I'm so sick of these new stupid, peppy, hippy-like Prius commercials with the annoying ass song and the computer-generated thousands of people dressed up in flower, grass, and plant costumes.  What a bunch of fucking wankers.  I definitely wouldn't EVER want to buy a Prius as a man after seeing one of those homosexual, Californian, hippy commercials.  It just fuels the stereotype for the wankers that drive those lunch boxes.

[/rant]

I have never seen those Prius commercials (Toyota doesn't even bother much to advertise the car here) but...   

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tq4nrmnqY9o

Californian?

Lots of liberal environmentalist nutjobs out there.

giant_mtb, I couldn't agree more.  I guess they have their demographic figured out, and it sure doesn't include men, other than those on the other team.  I don't think I've seen such a heavy-handed feminine commercial before, even for cars deemed to be 'chick cars.'

Definitely...they really targeted the demographic with those commercials.  But perhaps they've alienated others that are not in that specific demographic that were thinking about purchasing a Prius.  Before, I was "meh" about them.  After those commercials...I wouldn't be caught dead buying one.

Quote from: giant_mtb on June 07, 2009, 12:55:39 PM
Lots of liberal environmentalist nutjobs out there.

There are a lot of hicks in Michigan, and for that matter, there are a LOT of hicks in New York state. Generalization=bad.

Those liberal environmentalist "nutjobs" are from coastal California. Inland California is not quite liberal.

Besides, I'm all for environmental preservation. That said, it is a stupid ad.

Quote from: giant_mtb on June 07, 2009, 01:05:30 PM
Definitely...they really targeted the demographic with those commercials.  But perhaps they've alienated others that are not in that specific demographic that were thinking about purchasing a Prius.  Before, I was "meh" about them.  After those commercials...I wouldn't be caught dead buying one.

I imagine that the typical male buyer was turned off to Priuses even before this commercial, so Toyota must figure they won't be further alienated because they wouldn't have bought the car in the first place. 

I've always thought of the Prius as a weenie car, not necessarily for gay buyers, per se, but for guys who cowtow to liberal causes and don't like to assert their masculinity too much because that whole liberal-enviro crowd finds masculinity vaguely offensive.  Many, in fact most, of these guys probably aren't gay, but they buy into that whole liberal agenda that often includes acceptance of the notion that men are oppressive, cause most of the world's problems, etc., and that masculinity is a problem that needs to be controlled rather than a positive part of the world.  Many of these guys are out to prove that men don't have to be as terrible as the liberal feminists say we are, and that we believe we must make amends for the thousands of years of abuse and oppression that we have singlehandedly inflicted upon the world.  This commercial just confirms and ratchets up that perception.

Quote from: dazzleman on June 07, 2009, 01:13:53 PM
I imagine that the typical male buyer was turned off to Priuses even before this commercial, so Toyota must figure they won't be further alienated because they wouldn't have bought the car in the first place. 

I've always thought of the Prius as a weenie car, not necessarily for gay buyers, per se, but for guys who cowtow to liberal causes and don't like to assert their masculinity too much because that whole liberal-enviro crowd finds masculinity vaguely offensive.  Many, in fact most, of these guys probably aren't gay, but they buy into that whole liberal agenda that often includes acceptance of the notion that men are oppressive, cause most of the world's problems, etc., and that masculinity is a problem that needs to be controlled rather than a positive part of the world.  Many of these guys are out to prove that men don't have to be as terrible as the liberal feminists say we are, and that we believe we must make amends for the thousands of years of abuse and oppression that we have singlehandedly inflicted upon the world.  This commercial just confirms and ratchets up that perception.

What a ridiculous generalization.

Quote from: ifcar on June 07, 2009, 01:15:10 PM
What a ridiculous generalization.

On the contrary, I think it contains a lot of truth.  Is it 100% accurate?  Of course not.  But there's some truth there.

Quote from: dazzleman on June 07, 2009, 01:16:13 PM
On the contrary, I think it contains a lot of truth.  Is it 100% accurate?  Of course not.  But there's some truth there.

Only as much truth as "BMW drivers are jerks."

Quote from: ifcar on June 07, 2009, 01:18:11 PM
Only as much truth as "BMW drivers are jerks."

Many BMW drivers are jerks.  I've never denied that.  And the whole premise of the marketing is targeted to 'jerks' in a lot of ways.  BMW certainly doesn't discourage the purchase of their cars by obnoxious 'badge hunters' who want to announce their success to the world.

Marketing is based upon making generalizations about buyers and groups of buyers that, while not true 100% of the time, are true enough of the time to produce good sales, and not alienate large numbers of potential buyers.  This commercial proves that I'm right in what I say is the general profile of the male Prius buyer.

Quote from: ifcar on June 07, 2009, 01:18:11 PM
Only as much truth as "BMW drivers are jerks."

Except that the Prius' is kinda for buyers like what Dazzle described and is marked and aimed towards them too, whereas BMWs aren't primarily aimed towards jerks.

