# Gimme back my Shell Answer Man. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 8, 2014, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gimme-back-my-shell-answer-man/692608 "2014-07-08T04:05:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Little\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c57346/32.png) [@Little\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Pig)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2014, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gimme-back-my-shell-answer-man/692608/1 "2014-07-08T04:05:39Z")
“The Shell Answer Man was a series of television advertisements from the 1960s through the 1990s sponsored by Shell Oil in which answers were provided to common questions from the public about driving, with advice on vehicle maintenance, repair and safety, as well as guidance to users of home heating oil… The ads were aimed at typical drivers, helping inform them how to avoid wasting gasoline through such tips as not making jackrabbit starts, ensuring proper tire inflation, regular oil changes and proper basic maintenance of their vehicle, as well as guidance on how to get the most out of heating one’s home.” [Link](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shell_Answer_Man) When I was a teen, we used to invoke the “Shell Answer Man” for all types of common teen problems, like “lubrication”. But seriously, I still adhere to the Answer Man’s auto related proverbs. Could “The Man” make a comeback in this day and age? ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2014, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gimme-back-my-shell-answer-man/692608/2 "2014-07-08T04:17:15Z")
Shell also published these little yellow pamphlets about the same topics - I used to collect them when I was 8 or so as I thought they were cool. > **[This might be 9x more effective than your business card | Lions of Good](http://lionsofgood.com/at-least-10x-more-profitable-than-any-business-card/)** ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c57346/32.png) [@Little\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Pig)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2014, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gimme-back-my-shell-answer-man/692608/3 "2014-07-08T04:56:11Z")
> [@JohnT](#): > > Shell also published these little yellow pamphlets about the same topics - I used to collect them when I was 8 or so as I thought they were cool. > > [This might be 9x more effective than your business card | Lions of Good](http://lionsofgood.com/at-least-10x-more-profitable-than-any-business-card/) Wow! And these books are available on-line. Dig the photo’s b-a-b-y. ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2014, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gimme-back-my-shell-answer-man/692608/4 "2014-07-08T05:00:42Z")
> [@Little\_Pig](#): > > Could “The Man” make a comeback in this day and age? If he did, he’d probably be a corporate shill claiming that carbon dioxide’s actually good for the environment, and the EPA is run by communists. I used to collect those little yellow pamphlets; God only knows what happened to them. ---
**Author:** ![Dorjan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorjan/32/12440_2.png) [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2014, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gimme-back-my-shell-answer-man/692608/5 "2014-07-09T19:22:43Z")
I remember the pamphlets, they were great! Most of my early automotive knowledge came from reading them in the backseat on long road trips. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2014, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gimme-back-my-shell-answer-man/692608/6 "2014-07-09T21:06:18Z")
> [@Little\_Pig](#): > > Could “The Man” make a comeback in this day and age? No, because he’d be seen as nothing more than a shill for big oil. Which would probably be an eminently accurate characterization. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c57346/32.png) [@Little\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Pig)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2014, 7:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gimme-back-my-shell-answer-man/692608/7 "2014-07-11T07:56:40Z")
I’m trying to remember the last time I saw or heard a commercial for gasoline… ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2014, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/gimme-back-my-shell-answer-man/692608/8 "2014-07-11T13:51:56Z")
> [@Little\_Pig](#): > > I’m trying to remember the last time I saw or heard a commercial for gasoline… Oil company ads are mostly just corporate-image ads, to make you think their highest priority is helping the environment or the economy or education or family values or something.