A rant on the hypocrisy of the typical Prius owner...

[the Teuton]

Okay, so this will apply to the HS250 owners, too...

Dialogue from this afternoon:

Me: Hey, [roommate], take a look at that new Prius. Looks pretty decked out -- sunroof, aluminum wheels, leather--

Roommate: Leather. So they can claim to drive a car that saves the environment, yet they kill cows for the interior?

Me: Yup. Nothing like being conservation-minded, right?

-------------------------------------

I know this debate has gone on for years now, but when does it get to a point beyond ridiculous? I believe the new Prius is the first one to offer leather -- an organic material created from the destruction of once-living creatures. How is that saving life? How is that creating a better world?

The new Fusion Hybrid offers seating surfaces with 85% post-consumer recycled materials. I know that in the grand scheme of things when it comes to the materials mined, harvested, melted, molded, stamped, and every other which process, these cars all do their part to add to the carbon footprint whether primarily or secondarily through production processes. But Ford seems to have a better approach in that they're at least trying to make it look like this whole thing isn't a facade of self-consciousness for the people who purchase the vehicles.

Toyota, on the other hand, is admitting to and catering to the vain people who know that this whole gig is just an image game. By offering leather seating surfaces in a car that is the benchmark for environmental awareness and efficiency in the US, for the car that might as well be called the Green Savior, Toyota is telling us that hypocrisy is all right.  Toyota is telling us to fly private jets across the world while promoting a movie on environmental consciousness.  Toyota is telling us that as long as no one sees you for the imperfect person you really are, you're more than allowed to keep wearing that halo, ostracizing those who don't see the world with your emerald-tinted goggles.

So where's Green Peace?  Where's the Sierra Club?  For Christ's sake, where's PETA?

I am not one to judge someone by their seating surfaces, but if you're going to pose at the standard for keeping our world beautiful, if you're going to pose as the company that plans on saving Earth one Prius at a time, why are you out destroying living creatures to stick in your halo car?

[Xer0]

Isn't that leather synthetic?

[MX793]

Even if it is real leather, how is it hypocritical unless all Prius owners happen to be card carrying vegans and PETA members?  People eat cows and sheep and other livestock, so these animals are being killed anyway.  We don't generally eat the skin.  Would it be better to just throw the hides away?

[Laconian]

Even if it is real leather, how is it hypocritical unless all Prius owners happen to be card carrying vegans and PETA members?  People eat cows and sheep and other livestock, so these animals are being killed anyway.  We don't generally eat the skin.  Would it be better to just throw the hides away?

The deeper hypocrisy is the act of buying a brand new car to save the environment.

Toyota is telling us to fly private jets across the world while promoting a movie on environmental consciousness.  Toyota is telling us that as long as no one sees you for the imperfect person you really are, you're more than allowed to keep wearing that halo, ostracizing those who don't see the world with your emerald-tinted goggles.

Zuh?

[hotrodalex]

Cows produce tons of methane, so by killing them to make leather we are stopping global warming.

[the Teuton]

Cows produce tons of methane, so by killing them to make leather we are stopping global warming.

I thought about this as I was typing out the rant...

[Rupert]

Teuts, .


Jeebus...

[CALL_911]

Teuts, .


Jeebus...

Why? He's got a point.

[Rupert]

No he doesn't. It's a bunch of made up anecdotes and, what, Rush Limbaugh-isms?

Like any stereotype, it's based on some person somewhere who fits it, but it's not the majority. It's just like saying all Miata drivers are gay.

[CALL_911]

No he doesn't. It's a bunch of made up anecdotes and, what, Rush Limbaugh-isms?

Like any stereotype, it's based on some person somewhere who fits it, but it's not the majority. It's just like saying all Miata drivers are gay.

What?

Leather is exactly what the idea of the Prius is against. It's marketed for the sake of conservation and environmental protection. So why would such a thing like leather even be offered with it? I've seen quite a few leather clad Prii, and it goes against everything the car is supposedly for.

Also, surely those batteries aren't great for the environment.

As for those stereotypes, there's some degree of truth to most of them, no matter how much you might deny it because it's not politically correct or whatever.

