T
Trudi Marrapodi
Guest
Anyone seen the ad for that one Saturn model that plugs its dent-resistant
finish? A series of "things" are shown crashing into a parked Saturn,
including (as if it were just another "object") a cyclist. He crashes into
the car, flips over and hits his (helmeted) head against the hood as he
gets flung onto it.
The message of the ad: It doesn't matter what your car collides with, the
finish won't have a scratch or dent afterward.
I thought to myself: Would they have shown a pedestrian running into the
car and getting flung up onto the hood? No. Would they have shown a child
on a bike (even one in a helmet) cracking into the car and getting flipped
over and flung onto the hood? No.
But it's perfectly OK to present an adult cyclist--at least a helmeted
one, I guess--as just another obstacle that your car might happen to
collide with (or that might happen to collide with your car...hmm, wonder
why), but be reassured not to worry, he will slide right off your hood
without leaving a mark.
Please. Tell me I'm not the only one who gets angry watching this! I'm
sure the auto manufacturer's excuse is "It's very clear in the ad that the
accident is the cyclist's fault because he slams into a parked car (yeah,
like most cyclists have a problem avoiding parked cars). We're not
encouraging any driver to think of adult cyclists as just another nuisance
they might run into on the road that might scratch or dent their car."
Yeah. Sure. They show a cyclist in quick cuts with other "objects" such as
shopping carts and so on. Yeah, he's just another "thing" that might ruin
the finish of the car owner's precious baby by catapulting himself over
its hood.
Sigh...
--
Trudi
"Cleveland still rocks."--Me
finish? A series of "things" are shown crashing into a parked Saturn,
including (as if it were just another "object") a cyclist. He crashes into
the car, flips over and hits his (helmeted) head against the hood as he
gets flung onto it.
The message of the ad: It doesn't matter what your car collides with, the
finish won't have a scratch or dent afterward.
I thought to myself: Would they have shown a pedestrian running into the
car and getting flung up onto the hood? No. Would they have shown a child
on a bike (even one in a helmet) cracking into the car and getting flipped
over and flung onto the hood? No.
But it's perfectly OK to present an adult cyclist--at least a helmeted
one, I guess--as just another obstacle that your car might happen to
collide with (or that might happen to collide with your car...hmm, wonder
why), but be reassured not to worry, he will slide right off your hood
without leaving a mark.
Please. Tell me I'm not the only one who gets angry watching this! I'm
sure the auto manufacturer's excuse is "It's very clear in the ad that the
accident is the cyclist's fault because he slams into a parked car (yeah,
like most cyclists have a problem avoiding parked cars). We're not
encouraging any driver to think of adult cyclists as just another nuisance
they might run into on the road that might scratch or dent their car."
Yeah. Sure. They show a cyclist in quick cuts with other "objects" such as
shopping carts and so on. Yeah, he's just another "thing" that might ruin
the finish of the car owner's precious baby by catapulting himself over
its hood.
Sigh...
--
Trudi
"Cleveland still rocks."--Me