Last night i was reminded why i dislike television, the commercials! Of course there were dozens of car commercials for each program, and some were particularly disturbing to me.
One commercial showed a woman talking about her new car and how she likes it because it is sleek and elegant on the inside and sporty looking on the inside. She said that her car is really a reflection of who she is.
I kind of get sick to my stomach when i see commercials like this. I don't want to believe that people fall for this kind of advertising, but surely some people do. Do i have to own a car to show everyone else who i am? Does my car define me as a person?
My car free lifestyle definitely define who i am because it has to in this carcinogenic society. If i do not own a car it makes people judge me, just as i judge someone based on what kind of car they drive :rolleyes:
I do not feel that not having a car has to be a lifestyle, it is just a form of transportation, but this kind of advertising perpetuates the idea that a lot of people already have, and therefore it is a lifestyle to me.
just a little rant to go with my coffee
donnamb
11-01-07, 11:31 AM
I don't have a TV in my house, so none of these things upset me. :)
csr
11-01-07, 11:36 AM
It's also a spiritual sickness. People think there's no God, so they try to find happiness in the flesh, in themselves, in things. Sorry to say something religious, I know it probably bothers some people, but it's what I see in the situation. YMMV!
zoltani
11-01-07, 11:39 AM
It's also a spiritual sickness. People think there's no God, so they try to find happiness in the flesh, in themselves, in things. Sorry to say something religious, I know it probably bothers some people, but it's what I see in the situation. YMMV!
Actually that does bother me for you to even suggest that it is a lack of religion that makes people "try to find happiness in the flesh, in themselves, in things."
Don't turn this into a religious argument.
evblazer
11-01-07, 11:53 AM
If i do not own a car it makes people judge me
That can be said for anything.. If I dont' own/do/believe/??? ______ people judge me.
See post #3 for a great example!
noisebeam
11-01-07, 12:10 PM
Current the most vomit inducing car commercial I've seen is the Ford Swap Your Ride for the Super Duty truck.
Guy says while driving "Big truck comin', better get out the way" and is later seen hugging the truck and saying 'Please don't go away'
Al
C Law
11-01-07, 12:37 PM
Last night i was reminded why i dislike television, the commercials! Of course there were dozens of car commercials for each program, and some were particularly disturbing to me.
One commercial showed a woman talking about her new car and how she likes it because it is sleek and elegant on the inside and sporty looking on the inside. She said that her car is really a reflection of who she is.
I kind of get sick to my stomach when i see commercials like this. I don't want to believe that people fall for this kind of advertising, but surely some people do. Do i have to own a car to show everyone else who i am? Does my car define me as a person?
My car free lifestyle definitely define who i am because it has to in this carcinogenic society. If i do not own a car it makes people judge me, just as i judge someone based on what kind of car they drive :rolleyes:
I do not feel that not having a car has to be a lifestyle, it is just a form of transportation, but this kind of advertising perpetuates the idea that a lot of people already have, and therefore it is a lifestyle to me.
just a little rant to go with my coffee
If I had to hazard a guess based on personal experience, I would say 90% of people believe this to be true.
bizzz111
11-01-07, 12:48 PM
If I had to hazard a guess based on personal experience, I would say 90% of people believe this to be true.
it's true, unfortunately. You constantly hear guys say they would never drive car x (miata, mini cooper, prius, etc.) because they would be at a disadvantage with the ladies compared to the guys overspending on a bmw/mercedes/etc. It's an entirely different argument whether or not one would want a woman who based a relationship on what a person drives.
Also, I've never seen a commercial real estate guy who didn't pull up in either a large duty truck (if he was dealing with general contractors) or a bmw (if he was dealing with business clients). I asked one of them about it, and they said you either dress (or drive) the part or you risk losing clients. Pulling up in a hyundai just doesn't give the client a feeling that the agent is successful. I would venture to say that if a commercial real estate guy showed up to a meeting on a bike, they wouldn't last very long in the business.
gwd
11-01-07, 01:06 PM
People think there's no God, so they try to find happiness in the flesh, in themselves, in things.
This is false. I'm happy.
gwd
11-01-07, 01:07 PM
I don't have a TV in my house, so none of these things upset me. :)
Same here, no TV and I don't worry about not living like the TV wants me to live.
zoltani
11-01-07, 01:21 PM
Same here, no TV and I don't worry about not living like the TV wants me to live.
