After our conversation about various names for a television remote control, a listener emailed to say that early remote controls produced an audible tone that activated the TV channel changer and volume, and whenever his dogs Lupe and Bubba stood up and shook themselves, the sound of the jangling tags on their collars changed the TV channels. This is part of a complete episode.
Transcript of “Dog Jangle”
Grant, you remember that conversation we had not long ago about what you call that little device that you use to change the channels on your television?
You sure?
Remote control or clicker or zappler or dumas flatchy.
Right.
Right.
Right. And we talked about how early versions of that device actually made a clicking sound.
And that prompted an email from Charles Sanders in Miami who said, our dogs would shake in front of the TV. The rattle of their collars would change the channel or volume. And it’s true. I looked into this and the early remote controls produced an audible tone that activated the TV channel.
And you can go on Reddit and see all these people talking about all these different sounds that would change the channel on their TV, you know, like shaking your car keys or a kid playing with a slinky or turning on your vacuum cleaner.
But in the case of Charles Sanders, his dogs Lupe and Bubba would shake their collars and it would change the channel.
Yeah, they would have watched Paw Patrol.
Right.
What channel is Rin Tin Tin on? We’re going to watch the Lassie Marathon. Come on, people. I wouldn’t mind a clap and beep TV. You don’t have to shake your keys to reach us. So you just have to press the buttons on your phone. 877-929-9673.
