Jalopnik
Encyclopedia
Jalopnik is a Weblog covering cars
, car culture, and the automotive industry
. Owned and operated by Gawker Media
since 2004, Jalopnik emphasizes irreverent humor.
Jalopnik contributors regularly attend media events and press conferences hosted by automotive manufacturers, which prior to the rise of the blogosphere
in the 2000s, were limited to traditional media outlets. Jalopnik's site's Editor-in-Chief, Ray Wert
, appears regularly on live news programs including CNBC
's On the Money
.
The word "Jalopnik" is a portmanteau of Jalopy
and Beatnik
.
On February 2nd, 2011, Jalopnik, underwent a major redesign of their format that faced overwhelming & immediate criticism to which the Editor in Chief responded: "We're not going back to the old design. You'll have to deal with that."
, and other writers include features editor Justin Hyde and features editor Matt Hardigree. Mike Spinelli, who founded Jalopnik and served as the site's Senior Editor, contributes regularly with Jalopnik as editor-emeritus. In addition to the full-time editors, writers "Murilee Martin" (a nom de plume), and John Krewson contribute to Jalopnik regularly. Most recently, Hungarian
writer Peter Orosz has contributed, providing coverage of Formula One
and other subjects. Former staffers include Ben Wojdyla and Sam Smith.
or Craigslist
, humorous phrasing and sarcasm within the items themselves, callback
s, inside joke and repeating themes.
Question Of The Day and Answers Of The Day (abbreviated QOTD and AOTD, respectively) - For the Question Of The Day, editor Mike Spinelli asks a question of the general Jalopnik commentariat, with the question usually at least somewhat loosely related to automotive transportation or uses thereof, and gives and example of what his personal answer would be. In the comments section, the commentariat takes advantage of this opportunity to show off their bountiful automotive knowledge, often coming up with quite interesting and erudite answers. By the next day, intern Martin Grossinger has chosen his favorite ten responses and organizes them, in gallery format, along with a quick explanation for each as to why the selection makes sense, in the Answer Of The Day article. The commentariat then generally gets quite angry and each insists that Martin is an ignorant prick for not choosing their specific suggestions. AOTD is a generally only a summer feature, as Martin is only employed by Jalopnik during the summer months. Since 5.NO was put into affect, only QOTD has been posted, and Jalops worldwide have lamented the lack of AOTD. Some Jalops have boycotted QOTD until they get their AOTD back.
Project Car Hell - In this item two equally time and money consuming restoration projects are picked from the typical second hand websites like craigslist
and eBay
. Readers are then asked to vote on which car is more "Hellish" to restore; i.e., how bad of a condition it is in when initially acquired, rarity and cost of parts, complexity of mechanicals, and how ultimately desirable the car would be in the chance that it would be completely restored. Although this often involves one car pitted against another, every now and then offers will include three or more cars. Additional humor is derived from the optimistic tone of voice most sellers will use when they try to sell their car(s); "runs reasonably well (no 2nd and 3rd gear)", or "This car is anyones dream project!".
Jalopnik Fantasy Garage - Jalopnik keeps a running list of desirable vehicles (usually historically significant, sometimes just very fast, beautiful, or capable). For a car to get into this list, it has to be proposed by a Jalopnik writer and voted in by readers, usually in a simple Yes/No poll (accompanied by an article introducing the car and explaining its significance) or by having readers choose from a batch of similar cars. If a car in the list is thought to have become unpopular, readers are given a chance to vote it out in a Trimming the Fat feature.
Classic Ad Watch - Murilee Martin covers in this series old television advertisements for cars from around the world, mostly focusing on somewhat off-kilter ads (Japanese ads are most famous for this). Most of the ads feature odd voiceovers, heavy usage of stunt-driving or unintentionally hilarious jingles. Ironically optimistic ads for models or marques
which later failed are also popular choices.
Jalopnik Reviews - Reviews, typically by Wes Siler, include three parts: a general description of the car; an evaluation of the car (with ratings in categories such as handling and interior design); followed by reasons why a buyer would or would not buy the car.
Official Car Pundit Drinking Game - A drinking game first played during editor Ray Wert's appearances on CNBC
's On the Money
, and since expanded to when any Jalopnik writer appears on television. Commenters post drink rules corresponding to the automotive issues that are to be discussed.
