Mario Andretti Is Trying to Teach His Parrot to Swear
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Mario Andretti has conquered some of the world's toughest challenges. He's defied the odds to become a Formula One world champion, secured four Indycar championships, and raced to victory in the Daytona 500. His biography is a stunning, unending list of accomplishments. But now he's taking on the toughest task of all: Teaching his bird, Gonzo, to use profanity.
In an interview with the Indy Star, Andretti explains his inspiration for this project. The racing legend read a story about a group of parrots at a British zoo that had to be separated after they started batting swear words back and forth.
“We are quite used to parrots swearing, but we’ve never had five at the same time,” the zoo's chief executive told the Associated Press. “Most parrots clam up outside, but for some reason these five relish it.”
Andretti was intrigued. If these five jokers could spiral in a storm of cuss words, surely he could teach his 34-year-old parrot Gonzo a few things you can't say on TV. After all, the yellow-mouthed Amazon parrot already has a nickname for Andretti: Bosco. Surely the parrot's got a sense of humor. But Bosco's having trouble.
"I'm trying to teach Gonzo that," he told the Indy Star, "but he’s not picking it up."
The old bird is far less interested in Andretti lessons than it is in entertaining itself.
"He mostly mumbles," Andretti said. "He talks like he's asked a question then like he answers himself."
If any man can overcome this, though, it's the multi-time Indycar champion and driving legend himself: Bosco.
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