Will Clint Eastwood’s RNC speech cause a boom in chair sales?
Kai Ryssdal: This final note today, which starts like this.
Clint Eastwood: I’ve got Mr Obama sitting here…I was just going to ask him a couple questions.
Clint Eastwood last night at the Republican National Convention. Among the more…unusual…convention speeches in memory.
It’s the water cooler conversation today. But really, the empty chair was the star of the thing, I’d say.
So we reached out for some trained furniture expertise. John Farrell is the owner of Creative Metal and Wood, furniture maker in North Carolina. Mr. Farrell, good to talk to you.
John Farrell: Yes sir.
Ryssdal: So did you see the Clint Eastwood speech last night?
Farrell: I did, yes sir I did.
Ryssdal: And you saw that chair sitting there, and you’re like, wow.
Farrell: I saw it. It was more of a barstool or a counterstool than a chair.
Ryssdal: Which is funny, because everybody’s making jokes about the empty chair today.
Farrell: Well, it was a good schtick I think is the way you say it.
Ryssdal: Now, as a furniture professional, can you tell me what kind of chair that was? Can you look at it and say, ‘That is…’?
Farrell: It’s what you would call a commercial, low-quality.
Ryssdal: Well now, how much do you think the Republican National Committee paid for that chair?
Farrell: That was donated. It had to be. I doubt if they paid anything for it.
Ryssdal: Do you think, given Mr. Eastwood last night, there’s going to be a boom in people wanting just a single empty chair to buy?
Farrell: I don’t think so.
Ryssdal: Fair enough, fair enough. John Farrell, he owns a company called Creative Metal and Wood down in High Point — Thomasville, actually — in North Carolina. Mr. Farrell, thank you so much for your time.
Farrell: You’re welcome.
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