978)
Most people know Clint Eastwood as the Man With No Name from the spaghetti westerns of the 1960s or as Harry Callahan from the Dirty Harry movies. But there was a time when he was trying to shed his gruff exterior by doing comedies. In 1978 he starred in Every Which Way But Loose and two years later in the sequel Any Which Way You Can. Yes, these are the movies in which he hangs out with an orangutan named Clyde. (Just take a look at this poster!)
One of the running gags in the movies is that Eastwood’s character, curiously named Philo Beddoe, is followed across the country by a hard-nosed motorcycle gang. Philo turns the tables on them and starts chasing them in his 1955 Chevy 3100 truck. He ends up forcing them into an automatic car wash, which, we don’t have to tell you, isn’t a good idea to go through when you’re on a motorcycle. Here’s the scene in all of its late-70’s glory!
You know what, there are dozens of movies and TV shows that feature car washes, but those are just the first five that come to mind. We promise to be more careful with your vehicle than the movies were on the cars they washed. Believe it or not, car wash technology, soaps, cleaners, and water recycling efforts are far beyond those of just 15 years ago, and we’re happy to offer the people of Loveland, Fort Collins, and all of northern Colorado the best options available. Stop by Speedy Sparkle when you want to get the cleanest car around!