Nice Price or Crack Pipe (abbreviated NPOCP) - The readers are asked to approve (Nice Price) or disapprove ("Crack Pipe") of the price of a particular vehicle for sale.
Commenter of the Day (abbreviated COTD) - The Jalopnik commenters (or the "commentariat") are honored with the COTD (Commenter of the Day) award. A short story precedes the COTD in order to explain the nature of the comment. The other commenters are then free to discuss the comment and congratulate the winner; a congratulatory reward usually includes a tasteful depiction of a girl and a car (delivered by $kaycog) and a bottle of Jalopnik brand Breakfast Scotch
. Notable repeat winners of 'Commenter of the Day' include such resident commenters as Spiegel, pauljones, Ash78, Desu-San-Desu, and Potbelly Joe, among others.
Church of Hoon - A more recent addition to the Opposite Lock section of the site. Members of the site have begun to form the basis for an in-site religion based on the teachings and prophets of the automotive kingdom. It has been called the best religion.... In the wuuurld.
, or his former hometown of Alameda, California
, and includes a short commentary to go with it. The only specific criteria that a car must meet to qualify for DOTS is that it must be parked on the street (cars parked in garages or driveways do not count as they are on private property), hence the name of the article. More recently this feature has included Bonus Editions which feature reader-submitted photos and commentaries of old cars in their hometowns or abroad.
Jalopnik Gold - A members-only feature unveiled on April 1, 2009
which allowed member to have both preview and edit buttons and other member-exclusive features. This service was discontinued the same evening.
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
, car culture, and the automotive industry
Automotive industry
The automotive industry designs, develops, manufactures, markets, and sells motor vehicles, and is one of the world's most important economic sectors by revenue....
. Owned and operated by Gawker Media
Gawker Media
Gawker Media is an American online media company and blog network, founded and owned by Nick Denton based in New York City. It is considered to be one of the most visible and successful blog-oriented media companies. , it is the parent company for 11 different weblogs: Gawker.com, Fleshbot,...
since 2004, Jalopnik emphasizes irreverent humor.
Jalopnik contributors regularly attend media events and press conferences hosted by automotive manufacturers, which prior to the rise of the blogosphere
Blogosphere
The blogosphere is made up of all blogs and their interconnections. The term implies that blogs exist together as a connected community or as a social network in which everyday authors can publish their opinions...
in the 2000s, were limited to traditional media outlets. Jalopnik's site's Editor-in-Chief, Ray Wert
Ray Wert
Ray Wert is the Editor in Chief of the Gawker Media owned automotive website Jalopnik. He was previously a senior staffer for Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm, as well as a campaign organizer on staff for Presidential candidate John Kerry. Ray Wert also has written for The New York Times,...
, appears regularly on live news programs including CNBC
CNBC
CNBC is a satellite and cable television business news channel in the U.S., owned and operated by NBCUniversal. The network and its international spinoffs cover business headlines and provide live coverage of financial markets. The combined reach of CNBC and its siblings is 390 million viewers...
's On the Money
On the Money
CNBC's On the Money, hosted by Carmen Wong Ulrich, is a television program that focuses primarily on personal finance, a programming departure from CNBC's "investor focused" weekday programming....
.
The word "Jalopnik" is a portmanteau of Jalopy
Jalopy
A jalopy is a decrepit car, often old and in a barely functional state. A jalopy is not a well kept antique car, but a car which is mostly rundown or beaten up. As a slang term in American English, "Jalopy" was noted in 1924 but is now slightly passé...
and Beatnik
Beatnik
Beatnik was a media stereotype of the 1950s and early 1960s that displayed the more superficial aspects of the Beat Generation literary movement of the 1950s and violent film images, along with a cartoonish depiction of the real-life people and the spiritual quest in Jack Kerouac's autobiographical...
.
On February 2nd, 2011, Jalopnik, underwent a major redesign of their format that faced overwhelming & immediate criticism to which the Editor in Chief responded: "We're not going back to the old design. You'll have to deal with that."
Staff
The site's editor-in-chief is Ray WertRay Wert
Ray Wert is the Editor in Chief of the Gawker Media owned automotive website Jalopnik. He was previously a senior staffer for Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm, as well as a campaign organizer on staff for Presidential candidate John Kerry. Ray Wert also has written for The New York Times,...
