Page 19 - AAA Northwest Ohio - AAA Now! May/June 2013

19 MAy/june 2013
Jim: Did you take driver’s education in high school?
Is that how you learned to drive?
Yeardley: They didn’t have driver’s ed in high
school back in my day, so my father taught me how
to drive. I passed my driving test on the first try
but actually wasn’t very interested in driving at the
time. It wasn’t my M.O., like the boys who felt, “Oh
my gosh, I just have to drive.” But I did have to drive
because I had to get to school. My brother insisted
that I learn on a stick shift because he claimed it
was the only way to get any pickup.
Jim: So did your dad buy you a car at that time?
Yeardley: Heavens no. I used the family car, a blue
Saab, because it was so safe. I had a little carpool
and took a couple of other students with me.
Jim: When did you get your first car?
Yeardley: The first car I bought — I think I was 21
—was a brand-new red Honda CR-X. I paid about
$8,000 for it. I remember that my brother stepped
in and said, “Oh but Yeardley, you shouldn’t get air
conditioning because that wears out the motor.”
I lived in The Valley in California, where it gets to be
about 110 degrees. So I was just sweating my %@&
off in this tiny little hot car.
Jim: So when did you finally decide not to take any
more car advice from your brother?
Yeardley: Pretty much right after that. I did end up
keeping that car for six years, which is a long time in
California.
Jim: Do you remember any interesting stories about
your Honda CR-X?
Yeardley: Not really, I lead a fairly boring life. But I
do remember that I had that car when the L.A. riots
started. I was on the Fox Studios lot and it was a hot,
hot, hot day. And, of course, I had no air conditioning,
so I had to drive withmy windows down. Because
of the riots, there was a mass exodus from the city
with everyone trying to get home, leaving work in
the middle of the day. Here I was, driving withmy
windows rolled down, feeling somewhat unprotected.
As though rolling the windows up would actually
protect me from some sort of mass violence.
Jim: What was your next car after the Honda?
Yeardley: I eventually just had to have air
conditioning and I had my eye on a Mazda Miata,
which was my next car. It was a fun little convertible
but everyone said to me, “Yeardley, you’re driving
around in a Coca-Cola can and it’s not safe.
So I sold it and moved to an Acura. I just
didn’t love that car and only had it for a
couple of years. Then, I bought an Audi
A4, which I loved, and kept it for four
or five years.
Jim: So what are you driving now?
Yeardley: A Toyota Prius, of course. Because I play
Lisa Simpson, and they would kick me off the show
if I didn’t drive a hybrid.
Jim: What color is it? Because I think I have only seen
them in about three different colors.
Yeardley: Yeah, it’s kind of that putrid powder blue.
I was on a waiting list for what seemed like forever.
I thought I had chosen a different blue. When this
one came in, I didn’t want to wait any longer so I
took it. But I’ve never enjoyed the color much —
and I love blue.
Jim: So it seems you are very practical with your cars.
Yeardley: I am. I’ve had my Prius for about five years;
it’s one of the first generation Priuses. It’s not very
luxurious, pretty basic and it will be time to buy
another car in the next few years. But I just don’t have
that much interest in it. I don’t usually go, “Ahhhh.
I’d love to get that car.”All my male friends tell me,
“Yeardley, I think you should drive the Audi R8.” I’m
like, “Ok, hand over $140,000 or whatever it costs and
I would be happy to drive that car.”
Jim: Yeardley, you’re not turning any heads when
you’re driving a five-year-old Prius. Not like you would
with an R8.
Yeardley: Actually, I get recognized a couple times
a day — but not when driving the Prius.
Jim: If you keep that Prius long enough, it might end
up being a collector car. After all, it is one of the first
hybrid vehicles.
Yeardley: I might keep it as a backup car if I get a
new one. I actually have HOV stickers on my Prius,
and they stopped giving those out about four years
ago.
Jim: Well, those alone are worth the price of the car.
Yeardley: I know. I am very practical.
Jim: So is it safe to say that you really don’t have a
dream car?
Yeardley: I don’t. Cars don’t really do it for me,
but shoes do. In fact, I launched a shoe line called
Marchez Vous YS in the fall of 2011. The name means
“you walked” in French, and then my initials.
Jim: I’m guessing these will be dress shoes?
Yeardley: They are, yes. But, I like to say they
can go from day to night, and have to meet five
benchmarks. They have to be super comfortable —
because women’s shoes are generally so incredibly
uncomfortable. They have to be sexy, timeless, witty
and unexpected.
Jim: What do you mean by unexpected?
Yeardley: Unexpected means you’re making burlap
sexy, taking fabrics nobody would expect to see on
a shoe and making them look phenomenal. I think
shoes are to women what sports are to men. I love
to watch men watch sports because it means so
much to them. I think for women, clothing, and shoes
especially, are like that. We have a real passion for
them.
– Jim Prueter, AAA Arizona
My First Car –Yeardley Smith
Longitudes
and Latitudes
Since 1987, Yeardley Smith has been best known as the voice of Lisa Simpson
on the hit television series The Simpsons. Yeardley was recognized for her work
with a Primetime Emmy Award. She has appeared in numerous films including
City Slickers, As Good as It Gets and The Simpsons Movie. Her television career
spans three decades, with appearances on Dharma & Greg, The Big Bang Theory,
MadMen and dozens of others. I recently caught up with Yeardley to talk about
cars — and shoes.