It's true, i was up all night worrying about that.....
adgrant
11-01-07, 01:25 PM
It's also a spiritual sickness. People think there's no God, so they try to find happiness in the flesh, in themselves, in things. Sorry to say something religious, I know it probably bothers some people, but it's what I see in the situation. YMMV!
I am certain there is no God but I am car free. Most Americans believe there is a God and are not (many God fearing Americans drive large SUVs). Your argument is absurd.
Newspaperguy
11-01-07, 01:52 PM
If my car is a reflection of who I am, I guess it means I'm old and cheap.
JosephPaul86
11-01-07, 02:30 PM
I just noticed I have been single ever since I became car free. But at the same time I get more interest from more attractive girls. IN my experience, especially since where I live, most women want a guy with a car due to the convenience, materialism and falsified "manly" attribute.
My Aunt offered me a 86 dodge omni, thinking I am hard on cash. I am now more financially stable in my life than ever before.
Artkansas
11-01-07, 02:53 PM
I just noticed I have been single ever since I became car free. But at the same time I get more interest from more attractive girls. IN my experience, especially since where I live, most women want a guy with a car due to the convenience, materialism and falsified "manly" attribute.
From my experience, its more that being able to afford a good car signifies that the man is stable, can hold a job and is a good earner. No car equates more to being unable to keep a job or other personal problems.
Having said that, I found that particular judgement about men is worse among younger women. Older women see that any man who can ride 100 miles is not a couch potato. They've already dated the losers, they can spot them a mile away now.
LetterRider
11-01-07, 03:00 PM
People think there's no God, so they try to find happiness in the flesh, in themselves, in things.
I don't believe in God and I'm car-free. I'm also tv-free. I definitely don't try to find happiness in material goods and think it rather ridiculous to do so. However, I find nothing wrong with finding happiness in oneself. Isn't that kind of the point? To be happy with yourself regardless of race, sexual orientation, societal status, looks, etc? I think trying to find happiness in God is the same thing as trying to find happiness in things. If finding happiness in God causes you to be happy with yourself, then that's fantastic, but your statement seems like a double-standard.
People define themselves by all sorts of things: religion, clothes, cars, houses, even bikes. I just prefer to decide for myself what I would like people to judge me by rather then letting the television tell me.
discosaurus
11-01-07, 03:18 PM
I'm also TV-free, so I'm not upset by advertising like this often. But when I do happen to see it, it affects me more deeply because I'm not desensitized to it. TV usually leaves me feeling depressed and hopeless for the future of the world. It only takes a little media literacy and a critical eye to avoid the influence. Ignoring it certainly doesn't work--we are bombarded by it daily, and that pervasiveness a huge factor in why it is so influential. It's impossible to ignore media. It's a matter of picking it apart, discovering why it doesn't affect me (or you), rejecting the message, and moving on.
If I said my bike is a reflection of who I am (in some ways, it is), would it be as sad as the lady in the car commercial?
zoltani
11-01-07, 03:30 PM
I'm also TV-free, so I'm not upset by advertising like this often. But when I do happen to see it, it affects me more deeply because I'm not desensitized to it. TV usually leaves me feeling depressed and hopeless for the future of the world. It only takes a little media literacy and a critical eye to avoid the influence. Ignoring it certainly doesn't work--we are bombarded by it daily, and that pervasiveness a huge factor in why it is so influential. It's impossible to ignore media. It's a matter of picking it apart, discovering why it doesn't affect me (or you), rejecting the message, and moving on.
If I said my bike is a reflection of who I am (in some ways, it is), would it be as sad as the lady in the car commercial?
Well, that is an interesting question, and kind of my point. It is almost as if the media and society force it to define who you are because they have created such a car culture. Living car free shouldn't have to be a lifestyle.
Saying the a car is a reflection of who you are is sad in my opinion, and if you said your bike is a reflection of who you are then maybe that would be equally sad. I think it is a bit different if you say that cycling is a reflection of who you are because that shows what your interests are and defines you as an active person.
Houston
11-01-07, 03:41 PM
If I said my bike is a reflection of who I am (in some ways, it is), would it be as sad as the lady in the car commercial?
Perhaps we should look at this differently. I know plenty of people that have to drive for one reason or another and they chose their auto/truck on environmental principles. If we chose our possessions on principles and not on ego, then, perhaps our choices do in some way reflect ourselves.
cyclezealot
11-01-07, 03:48 PM
In Europe you get like 5-10 minutes of commercials per hour. Depending on the network. Most of the commercials are , cute. I'd hate tv if I had to again tolerate commercials. I agree with you. I like my car for practical reasons. It does not reflect us. Of course I like a car to be reliable and bike friendly. It transports my bikes from time to time, along with ourselves. Now, my bikes are another matter. I think which bike I choose on any given day can affect my moods.
evblazer
11-01-07, 03:51 PM
If I said my bike is a reflection of who I am (in some ways, it is), would it be as sad as the lady in the car commercial?
