OT: Chrysler commercial blasted
A conservative collumnist (not taking any political stance myself, merely stating his) sat in for Rush Limbaugh today, on his radio show, and his this to say, about it, and Detroit itself.
Good to see some things never change....
February 7th, 2011 at 11:30 PM ^
Just stick to your guns, man. You're off the cuff douchebagginess has had as much to do with ripping Detroit a new one as your dislike of Chrysler. The Cass Corridor comment you made comes to mind. You're acting like nobody here has the fucking right to defend Detroit unless we've been shot in an abandoned warehouse. You're acting like I should not care about the city because I grew up in Troy and live in Royal Oak (I didn't really pick the first one and I happen to work near Royal Oak).
In summary, don't post a bunch of douchy comments, and then back out of it by saying you were bored and sarcastic. The frequency of your posting on this subject speaks for itself. If you're going to be outspoken, at least have the balls to stick with it.
Dick.
February 7th, 2011 at 11:37 PM ^
if you'll both take a quick look at my profile signature, i believe you both owe me a +1, k thnx
February 7th, 2011 at 11:39 PM ^
Not really backing out of it. I was bored, was a dick, ripped Detroit. Fin.
February 8th, 2011 at 1:00 AM ^
Possibly the biggest pussy move I have seen on this board. Say something stupid and realize it is stupid after numerous attempts to back it up. Accept defeat, call yourself a dick, and hope everyone just forgets that you were being a prick. Congrats Shock, you are a douche.
February 8th, 2011 at 1:05 AM ^
Your preferred alternative is that I continue to be a dick and not apologize when I realize I'm wrong?
February 8th, 2011 at 1:35 AM ^
my friend told me i was doing this http://xkcd.com/386/ when he saw this thread. i went for a run.
fun thread though.
February 7th, 2011 at 11:31 PM ^
Dude, get a life. If your only way to curve your boredom is to sit online and rip on Detroit anonymously, then I feel sorry for you. I love how the narrator of the commercial made a comment about ridiculous comments from people that have never even visited the city. Paints you perfect.
February 8th, 2011 at 12:18 AM ^
Those suburban kids with a "love affair" for Detroit are just the people who should be interested in the city. They are the people who can help revitalize the city by moving down there and pumping money into the local economy. Midtown Detroit near Wayne State is a perfect example of that
February 8th, 2011 at 12:20 AM ^
Alright I'm semi-tired of the whole "suburbanites who support Detroit are hypocrites b/c they wouldn't live there" stuff. It's clear you're not from the metro-Detroit area. The suburbanites you speak of don't view Detroit as just a city, it's a metropolitan area. The metro includes the adjacent cities around it and these cities are connected to the main city in many, many ways both currently and historically.
When Detroit goes through changes and difficulties, all of these areas are effected. You think the automotive industry was just located in the city of Detroit? Factories even in Ford's early years of development were sprawled outside in what we call the suburbs of Metro Detroit. Everyone in these surrounding cities, not just those living within the borders of Detroit city were incredibly connected to the main city and the industries and culture that defined the main city. The criticism of soft suburbanites and their supposed unfounded love for Detroit city ignores the complexity of the region and the Metro area.
February 8th, 2011 at 9:27 AM ^
Because if we aren't teaching suburban kids to give a shit about life outside their ZIP code, then we're in big trouble as a country IMO.
Problems in Detroit (and elsewhere) are going to be solved because a lot of people want to see them solved, those with roots and the city and those from elsewhere. Some of the people making a difference are going to be from Bloomfield Hills and Ann Arbor and even Peoria. Can we stop making people produce a Detroit birth certificate before allowing them to feel connected to the place?
February 8th, 2011 at 12:40 AM ^
Given the choice, I wouldn't raise a family in most large cities including Chicago and NY (I would rather live in the 'burbs of these places, just like I'd rather live in the 'burbs of Metro Detroit). You wouldn't rather live in Upper East Side Manhattan rather than some areas of Washington Heights? Is it much different than living in areas like Grosse Pointe over the Cass Corridor simply b/c we're talking about Detroit?
February 7th, 2011 at 10:50 PM ^
That almost sounds like the old 'well if you love it so much why dont you marry it?' I know several people who live in Detroit and enjoy it. Obviously there are some issues, but there are sizable chunks of the city that are being slowly revitalized (cue up the gentrification rebuttals) by a number of people who truly care.
