Comments on: Our continuing coverage of that one Dodge Charger commercial

By: S75

S75 — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 04:15:35 +0000

That ad is creepy. the chicks version (by narrow margin) a li’l more.

“I know its cold, but really, there are a lot of people who have it far worse”. Bummer.

The point is nobody cares, go buy a car or whatever, and drive drunk. Buy coz that’s what we’re here for. Buy. Hide. Deny. Compensate.

“Fitter, happier, more productive,
comfortable… still cries at a good film, still kisses with saliva… (the ability to laugh at weakness), calm,
fitter, healthier and more productive a pig in a cage on antibiotics”.

But hey, where’s my sense of humour?

By: Brimstone

Brimstone — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 06:41:19 +0000

seeing this for the first time its hard not to just hear it as another Dexter monologue….

By: dock

dock — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 21:04:20 +0000

I hear ya…I dunno I just think its a waste of time and energy to sit around feeling sorry for yourself. I have to imagine if your in the position to go out and buy a new car to make yourself feel better that finances are not an issue. His lady problems consist of minor complaints- disliking her friends, separating garbage and putting the toilet seat down. I could see if he was saying “my wife hates me, my boss doesnt respect me, my friends laugh at me…” but in this commercial theyre acting like daily living is almost unbearable. And if this sad sack is now the “everyman” then I think a lot of American men need to take a cue from past generations and just suck it up and deal with it. I know its cold, but really, there are a lot of people who have it far worse.

By: mlawski

mlawski — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 17:25:04 +0000

@dock: Not to psychoanalyze a fictional character in a car commercial, but it certainly seems to me like he doesn’t have a functional marriage. This dude clearly has some personality issues, loads of pent-up rage, and lady-issues that he probably picked up somewhere a long time ago. And, hey, if this commercial is meant to be speaking to America’s “everyman,” then despite his steady job, he’s likely working fewer hours, receiving less pay, drowning under medical bills, and living in constant fear that he’s going to be laid off like many of his buddies.

As for your lack of pity for people who are not happy, I do hope you can try to be a little more empathetic. For one thing, you say it’s okay to be depressed “for legit exterior reasons,” but who is to define what reasons are legit or not? Yes, the little things in life certainly help, but can’t a person have a little existential angst over modern American life? It just seems natural to me, given the current economic/political situation and general apocalyptic mood.

So that’s not the problem I had with the commercial. The commercial is clearly trying to tap into the malaise many of us are feeling, “legitimately” or not. That’s understandable. The problem is when the commerical links that malaise to “it’s your woman’s/feminism’s fault you feel this way” and “go, solve this problem by blowing the little money you have left on a big manly car”–although I suppose that is what a car commercial is meant to do.

By: dock

dock — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 16:03:09 +0000

This may sound terrible, but….Whenever I see this personality model, I kinda laugh at them. Not to be mean, because I know there are a lot of people out there who are depressed for legit exterior reasons, as well as clinically depressed people (who I do feel sympathy for, because “real” depression is a mo’fo’), but I feel no pity for these “poor defeated souls” who are miserable because they have a steady job and a functional marriage. You feel that way, get a hobby. Go running, find a cool jazz or blues club to hang at instead of rushing home to be miserable after work. And heres one I truely believe, but might not be taken as well….just start smoking pot. If your that miserable and trapped, just smoke a bowl and watch some cartoons. And eat some unhealthy junk food. Its the little things, people….and its a lot cheaper than a friggin car.

By: Jon Eric

Jon Eric — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 23:28:36 +0000

I was feeling really powerfully apathetic about this whole business, and I think Johann finally put what I’d been feeling into words. Go Johann. Spot-on.

Also, that parody is alright, but to me it implied that putting the toilet seat down and taking out the recyclables (etc) are things that women only make men do out of revenge for all the things named in the parody. Plus, I kept waiting for the punchline. In the commercial, man’s last stand is the car. In the parody, woman’s last stand is… what, exactly?

By: Sylvia

Sylvia — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 15:37:37 +0000

There is so much awesome here. The article is really well written, and that spoof is hilarious.

Johann raises an interesting point though, what exactly are the two genders getting out of demoralizing themselves? Does going that low emotionally make driving a car that much better? We all do things that don’t make us happy, and sometimes the simple pleasure of driving a cool car is good escape. But if your ultimate escape is driving a muscle car, there should be some evaluating to do. It’s not even that good of a car. Each party is getting something out of this “my life is awful and I put up with awful things” argument. But, what is it?

By: Johann

Johann — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 13:48:57 +0000

Seeing all these depressed men (and women in the spoof version, too) makes me want to grab them by the collar and shake them and yell: “If it’s that bad being in a relationship, just get out of it! Go find someone better, or just stay single – ANYTHING!”

Apparently, I find it hard to stand seeing people who keep living in their own neurotic misery.

So maybe the solution to the riddle is that the ad tries to appeal to the lazy-in-terms-of-avoiding-necessary-life-changes? The message would be something like: “Your job sucks, your relationship sucks, but hey, even though you are aware of this, you don’t need to do anything, just buy a muscle car and all will be well!”

By: Gab

Gab — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 06:21:31 +0000

Mlawski, that is totally win. Thank you, thank you oh so much.

By: mlawski

mlawski — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 04:16:52 +0000

Hooray! Someone did a woman’s version:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ou5Ens-qNRc&feature=player_embedded