, and other writers include features editor Justin Hyde and features editor Matt Hardigree. Mike Spinelli, who founded Jalopnik and served as the site's Senior Editor, contributes regularly with Jalopnik as editor-emeritus. In addition to the full-time editors, writers "Murilee Martin" (a nom de plume), and John Krewson contribute to Jalopnik regularly. Most recently, Hungarian
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
writer Peter Orosz has contributed, providing coverage of Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
and other subjects. Former staffers include Ben Wojdyla and Sam Smith.
Humor
Jalopnik's news items are often intermingled with humorous stories highlighting car culture, humorous criminal incidents, strange cars offered for sale on eBayEBay
eBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
or Craigslist
Craigslist
Craigslist is a centralized network of online communities featuring free online classified advertisements, with sections devoted to jobs, housing, personals, for sale, services, community, gigs, résumés, and discussion forums....
, humorous phrasing and sarcasm within the items themselves, callback
Callback (comedy)
A callback, in terms of comedy, is a joke which refers to one previously told in the set. The second joke is often presented in a different context than the one which was used in the initial joke. Callbacks are usually used at or near the end of a set, as the aim is to create the biggest laugh at...
s, inside joke and repeating themes.
Memes
- The ChevroletChevroletChevrolet , also known as Chevy , is a brand of vehicle produced by General Motors Company . Founded by Louis Chevrolet and ousted GM founder William C. Durant on November 3, 1911, General Motors acquired Chevrolet in 1918...
El CaminoChevrolet El CaminoThe Chevrolet El Camino is a coupe utility vehicle produced by the Chevrolet division of General Motors for the 1959–1960 model years in response to the success of its rival, Ford Ranchero. Production resumed for the 1964–1977 model years based on the Chevelle platform, and continued for the...
, and especially conversion of other vehicles to have similar pickup truckPickup truckA pickup truck is a light motor vehicle with an open-top rear cargo area .-Definition:...
bodies - GermanGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
automotive precision, also known as "Bruce". - Toyota, often with the phrase "super potential" (mimicking the Japanese marketing trait of naming products with incongruous English words like "Warlord Maximum Daisy")
- HoonHoonHoon is a derogatory term used in Australia and New Zealand, to refer to a anyone who engages in loutish, antisocial behaviour. In particular, it is used to refer to one who drives a car or boat in a manner which is anti-social by the standards of contemporary society, that is, fast, noisily and/or...
- an Australian word for driving recklessly, racing, and doing burnouts on public streets, this word is usually used incorrectly, along with made up variants such as "hoonage". - Auto Show live coverage, including the Detroit Auto ShowNorth American International Auto ShowThe North American International Auto Show is an annual auto show held in Detroit, Michigan at Cobo Center, usually in January. It is among the largest auto shows in North America.-History:...
. - Dragons - stemming from an earlier post featuring illustrations of Dragons mating with cars. (also known as "Dragoning")
- "Cotomer Sevis" - Reference to remarks made by a disgruntled "customer" attempting to buy a V8 bike frame from the weblog.
- Malaise Era - Reference to the era after the 1973 Oil Crisis1973 oil crisisThe 1973 oil crisis started in October 1973, when the members of Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries or the OAPEC proclaimed an oil embargo. This was "in response to the U.S. decision to re-supply the Israeli military" during the Yom Kippur war. It lasted until March 1974. With the...
, generally agreed to be 1973–1982, when automobiles, especially AmericanUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
ones, experienced a perceived downturn in style, performance, and quality. - The poor reliability of cars made by British Leyland, especially those with parts made by Lucas Industries plcLucas Industries plcLucas Industries plc was a famous British manufacturer of components for the motor industry and aerospace industry. It was based in Birmingham. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange and was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index...
(whose founder, Joseph Lucas, is called the "Prince of Darkness"). - SLR Guy, a young lad who crashed a Mercedes McLaren SLR. His likeness originally appeared in a picture where he is giving a smug look despite the fact that he demonstrated poor driving skills in a highly capable, and valuable, vehicle. He is regularly photoshopped into other images where unwarranted driver arrogance is suspected.
