I just got back from Pebble Beach and the whole Monterey Car Week Luxperience last night, and I’m still reeling from the realities of my alarmingly caviar-free real-world existence, but I’ll manage. We have lots and lots of great content from the trip coming, including some comprehensive taillight surveys and at least one mind-scrambling turn indicator revelation, but for the moment I’d just like to show you this picture of me and Aaron Paul, clearly great friends, talking as The Guy From Breaking Bad sits in a Bentley. Want to guess what we’re talking about?
First, I should explain a few things: There are always a few bigshot celebrities at the Pebble Beach Concurs D’Elegance, and this time the most visible one was this fella. I think our publisher Matt spotted him first, and nudged David, who said “holy crap, it’s Logan Paul,” and then I attempted to correct him, saying “no, dummy, that’s deceased former Pope John Paul II,” before Matt cleared it up and used his correct name, Aaron Paul.
From that moment on, Matt was determined we try to get him to do a video with us, telling me as he seized my upper arm in his vice-like, painful grip that we had to get him to do a video with us, for the clicks, the final word punctuated with an icicle of drool. Matt then shoved me toward him, and made talky-hand gestures while staring at me, wild-eyed.
I didn’t really feel great about bothering someone, even a famous someone, who was just there to enjoy the show, for a video, but I could tell Matt wouldn’t let me off the hook. So, I just went over to the car to put some distance between Matt and myself, and to see what was going on.
Happily, there was something really interesting going on:
See those? They’re fairly normal taillights of an early 1910s and 1920s type I generally call the “diver’s helmet” style, only these are made of rubber! Rubber! They’re brilliant! They act as a sort of low-speed bumper protector as well, and can rebound from slight impacts with the cool aplomb of anything made of nice, pliant rubber! I love them!
The company that made these, Rubbolite, is even still around, except they seem to have moved on from just rubber lights and onto a vast array of lighting needs.
Anyway, the Bentley’s owner and I started talking about these amazing rubber taillights, which actually caught some of Paul’s interest, so that when he crawled into the Bentley and the owner started it up for him, I was able to continue talking to him about the really important stuff: Toyota Tercel 4×4 wagons.
That’s what he drove in the show, so he was familiar with them, and was happy to compare, briefly, the feeling of that Tercel to this Bentley. I think it was a tie. For what it’s worth Aaron Paul really seems to love cars and was having a blast. So much so I declined to try and stop him and force him to do the video that Matt desperately wanted.
But, we have this photograph, so there’s that, at least.
Hooray! Todd episode!
No one else has notied that Mr. Paul seems to be reaching for a piece?
Stand BACK, Torch! I don’t give two ….s about TAIL LIGHTS!
Not only did Jesse Pinkman have the Tercel in Breaking Bad, he later had an FJ62 in El Camino, which just seems like an evolution of what the Tercel started in him.
“I’d just like to show you this picture of me and Aaron Paul”
Judging by the photo, it looks like the restraining order specifies 6 feet? Am I close?
Are you sure that’s not Ron Paul?
or maybe its RuPaul?
Was there a Drag race at PB this year? 😉
That was a tee up and hole in one
Have you seen the Wikipedia review of Need for Speed starring Aaron Paul?
I don’t think that conversation went very far. Ouch.
Is that real?!
Yes, look it up under Critical Response.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Need_for_Speed_(film)
Ouch is right. Thanks for the link.
Yikes, that movie sounds awful. I’ll avoid it so I can keep seeing Aaron Paul as Heisenberg’s accomplice/frenemy who later changed his name to Todd and crashed on Bojack’s couch.
Haha me and my wife used to joke about that back when we were watching BoJack Horseman. Todd is definitely the new identity assumed by Jesse Pinkman after getting out of Albuquerque.
Oh damn I forgot about that! I mean, the movie was garbage.
I didn’t say you were wrong. But I bet Aaron hasn’t forgotten!!
Yeah, I don’t think actors do FF movies hoping that critics will recognise their earth-shattering performances.
On the other hand, I’ve never seen this movie, and had forgotten about it’s existence. But now I’m tempted to see it. So Aaron Paul should thank Jason for keeping it alive.
Must be making meth for real to afford that car
The car it’s clearly stated he doesn’t own?
Hair care tips? 🙂
Low blow…low blow..sucker punch
My Bentley has those! And replacements are still in stock.
Plot twist: Nic’s Bentley is a 2017.
a 2017 ChangLi
“Hey Malcom, how does it feel to be racing cars in ARCA?”
The description of Matt throwing you under the Bentley was great. Excited to see the rest of the content you all managed from this.
Jason: “Rubber taillights? But I bareley know ‘er!”
Mr. Paul: …
Jason: …
Mr. Paul: …
Jason: “Say, you look like the sort of fellow who would know a thing or two about Japanese compact 4WD wagons from the 80s. Let me ask you something…”
Mr. Paul: “Tercel.”
Jason: “Exactly! The interesting thing about the Ter-”
Mr. Paul: “No, I said, ‘Your smell’. I know it wouldn’t be rot in this Bentley, man, so it must be you.”
Jason: “Oh, thank you for noticing! I sourced this from a-”
Owner: “Please leave.”
The convo went like this
Torch: Hello Aaron
Aaron: call me Mr. Paul
Torch: OK
……filming stops…..
Torch: look at those freaking taillights
Aaron to publicist: that guy has a screw loose
“That’s Aaron Paul, one of the main actors from the greatest TV show of all time! I can’t believe he’s here! This is a rare chance to interv- OMG RUBBER TAILLIGHTS!”
That’s why we love you, Torch. Never change.
Side note- Rubbolite sounds like the name of a knockoff Fleshlight that costs half as much as the original but leaves your dick covered in blisters.
You act like the blisters are certain. At least 15% of the time, Rubbolite has little to no ill effect. And the blisters go away in mere weeks!
Aaron Paul was also in one of the most forgettable car movies ever: Need for Speed.
I know most didn’t, but I quite enjoyed it. And was shocked they didn’t reference it here as well.
I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. Take Aaron Paul and Imogen Poots out of the movie though and it would have been real bad.
Not car related at all but they made a lesser known movie together that came out the same year called A Long Way Down that also starred Pierce Brosnan and Toni Collette.
Agreed. I do love Rami Malek in it as well though. Him quitting his job is amazing haha.
Haha. That was a great scene. They had a surprisingly good cast for it.
“Have a nice day you miserable bastards”
“Take Aaron Paul and Imogen Poots out of the movie though and it would have been real bad.”
Half of that is just that you couldn’t sit there and occasionally mumble to yourself “Poots!” and giggle.
Yep, I went to see it expecting a lower budget FF knock off. But it seemed more fun and more a car film than the recent entries of the FF franchise. Paul and Poots were pretty good
The fact that DT got one of Aaron Paul’s names right suggests that he truly has gone full Hollywood.
It says Matt was the one who figured it out. DT might still bleed rust
Betcha Aaron Paul shows up on Autopian in the near future, especially when he starts receiving more work offers because everyone knows Hollywood’s most discerning producers and directors are rabid Autopian members. Or maybe that’s just Tracy’s kitties.