You know I don't see all that big a deal about this add. It's about what I'd expect for a car like this. Is it my cup of tea? No, not really.
Is it targeted at the people who will want one? Probably.

I don't give a shit about a tv add anyway. I still drive a Mazda after all those lame ass Zoom Zoom ones. And even with that hot ass Jill Wagner woman in the Mercury adds I still don't want one.

And who really uses the word "wanker?"

Quote from: Onslaught on June 07, 2009, 01:25:24 PM
You know I don't see all that big a deal about this add. It's about what I'd expect for a car like this. Is it my cup of tea? No, not really.
Is it targeted at the people who will want one? Probably.

I don't give a shit about a tv add anyway. I still drive a Mazda after all those lame ass Zoom Zoom ones. And even with that hot ass Jill Wagner woman in the Mercury adds I still don't want one.

And who really uses the word "wanker?"

Wanker is more of a British term, I thought, but I've heard it used to a limited extent here in the US.  Maybe it's not popular in the south.

Quote from: dazzleman on June 07, 2009, 01:28:33 PM
Wanker is more of a British term, I thought, but I've heard it used to a limited extent here in the US.  Maybe it's not popular in the south.

I know of it and who uses it. I've just never seen it on this site I don't think. Is he a limey?

Quote from: Onslaught on June 07, 2009, 01:31:53 PM
I know of it and who uses it. I've just never seen it on this site I don't think. Is he a limey?

I don't think so.  I think he's from Michigan.

I find the term "wanker" sort of humorous, actually.  There's another term "wank" which means to pleasure yourself.  I heard that used once by an Australian, but I never heard it any other time.

Quote from: Onslaught on June 07, 2009, 01:31:53 PM
I know of it and who uses it. I've just never seen it on this site I don't think. Is he a limey?

I've seen it on this site but nowhere else from Americans. I think it spread from Clarkson to a few influential members here.

I say it as a joke myself sometimes. Just because it's different and kind of funny sounding. But I'd use other words to describe something I really didn't like.

I did have an American in a mini call me a wanker one time. I thought he was some kind of loser trying to be British.

Haha, I was wondering how long it would take for this thread to happen.

I find an illogical hatred for hybrids from "Car guys" myself. I don't really want one or like the ones out now. But I don't give a fuck that other people do like them.

I don't have a problem with hybrids, though I think they're overhyped.  And there's some question as to whether the disposal problems related to their batteries outweigh the benefit from their better gas mileage.  They're not quite as clean and green as they're billed to be.

My problem with them is more the sort of people who buy them -- phony, hypocritial, self-congratulatory posturers, in a lot of cases.  Many people buy them because they want to be part of a certain crowd, can't really think for themselves, and don't know or care whether the car really lives up to its environmmental billing.

I haven't seen this comercial personally, but I do kind of like the Insight ones.

Quote from: dazzleman on June 07, 2009, 02:17:22 PM
I don't have a problem with hybrids, though I think they're overhyped.  And there's some question as to whether the disposal problems related to their batteries outweigh the benefit from their better gas mileage.  They're not quite as clean and green as they're billed to be.

My problem with them is more the sort of people who buy them -- phony, hypocritial, self-congratulatory posturers, in a lot of cases.  Many people buy them because they want to be part of a certain crowd, can't really think for themselves, and don't know or care whether the car really lives up to its environmmental billing.

My understanding was that the batteries are recyclable?

As for the people, I know what you're saying. But then again some sports car fans are just as bad as the green people.

Quote from: Xer0 on June 07, 2009, 02:26:27 PM
I haven't seen this comercial personally, but I do kind of like the Insight ones.

Hint: Click the YouTube link in the 3rd post of this thread.

Quote from: Onslaught on June 07, 2009, 01:31:53 PM
I know of it and who uses it. I've just never seen it on this site I don't think. Is he a limey?

It was a rant.  And in my furious typing, the word "wanker" came out.  My apologies. 

What the heck's a limey?  Michigan.

Quote from: giant_mtb on June 07, 2009, 03:55:05 PM
It was a rant.  And in my furious typing, the word "wanker" came out.  My apologies. 

What the heck's a limey?  Michigan.

No apologies necessary.

A "Limey" is a slang word used to describe the British. They used Limes to help prevent scurvy in the British Navy for a long time. So our navy started calling them "Limeys."

Quote from: giant_mtb on June 07, 2009, 03:53:56 PM
Hint: Click the YouTube link in the 3rd post of this thread.

I know but I'm at work and this is about the only site that isn't blocked 

Quote from: dazzleman on June 07, 2009, 02:17:22 PM

My problem with them is more the sort of people who buy them -- phony, hypocritial, self-congratulatory posturers, in a lot of cases.  Many people buy them because they want to be part of a certain crowd, can't really think for themselves, and don't know or care whether the car really lives up to its environmmental billing.

That's exactly how I feel about it. The Prius is the "in" thing to do. While other hybrids will do the job, nobody will notice that you're "saving the planet."

Oddly enough, whenever I see a Prius, I think about that South Park episode where all Prius drivers loved the smell of their own farts.