- Civic Kid, a teenage boy originally found standing in the foreground of a photo depicting a crashed Honda Civic. His involvement in the crash is unclear but his humorous facial expression and hand gesture have earned him much favor among the Jalopnik commentariat. He is regularly photoshopped into other images of vehicle mishaps where driver embarrassment is suspected. (Also: IN THE FACE!)
- The Carpocalypse - Referencing news events related to the downturn or self-destruction of the auto industry following the 2008 economic crisis.
- "Megan FoxMegan FoxMegan Denise Fox is an American actress and model. She began her acting career in 2001 with several minor television and film roles, and played a regular role on Hope & Faith. In 2004, she launched her film career with a role in Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen...
" references, where applied is usually related to a savvy and suave car/event/person, however, under the philosophy that said actress is unbeatable in terms of flare. Currently, Megan Fox is considered the patron saint of the Jalopnik community. - Jalopnik Scotch - Jalopnik community is required to recognize the Jalopnik brand Scotch as the alcoholic beverage of choice. The ongoing theme is that true followers consume Jalopnik Scotch for breakfast.
- Roy Wert - During one of his appearances on On the Money Ray Wert was mistakenly referred to as Roy by Larry Kudlow. Following this, the Jalopnik community began to assign humorous aliases to their Editor-in-Chief (i.e. Roy Wort).
- "Why did you turn?", a phrase superimposed over an image of a vehicular mishap. It is sometimes translated into the language of the country that the mishap occurred in. The phrase originates from a video where some young men attempt to push a Honda Civic onto a truck with no success, and one male blames the failure on his girlfriend allegedly turning the vehicle.
- Nibbles, the fickle hamster who runs the technical side of Jalopnik, whose name is often invoked when there is a technical glitch.
- Jalopchat - is where the esteemed commenters of Jalopnik meet in the evenings to share a libation and talk cars and everything else. Occurs at tinychat.com/jalopnik
- "Because race car" - a meme where questions about cars are answered with the simple phrase "because race car". Example: "Why does the Ferrari 458 has adaptive aero?" "Because race car." A spin-off of this meme is "Because rice car," used when talking about cars with cheap and elaborate/ exaggerated aerodynamic additions or bodykits.
Features
Jalopnik includes several regular, usually humorous features addressing car culture.Question Of The Day and Answers Of The Day (abbreviated QOTD and AOTD, respectively) - For the Question Of The Day, editor Mike Spinelli asks a question of the general Jalopnik commentariat, with the question usually at least somewhat loosely related to automotive transportation or uses thereof, and gives and example of what his personal answer would be. In the comments section, the commentariat takes advantage of this opportunity to show off their bountiful automotive knowledge, often coming up with quite interesting and erudite answers. By the next day, intern Martin Grossinger has chosen his favorite ten responses and organizes them, in gallery format, along with a quick explanation for each as to why the selection makes sense, in the Answer Of The Day article. The commentariat then generally gets quite angry and each insists that Martin is an ignorant prick for not choosing their specific suggestions. AOTD is a generally only a summer feature, as Martin is only employed by Jalopnik during the summer months. Since 5.NO was put into affect, only QOTD has been posted, and Jalops worldwide have lamented the lack of AOTD. Some Jalops have boycotted QOTD until they get their AOTD back.
Project Car Hell - In this item two equally time and money consuming restoration projects are picked from the typical second hand websites like craigslist
Craigslist
Craigslist is a centralized network of online communities featuring free online classified advertisements, with sections devoted to jobs, housing, personals, for sale, services, community, gigs, résumés, and discussion forums....
and eBay
EBay
eBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
. Readers are then asked to vote on which car is more "Hellish" to restore; i.e., how bad of a condition it is in when initially acquired, rarity and cost of parts, complexity of mechanicals, and how ultimately desirable the car would be in the chance that it would be completely restored. Although this often involves one car pitted against another, every now and then offers will include three or more cars. Additional humor is derived from the optimistic tone of voice most sellers will use when they try to sell their car(s); "runs reasonably well (no 2nd and 3rd gear)", or "This car is anyones dream project!".