A friend of mine upon seeing my ride proclaimed "that bike is so you!"
Sooo I guess I must be pretty sad my self :rolleyes:
I think it is a bit different if you say that cycling is a reflection of who you are because that shows what your interests are and defines you as an active person.
As long as your bike isn't hung on a hook never used I think it says cycling is a reflection of who your are. Your bike can show what kind of cycling you do or why also. I don't see many fair weather group ride only (the new golf) riders out there on xtracycles with full fenders and lights (including helmet light) rolling on big puncture proof tires. One defines you as athletic to most people the other well I'll say it _A Nut!_.
I think that its true that peoples cars are a reflection of them selves. My car says that I am cheap and practicle. Most peoples cars say that they are materialistic and want attention from others and are willing to pay $6oo a month for that attention from others.
Oh yea and fast cars and big trucks/hummers are a reflection on penis size. :D
ctyler
11-01-07, 06:39 PM
I don't have a TV in my house, so none of these things upset me. :)
I dumped my TV 3 1/2 years ago. I live so I'm happy with me, not with the way Madison Avenue or pop culture says I should.
Jerseysbest
11-01-07, 06:48 PM
One commercial showed a woman talking about her new car and how she likes it because it is sleek and elegant on the inside and sporty looking on the inside. She said that her car is really a reflection of who she is.
I actually know what commercial you're talking about. Its the one from Ford with Mike Rowe voicing over. They trade people their cars for a few weeks for 'market research' and then everyone talks about how much they like them.
That ladies quote stuck in my head for some reason...
cerewa
11-01-07, 06:54 PM
I dumped my TV 3 1/2 years ago.
Did it call you up and beg you to take it back, admit the error of its ways, and promise to be better in the future?
noisebeam
11-01-07, 06:59 PM
I was TV free until my brother gave me one for a wedding present along with a DVD player. Before I had a an old VCR (with no tuner) hooked up to a Commodore 1702 monitor. I still avoid TV for the most part, but there are some PBS shows that I find worth my time. I do see enough to catch some full length ads.
Al
donnamb
11-01-07, 07:30 PM
I wouldn't even have one as a gift. Messes up the living room arrangement.
Sparky005s
11-01-07, 07:34 PM
Want to immerse yourself in car culture? Watch "Transformers". Had some funny and exciting parts, but the slavery to the auto was undeniable.
noisebeam
11-01-07, 07:36 PM
I wouldn't even have one as a gift. Messes up the living room arrangement.
Most of the time it has a nice batik wall hanging covering it.
Al
cdotbois
11-01-07, 08:32 PM
I don't think it's wrong to buy car that reflects your person. You certainly don't have to have one in order to express yourself, but I think your car has to be some sort of representation of yourself merely because you chose a particular one out of many, and many factors stemming from your personality make up the case for that decision. (Unless it was a hand-me-down or a stolen vehicle. Then self-expression is obviously more limited. :p)
Perhaps the wrongness is in using material items to elevate you above others, because I think everything I do or have reflects who I am whether or not it's intentional or even positive (i.e. elegant, sporty).
This is could easily be more complicated. :)
csr
11-01-07, 08:44 PM
My religious remark proved wildly popular! Let me just add that I wasn't planning to turn it into a line of argument. I could give some feedback on your ideas, but I only intended to say what I thought. Our nation values diversity, after all! :)
It's a very materialistic culture, the west. Car-love is an expression of that, and contributes to it. Materialist culture finds the highest values in things. Some bicyclists, of course, are also materialists. Some car-drivers are in pursuit of spiritual values. But in the main, car-love points in the wrong direction.
More confusion: the car is the root of all evil. Heard that one before? About money? Actually, it's the love of money that is the root of all evil. A car can be a helpful tool. But looking at people's actual behavior, it seems to me that the car is an implicitly selfish object, that doesn't cooperate well, and that requires a tremendous amount of special adaptation. It affects some people in that way as well. So this is why I say it is a reflection of spiritual poverty. In a way the bicycle is spiritually more enlightened, even if you don't believe in God. You are closer to natural operating, closer to nature, more directly connected to people and things around you.