Let's not forget that NYC was a shit-hole for quite some time and pretty much every city has its blights. Sure, Detroit may have more issues than most cities, but just give it a rest already.
February 8th, 2011 at 12:10 AM ^
Maybe a little unfair, but the "you" was collective, not specific to the OP and if you're not among the poorest of the poor, which almost no one on here is, you can move to Detroit if you want to.
February 7th, 2011 at 10:42 PM ^
February 7th, 2011 at 10:45 PM ^
Hmm, well, apparently you didn't realize that he wasn't the one saying it...
February 7th, 2011 at 10:52 PM ^
are for losers.
February 7th, 2011 at 11:00 PM ^
Hi Calvin.
February 7th, 2011 at 11:59 PM ^
I didn't read it. I try and stay away from anything this man does.. I'll keep that in mind for future refrence on when to open my mouth lol thank you.
February 8th, 2011 at 3:46 PM ^
No worries.
February 8th, 2011 at 9:40 AM ^
It's reprehensible that his producer (Bo Snerdley) and one of his closest friends for the last 20 years is black....oh wait.
February 8th, 2011 at 1:29 PM ^
You can have minority friends and still be racist... see Rush's attempt at sad humor in mocking the Chinese President Hu Jintao during his recent meetings with President Obama.
February 8th, 2011 at 2:23 PM ^
February 7th, 2011 at 10:49 PM ^
I love this guy and I always listen to this guy whenever he guest hosts a radio program. He is really funny and entertaining, but he always over exaggerates and uses extreme sarcasm to be funny. He really was just saying the model city to bring us back from a recession isn't a city where half the population has left, houses are boarded up and crime is such a problem. Don't get me wrong though I love the city and it's charm. But he is like a half comedian half political commentator.
February 7th, 2011 at 10:55 PM ^
I have lived in Detroit, Phoenix, Sacramento and Portland Oregon in last 20 years - where do you think Detroit ranks in those four? I love the people and all but come on. Also going back and listening to the whole spiel.....the guy was commenting more on the fact that the Chrysler commercial was paid for with taxpayer bailout money and Chrysler is asking for more. Second in the ten minutes I listened he said Detroit did it to itself. Point is I understand having pride - but........
February 7th, 2011 at 11:03 PM ^
No one is trying to say that Detroit is a beacon on a hill. Obviously, Detroit has a long way to go. That's no reason to write it off though. There are some positive signs in Detroit these days from Campus Martius to Comerica Park to the new riverfront, and also the casinos. This commercial is about revitalization and promise for the future. Chrysler is finally rebranding itself with some edge and people get all cranky. Was/is there anything Chrysler and the city of Detroit could do that would be perceived positively or should they just have aired 30 seconds of broken down LeBarons?
February 7th, 2011 at 11:22 PM ^
Gotta pay money to make money, and Chrysler nailed it. This is the most talked-about ad of the Superbowl the entire nation over.
Even idiot Valenti got it right today, whoever that is.
February 7th, 2011 at 11:33 PM ^
"This is the most talked-about ad of the Superbowl the entire nation over."
That's not always a good thing. It can be talked about all day long, but all that does is build brand identification. I might be going out on a limb with this, but I don't think that Chrysler's problem is that people don't know about Chrysler. At most, the best it really could have hoped for is to counteract some of the negative press that Chrysler has received in the past couple of years. Maybe it did that, maybe it didn't. I know just as many people who liked the commercial, as hated the commercial. The bottom line for this commercial is that, while cool, all it really does is make people who are inclined to like Detroit, like Detroit. I'd be shocked if it really made many people at all more inclined to buy a Chrysler product, especially the particular one advertised in that commercial.
February 7th, 2011 at 11:41 PM ^
In a way, yes, it's nothing more but an opportunity for those who identify with the city to reaffirm their beliefs. Isn't that the nature of any politically-charged campaign? Merely supporting the city of Detroit has political overtones the nation over, because of how conservatives view the city in the grand scheme of things. No, it's not going to cure the hundreds and hundreds of problems this city has. That's not the point, though.