Jalopnik Fantasy Garage - Jalopnik keeps a running list of desirable vehicles (usually historically significant, sometimes just very fast, beautiful, or capable). For a car to get into this list, it has to be proposed by a Jalopnik writer and voted in by readers, usually in a simple Yes/No poll (accompanied by an article introducing the car and explaining its significance) or by having readers choose from a batch of similar cars. If a car in the list is thought to have become unpopular, readers are given a chance to vote it out in a Trimming the Fat feature.
Classic Ad Watch - Murilee Martin covers in this series old television advertisements for cars from around the world, mostly focusing on somewhat off-kilter ads (Japanese ads are most famous for this). Most of the ads feature odd voiceovers, heavy usage of stunt-driving or unintentionally hilarious jingles. Ironically optimistic ads for models or marques
Marqués
Marqués and Márquez may mean:People*A. H. de Oliveira Marques*Anderson Luís de Azevedo Rodrigues Marques, Brazilian footballer*Fernando Marqués, Spanish footballer...
which later failed are also popular choices.
Jalopnik Reviews - Reviews, typically by Wes Siler, include three parts: a general description of the car; an evaluation of the car (with ratings in categories such as handling and interior design); followed by reasons why a buyer would or would not buy the car.
Official Car Pundit Drinking Game - A drinking game first played during editor Ray Wert's appearances on CNBC
CNBC
CNBC is a satellite and cable television business news channel in the U.S., owned and operated by NBCUniversal. The network and its international spinoffs cover business headlines and provide live coverage of financial markets. The combined reach of CNBC and its siblings is 390 million viewers...
's On the Money
On the Money
CNBC's On the Money, hosted by Carmen Wong Ulrich, is a television program that focuses primarily on personal finance, a programming departure from CNBC's "investor focused" weekday programming....
, and since expanded to when any Jalopnik writer appears on television. Commenters post drink rules corresponding to the automotive issues that are to be discussed.
Nice Price or Crack Pipe (abbreviated NPOCP) - The readers are asked to approve (Nice Price) or disapprove ("Crack Pipe") of the price of a particular vehicle for sale.
Commenter of the Day (abbreviated COTD) - The Jalopnik commenters (or the "commentariat") are honored with the COTD (Commenter of the Day) award. A short story precedes the COTD in order to explain the nature of the comment. The other commenters are then free to discuss the comment and congratulate the winner; a congratulatory reward usually includes a tasteful depiction of a girl and a car (delivered by $kaycog) and a bottle of Jalopnik brand Breakfast Scotch
Scotch whisky
Scotch whisky is whisky made in Scotland.Scotch whisky is divided into five distinct categories: Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Single Grain Scotch Whisky, Blended Malt Scotch Whisky , Blended Grain Scotch Whisky, and Blended Scotch Whisky.All Scotch whisky must be aged in oak barrels for at least three...
. Notable repeat winners of 'Commenter of the Day' include such resident commenters as Spiegel, pauljones, Ash78, Desu-San-Desu, and Potbelly Joe, among others.
Church of Hoon - A more recent addition to the Opposite Lock section of the site. Members of the site have begun to form the basis for an in-site religion based on the teachings and prophets of the automotive kingdom. It has been called the best religion.... In the wuuurld.
Previous Features
Down On The Street (abbreviated DOTS) - Editor Murilee Martin takes photos of an interesting, usually old car in his current hometown, Denver, ColoradoDenver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
, or his former hometown of Alameda, California
Alameda, California
Alameda is a city in Alameda County, California, United States. It is located on Alameda Island and Bay Farm Island, and is adjacent to Oakland in the San Francisco Bay. The Bay Farm Island portion of the city is adjacent to the Oakland International Airport. At the 2010 census, the city had a...
, and includes a short commentary to go with it. The only specific criteria that a car must meet to qualify for DOTS is that it must be parked on the street (cars parked in garages or driveways do not count as they are on private property), hence the name of the article. More recently this feature has included Bonus Editions which feature reader-submitted photos and commentaries of old cars in their hometowns or abroad.
Jalopnik Gold - A members-only feature unveiled on April 1, 2009
April Fools' Day
April Fools' Day is celebrated in different countries around the world on April 1 every year. Sometimes referred to as All Fools' Day, April 1 is not a national holiday, but is widely recognized and celebrated as a day when many people play all kinds of jokes and foolishness...
which allowed member to have both preview and edit buttons and other member-exclusive features. This service was discontinued the same evening.
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