Something About This Gives Me the Creeps
Rob Long ·
Nov 30, 2010 at 6:58pm
Watch this:
And then help me figure out why it's so creepy. For my part, what I dislike about it is the emotionalism mixed with the glib pastiche of clips from "Animal House" and "Popeye." Which are utterly inappropriate anyway, since none of those characters required taxpayer bailouts, none of those characters agreed to (or demanded) outlandish union-backed pay packages, and none of those characters relied on anything (aside from spinach) that even resembles a subsidy.
The whole video turns my stomach. The flippant tone just makes me feel like a giant sucker. Which I guess I am. Which I guess all of us are.
What I'd like to see, from GM, is a little shame.
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Aug '10
Re: Something About This Gives Me the Creeps
What I'd like to see from GM is a car that lasts as long as my Honda.
Aug '10
Re: Something About This Gives Me the Creeps
Creepy? Yes... creepy...
For one thing, the "failure to launch" clip had me wondering whether I'd stumbled into a Viagra commercial.
Nov '10
Re: Something About This Gives Me the Creeps
Well, yes, we all fall down from time to time. When that happens, the important thing is to examine why you fell down so you can avoid making the same mistakes again. If GM is doing that, it sure doesn't come across in this video.
On second thought, if someone handed me a huge wad of confiscated cash every time I fell down, I think I'd probably fall down quite a bit. Maybe GM IS learning from their mistakes...
Nov '10
Re: Something About This Gives Me the Creeps
I'm reminded of an incident on the subway a few years ago. We were stopped between stations for no obvious reason (of course.) After about five minutes, the conductor is heard over the PA system saying something along the lines of "we'll get moving as soon as possible, thank you for your patience." All of a sudden, a very wound up looking guy on the other end of the train started yelling back, "Don't thank me for my patience! I have no patience! No patience!" It scared me then, but in the context of this ad, I see his point.
Don't thank me for helping you, GM. I didn't want to.
Nov '10
Re: Something About This Gives Me the Creeps
This is so off-key from reality that I can't help but believe it was created in the same "Yeah, we're REALLY sorry" spirit as the Dodge invisible monkey commercial... except that one was a stroke of genius.
Nov '10
Re: Something About This Gives Me the Creeps
A failed rocket launch, an Animal House clip, Popeye? All to make a point about GM being thankful? You're right - it's not only creepy, it's incredibly tacky. And the syrupy music - yech!
Sep '10
Re: Something About This Gives Me the Creeps
Rob Long:
The whole video turns my stomach. The flippant tone just makes me feel like a giant sucker. Which I guess I am. Which I guess all of us are.
What I'd like to see, from GM, is a little shame. ·
Rob, you should not feel like a sucker. Nor should anyone, except the GM bond holders who got suckered by the Obama administration, which brazenly ignored existing bankruptcy law to create a Democrat slush fund and to fatten union coffers.
Do we have a shred of hope that some Republican(s), somehow, someday, when the Repubs have enough power, will hold this executive-power-mad administration liable for its lawlessness?
Nov '10
Re: Something About This Gives Me the Creeps
Actually, it kind of reminds me of this...
Tony Hayward's Apology
Edited on Nov 30, 2010 at 7:48pmMay '10
Re: Something About This Gives Me the Creeps
We all fall down. But GM was dragged down by arrogance - of it's management, it's employees and their union and by a government that saddled it (and others) with the most complicated tax system and regulatory demands ever designed by man.
May '10
Re: Something About This Gives Me the Creeps
"Something," how about everything, on every level. What's most creepy is that the vast majority of people watching it will believe that GM is "back!"
Oct '10
Re: Something About This Gives Me the Creeps
The music is nauseating indeed, and what really bothers me too is there are no cars in the ad. It is like when investment houses show a winning sports figure, as though their success is somehow llinked to a golf swing. Was the boxer given a government adrenaline boost? Did Popeye buy his spinach with food stamps? The ad pretends it is an analogy. Creepy and loathsome.
May '10
Re: Something About This Gives Me the Creeps
PS: it's a beloved film, but just how does reference to Animal House make sense? All I can think of is bad comparisons between debauchery at a frat house, and corporate/union debauchery.
Nov '10
Re: Something About This Gives Me the Creeps
I, too, was nauseated by this.
Since when, do Americans attempt to illuminate "falling down?"
May '10
Re: Something About This Gives Me the Creeps
It's as creepy as the rapist who got out of jail easy and tearfully thanks society for giving him a second chance. The tears are fake and there wasn't enough justice served for the rape. GM is trying to play the victim when we all know they're the violator. It's offensive.
Nov '10
Re: Something About This Gives Me the Creeps
Shame? GM sold itself to the Feds like a cheap WHORE. You cannot feel shame without self-respect.
May '10
Re: Something About This Gives Me the Creeps
All I kept thinking was "What about the bondholders?Are they getting any thanks? What about repayment? Gag me.
Jul '10
Re: Something About This Gives Me the Creeps
Well, to put things in perspective, Ford is the competent American car company. The Ford family owns the Detroit Lions. In a competitive industry, the best U.S. car manufacturer can't win games against ancient, undisciplined, Qbs. Shame is in order, to be sure.
That said, in a world where upper middle class collegians routinely collect food stamps, shame is a concept in short order.
Edited on Nov 30, 2010 at 8:33pmMay '10
Re: Something About This Gives Me the Creeps
That is the really disgusting thing - not only was GM bailed out with taxpayer money, GM was bailed out with taxpayer money in a way that screwed investors to the benefit of the UAW. It's not as if bankruptcy was some unprecedented thing we didn't have laws for, and it's no secret who the UAW supported with campaign contributions.
The more GM and the White House market this scrappy underdog angle, the more I want to see every taxpayer dime pulled out from under the UAW and watch them self-destruct.
Nov '10
Re: Something About This Gives Me the Creeps
Can I get my ZR1 now? Or do I have to continue to wait?
Jul '10
Re: Something About This Gives Me the Creeps
I think it would have been more apt if they'd used a video of some senile geezer wetting his Depends.
"We all soil ourselves now and then. Thanks for cleaning us up....suckers."