Yeah, I agree. It is like most things in this modern era - it's all about an image.
What you are buying is an image. And then *projecting* yourself into it. Like - "Hey, that's gonna be me! I'm going to take my hard-earned $60K and buy that SUV and then with all my free time, I'll take a trip to the Nevada desert and bounce the thing off every large rock formation I can find. Maybe I can even get it up on two wheels! Yeah, I can do that!"
Advertising and marketing have become so honed and perfected that what is being sold to the public is more than just simple goods. It is the image and mythos attached to the goods. Slick imagery and targeted music accompany ads to sculpt and drive home the intended image to the intended market group.
I typically think most SUV drivers are wankers - and poor drivers to boot. Hey, I'm sure some of them actually use the vehicle (like my brother who drives a Nissan Pathfinder and actually makes it live up to its namesake by offroading at our cottage and pulling stumps/hauling wood, etc.) and I don't want to offend any owners here who fall into this category.
However, if another stressed mom in a Ford Exploder cuts me off on the way to the video store again because she can't see over the passenger chair headrest, I'm gonna....
Not to mention if I hear another brainwashed consumer say "I bought it because it makes me feel safe, I'm so much higher than everyone else." Arrrgh!
So I guess my reaction to it is also a *yawn*. I'd love to see a 959 turbo though...
