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here's some interesting tidbits from an article in the guardian: Politicians and terrorists are not the only propagandists who use fear to drive human behaviour in irrational directions. A striking recent use of fear psychology in marketing occurred following Operation Desert Storm in 1991. During the war, television coverage of armoured Humvees sweeping across the desert helped to launch the Hummer, a consumer version of a vehicle originally designed exclusively for military use. The initial idea to make a consumer version came from the actor Arnold Schwarzenegger, who wanted a tough-looking, road-warrior vehicle for himself. At his prodding, AM General (what was left of the old American Motors) began making civilian Hummers in 1992, with the first vehicle off the assembly line going to Schwarzenegger himself. In addition to the Hummer, the war helped to launch a broader sports utility vehicle (SUV) craze. Psychiatrist Clotaire Rapaille, a consultant to the automobile industry, conducted studies of postwar consumer psyches for Chrysler and reported that Americans wanted "aggressive" cars. In interviews with Keith Bradsher, the former Detroit bureau chief for the New York Times, Rapaille discussed the results of his research. SUVs, he said, were "weapons" - "armoured cars for the battlefield" - that appealed to Americans' deepest fears of violence and crime. Another hostility-intensification feature is the "grill guard" promoted by SUV manufacturers. "Grill guards, useful mainly for pushing oryx out of the road in Namibia, have no application under normal driving conditions," says writer Gregg Easterbrook. "But they make SUVs look angrier, especially when viewed through a rearview mirror ... [They] also increase the chance that an SUV will kill someone in an accident." Deliberately marketed as "urban assault luxury vehicles", SUVs exploit fear while doing nothing to make people safer. They make their owners feel safe, not by protecting them, but by feeding their aggressive impulses. |
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continued ... Due to SUVs' propensity for rollovers, notes Bradsher, the occupant death rate in SUVs is actually 6% higher than for cars, 8% in the largest SUVs. Of course, they also get worse mileage. According to dealers, Hummers average a mere eight to 10 miles a gallon - a figure that takes on additional significance in light of the role that dependency on foreign oil has played in shaping US relations with countries in the Middle East. |
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I won't even get into the psychology of SUVs, but I don't find that article very hard to believe. SUV's are just super inefficent, in all manners. A small car stops faster, can accelerate quicker, etc, but people still want the V8 pushing it's 2 1/2 tons around. I generalize ALL SUV drivers as idiotic and stupid, they are also ALL terrible drivers. I have a truck, and I hate the fact that it doesn't handle like I was taught to drive my BMW. But I deal, SUVs are even worse than my truck, and it's new! Add cellphones, and moms driving their kids, and you have American, and it's dangerous! |
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suvs are shit and people who drive them are idiots who dont use their turn signals and have american flags on their cars(im generalizing here but look for yourself at all the suvs and hummers and look at their attitudes and habits) hummers are worse though obviously. |
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well, I like a good hummer every now and then |
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you can have your SUV, I for one want my MTV!! |
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it was on Top Gear |
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