[Laconian]

No, you're lumping together orthogonal causes. It's like saying that religious people all love guns. There might be a good deal of intersection between the two groups, especially in the South, but they are completely independent issues.

[565]

Why? He's got a point.

What point?

Saving the environment has nothing to do with being an animal rights nut.  I don't know why people keep equating them when they are two different things.

For example, someone who solely supports maintaining the environment would support the extermination of all mute swans from the United states as they are an invasive species and are changing the habitat.  Animal rights crazies would try to protect them because they look cute.  Most of the those environmental people eat meat anyway, you might as well use the skin as well, so there's no problem at all.

I bet leather is alot more biodegradable in the end than whatever toxic stuff Ford uses for their Fusion.

[Onslaught]

Also, surely those batteries aren't great for the environment.

They're recyclable.

Is it real leather in these things?

[Laconian]

And what's this about private jets?

[the Teuton]

And what's this about private jets?

Anecdote, mother-lover.

[Rupert]

What?

Leather is exactly what the idea of the Prius is against. It's marketed for the sake of conservation and environmental protection. So why would such a thing like leather even be offered with it? I've seen quite a few leather clad Prii, and it goes against everything the car is supposedly for.

Also, surely those batteries aren't great for the environment.

What do you mean what?

Leather isn't bad for conservation or the environment, just for cows. Cows, in fact, are terrible for conservation and the environment.

And don't start the battery crap again.

[Rupert]

Anecdote, mother-lover.

You moron.

[the Teuton]

You moron.

And your point is...?

[Rupert]

What?
As for those stereotypes, there's some degree of truth to most of them, no matter how much you might deny it because it's not politically correct or whatever.

Whether or not some stereotype might in some way accurately describe some of the people who have been lumped into the stereotype doesn't even matter. Stereotypes are bad because they don't allow the stereotyper to actually evaluate anything based on reality, just what they think is reality.

[Rupert]

And your point is...?

I'd say that was my point.

[Onslaught]

As for those stereotypes, there's some degree of truth to most of them, no matter how much you might deny it because it's not politically correct or whatever.

Are all Camaro owners rednecks?
Are all Miata owners gay?
Are guys who buy sports cars trying to make up for their small dicks?
Are all the people from West Virginia inbred? Ok, that one's true.

[GoCougs]

I think Tuet's point is (if not, should be) that the greenies are way up in arms about livestock in general via the environmental cost (pesticides on feed crops, methane, etc.).

[Madman]

Leather is a by-product of the meat packing industry.  No cows are slaughtered for their hides.  The only way you'll stop the production of leather is if you get everyone in the world to stop eating Big Macs tomorrow.  Good luck with that! 

Cheers,
Madman of the People

[sportyaccordy]

I just think the idea of a Prius is stupid. A 10 yr old Corolla serves about the same purpose w/o the same model cachet. Between Facebook, Myspace, reality TV etc American vanity is at an all time high

[Tave]

I don't know what's more annoying: the Prius or people bitching about it.

[S204STi]

The deeper hypocrisy is the act of buying a brand new car to save the environment.
Zuh?

Yup, that and the fact that the manufacturing process for those batteries is nasty.

[2o6]

I just think the idea of a Prius is stupid. A 10 yr old Corolla serves about the same purpose w/o the same model cachet. Between Facebook, Myspace, reality TV etc American vanity is at an all time high

If you compare one to a similarly equipped midsizer, you would be saving money on fuel costs.


Granted, you'd lose space, but you'd gain MPG's. It's a trade off.

[AutobahnSHO]

Anecdote, mother-lover.

Mother lover?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGfZpOomvrk&feature=related

[Eye of the Tiger]

Mother lover?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGfZpOomvrk&feature=related

if doin it is wrong, i don't wanna be right

[Atomic]

not all prius buyers are necessarily environmentalists (in the radical sense, per say). i think many merely enjoy the car for it's unique looks, nice packaging and great money saving gasoline mileage. also, i, too agree that if one eats meat, it is a waste not to harvest everything one can from an animal, including it's hide. the sunroof (optional on some models) for the 2010 model year is solar -- the energy used to cool the interior in hot months... and i think also heats it when parked during the winter.