Domromer
11-01-07, 09:19 PM
Easy fix for all this dump you tv. I haven't watch more than few minutes of tv since 97. I don't miss it at all. It actually makes my like a lot easier. I'm not constantly bombarded with ads telling me what car I need, clothes to wear, so on. I also don't have to hear all the locked in fear bs that our government and media seem to perpetuate.
Artkansas
11-01-07, 09:43 PM
I wouldn't even have one as a gift. Messes up the living room arrangement.
I got ordered to buy one by a boss.
But it was justified. My job was to help clients make TV ads using our software. So I had to watch the ads.
MyBikeGotStolen
11-01-07, 09:54 PM
I still have mine w/out cable and at times I do miss the Discovery Channel/ History and such other programs. I am an educational tv freak. I just cant justify the $60 a month or whatever it is for cable. I like having a tv and vcr/dvd player so I can check out educational movies at the library though.
Next thing to go will be internet once I get a laptop and can just go to the library and use theirs for free. Thats $2 a day I will save there. I just have to see if the library will fit into my school and work schedule once I move back to Jacksonville in December.
bmclaughlin807
11-01-07, 10:11 PM
My bike is definitely a reflection of who I am. I've personalized it to a much greater degree than any car or truck I've ever owned. I added fenders, rear rack, grocery panniers (Which very rarely come off... even when I'm doing 100 mile+ rides), new bar tape with gel underneath, aerobars, my own head badge, extra water bottle holder, lights, pump, rack bag....
It's reliable and dependable. A jack of all trades, master of none, but whatever task I set out to do, I know my bike is up to it!
discosaurus
11-01-07, 11:05 PM
Perhaps we should look at this differently. I know plenty of people that have to drive for one reason or another and they chose their auto/truck on environmental principles. If we chose our possessions on principles and not on ego, then, perhaps our choices do in some way reflect ourselves.
THis is kind of what I had in mind when I posed the question. I thought about it for a while, and my bike sort of reflects my personality--it's covered in graffiti and it's pink and black, a little banged up but still rather new and shiny--very "me" I think. Anyhow, working to be car free is part of my mission to make the world a better place, and I think the act of riding a bike is more indicative of that goal than the object, the bike.
This reminds me of a discussion based on the question, if given the chance what would you take from your home if it was on fire and you only had a few minutes? On my short list would be a bundle of knitting needles from my grandma. After I thought about it for a while, if I couldn't save them it's not really a big deal. Let them burn. The important part is not having the needles, but remembering the time I visited my grandma and she gave me every pair of needles that she had doubles of, and knowing that she was the kind of person who would do that without hesitation. It's kind of a stretch to make an analogy from knitting needles to my bike, but the point is that things don't have any inherent meaning. We give them meaning by using them, associating them with memories or principles or whatever. Even if my apartment burned to the ground with my bikes and knitting needles inside, the meaning and motivation for keeping those things is not damaged. The things can be replaced, but no matter what my grandma was still an amazing person and I would keep using my own human power as my main transportation. The things reflect those ideas, but they are not necessary for the ideas to exist.
Pippa
11-01-07, 11:31 PM
Awesome trike Sianelle! Who is the maker?
I just bought one off trademe that looks similar (frame wise, the condition is hideous.... a moment of weakness)
You might have seen it?
Sorry the above is not quite on topic....
Our tv finally broke (I had been willing it to for some time and was starting to consider sabotage). Managed to convince my partner not to buy a new one just yet. When he asks if he can get one yet I will say 'just a bit longer'.... :)
Pippa
Newspaperguy
11-01-07, 11:43 PM
When I moved into my place back in 1997, I couldn't find a place to put the television. I also couldn't justify paying for cable and the two broadcast channels had little worth watching. That's when I stored the TV in the basement where it sits unloved, forsaken and usually forgotten. Occasionally, if I've decided to rent a movie, I might bring it upstairs, but that happens just a few times in a year. I've never missed it.
cyclezealot
11-02-07, 03:10 AM
I once heard some psych professor suggest, how you treat your gas peddle is a reflection of your sexuality and your personality makeup. So if cars reflect that, then I think our police should be equipped with butterfly nets.
javna_golina
11-02-07, 04:37 AM
I once heard some psych professor suggest, how you treat your gas peddle is a reflection of your sexuality and your personality makeup.
are you calling me a cissy?
cyclezealot
11-02-07, 04:46 AM
You? I did not name anyone. / When you punch that gas peddle do you visualize yourself having a fling with Angelina Jolie. ? Does not sound too cissy to me. Think the prof was suggesting punching that peddle has something to do with male verility? Guess that is a question to ask of ourselves. Guess, since I have always been adverse to punching gas peddles, guess that means I visualize myself having a fling with Grandma Moses.
Sianelle
11-02-07, 04:53 AM
are you calling me a cissy?
Doth thy conscience prick methinks? - that thou must protest thy innocence before the eyes of thy peers. ;)
cyclezealot
11-02-07, 04:59 AM
I think the rage often displayed when 'punching gas peddles,' is a part of the reason I am attracted to bikes. I think the behavior demonstrated by motorists verges on being nuts.
wahoonc
11-02-07, 06:03 AM
I think the rage often displayed when 'punching gas peddles,' is a part of the reason I am attracted to bikes. I think the behavior demonstrated by motorists verges on being nuts.
Now, Now...that isn't politically correct:rolleyes: They prefer the term mild psychosis or perhaps is is misplaced aggression...but I agree most of what I see on the roads is frustration and rage as well as being just nuckin' futs. I had a guy blow by me at over 100mph on the interstate last week, lose control and barrel roll the car for over 1000', tossed a couple of people and a lot of luggage out as it went. Now what was gained by that?
Aaron:)
cyclezealot
11-02-07, 06:13 AM
That car barreling over could have cost you your life. ? I say that is suicidal . Doing something suicidal is fricking nuts.
MyBikeGotStolen
11-02-07, 07:01 AM
Managed to convince my partner not to buy a new one just yet. When he asks if he can get one yet I will say 'just a bit longer'.... :)
Pippa
As they say in AA, "just take it one day at a time" :D
Grun
11-02-07, 07:15 AM
Last night i was reminded why i dislike television, the commercials! Of course there were dozens of car commercials for each program, and some were particularly disturbing to me.
One commercial showed a woman talking about her new car and how she likes it because it is sleek and elegant on the inside and sporty looking on the inside. She said that her car is really a reflection of who she is.
I kind of get sick to my stomach when i see commercials like this. I don't want to believe that people fall for this kind of advertising, but surely some people do. Do i have to own a car to show everyone else who i am? Does my car define me as a person?
My car free lifestyle definitely define who i am because it has to in this carcinogenic society. If i do not own a car it makes people judge me, just as i judge someone based on what kind of car they drive :rolleyes:
I do not feel that not having a car has to be a lifestyle, it is just a form of transportation, but this kind of advertising perpetuates the idea that a lot of people already have, and therefore it is a lifestyle to me.
just a little rant to go with my coffee
here is some cream to go with your coffee
all those traits, sleek, sporty, etc. are what are she is actually missing, things she don't have, so she have to have the car to in actuality compensate for what she is lacking! :lol:
e.g. SUV, large hunk of metal, sturdy, reliable, strong - translation: lacking endowment, compensating for insecurities, and weakness
red sports car, low profile, attention grabbing, fast, powerful - translation: rude, no manners, no control over own life, sexually frustrated
wahoonc
11-02-07, 07:59 AM
That car barreling over could have cost you your life. ? I say that is suicidal . Doing something suicidal is fricking nuts.
Possible, which is one reason I don't particularly like driving, and driving the interstates in particular. The accident occurred after he passed me (a good thing) and I was driving a much larger and heavier vehicle so physics might have helped me out. Though when you have 2,500#+ mass hurtling out of control at those speeds, not much that is portable is going to protect you from a direct hit. Fortunately for me and for them, traffic was very light and they never went into oncoming traffic or it would have been much, much worse.
This was yet another shining example of the lack of proper licensing and enforcement in the US...if they even had a license to begin with.
Now about those psychological profiles...;) I drive a large red crew cab pickup:p:D
Aaron:)
gwd
11-02-07, 11:08 AM
I think the rage often displayed when 'punching gas peddles,' is a part of the reason I am attracted to bikes. I think the behavior demonstrated by motorists verges on being nuts.
Cyclists around here can be nuts too. I see it with suburban commuters and guys on expensive racing bikes and tight outfits. Maybe they are the same people? It is noticeable when they pass you in a dangerous way instead of waiting a few yards for the congestion to clear. Or they yell at pedestrians to get out of their way. One guy ran me off the path at a tight corner, he himself crashed. Then he started yelling at me "That'll teach you to wear a helmet next time!". The bike messengers are aggressive riders but they aren't rude to utility cyclists the way the racer suburban commuter types are.