Sure, it's a corporate gesture, but damn it, I want some Detroit rah rah fist pumping in my life. By and large, it seems that people around the country are reacting in a positive way. Sure, there are people who will react negatively, but that's just the nature of politics. Why is Detroit such a far left lightning rod? To me, Detroit is the underdog in a generic boxing film.
I'm obviously biased, but I was Detroit born and I want to have some pride in my home. That's all. This is somewhat beer-influenced and somewhat just hometown rah-rah influenced. I want to feel good and this commercial did it for me.
February 8th, 2011 at 12:03 AM ^
"In a way, yes, it's nothing more but an opportunity for those who identify with the city to reaffirm their beliefs. sn't that the nature of any politically-charged campaign? Merely supporting the city of Detroit has political overtones the nation over, because of how conservatives view the city in the grand scheme of things."
I agree, but that's not a partisan issue. There is plenty of negative belief on both sides of the political aisle.
While I know exactly what you're talking about, I think you're missing the bigger overall question that should be raised by this ad. I think most everyone realizes that it's a tip of the hat to Chrysler's past, but the question is whether that is relevant to Chrysler's future, considering that it is fairly clear that Chrysler continues to move away from Detroit and hasn't given much of an indication to the contrary.
February 7th, 2011 at 11:34 PM ^
Double post. Sorry!
February 8th, 2011 at 12:30 AM ^
Is it really the most talked about ad from the super bowl? I mean, I think we know everyone in Michigan is talking about it. All of us on here have some connection to the state, so it seems likely we'd be hearing about it. I have, but on the flip side, I have no idea how much national play it's getting. The articles today would seem to argue it is, but I wonder if it's a one and done type of thing.
February 8th, 2011 at 1:15 AM ^
It might be the "most talked about", but most every review I've seen has the VW commercial as the best auto commercial.
I think your point about local connection and local buzz is right on the money. For example, where I live no one is talking about the Chrysler commercial, but everyone is talking about the BMW commercial.
February 8th, 2011 at 10:23 AM ^
Really? I thought the VW commercial was so stupid. The automatic starter trick was pretty good about 20 years ago.
February 8th, 2011 at 1:18 AM ^
"Is it really the most talked about ad from the Super Bowl?"
Yes. It is. It got a 5 minute segment at the end of NBC Nightly News tonight. This was a national story.
February 7th, 2011 at 11:26 PM ^
What some people fail to realize *cough*ShockFX*cough* is that the commercial was about being proud from where you came from, and being proud of Detroit. I have no idea where people are taking away the "pick up your family and move to Detroit" aspect. In no way, shape, or form was that even discussed in the commercial. It was about being strong through the shit storm this city and state have been through over the past few years. To take anything else away from the commercial is asinine.
No matter what happens in my life, I will always be proud to say I was born and raised in Michigan.
February 7th, 2011 at 11:42 PM ^
Amen.
February 7th, 2011 at 10:56 PM ^
Calling all mods, calling all mods, send this thread to Bolivia. The path it's going down already is an ugly one.
February 7th, 2011 at 11:03 PM ^
Nothing will ever beat the downfall that was the Haiti donations thread.
February 7th, 2011 at 11:33 PM ^
That thread popped my negbang cherry.
February 7th, 2011 at 11:12 PM ^
We take shots from ppl who have NO IDEA what we are, what we are about, and what it means to be from Detroit. At this point, I don't care anymore. I get it, everyone hates Detroit and Michigan. They can all piss off because this is MY HOME and I'm damn sure okay with that.
February 7th, 2011 at 11:14 PM ^
Of course they're going to bash Detroit. While the city stands for hard work and blue collar ethics, politically, it stands for liberalism and economic downturn. I don't think you have to be a political blowhard to see why someone sitting in for Rush Limbaugh would bash the commercial.
Glad to see the commercial has provoked controversy. I grew up in a Ford family, and my father doesn't care much for the commercial because of that (and he can't relate to a white rapper in his late thirties), but it struck a chord with me. I've been saying for years how the residents of this state need to have some goddamn pride in their home. Even if you hate it, it's still home. I've met some denizens of Texas, and California, and other places in my time, and they don't hesitate to tell you how great their homestate is. Someone else saying it on national TV (even if it was in a commercial) just means the world to me.
This is Michigan, for god's sake. This entire state is a microcosm of the country on the whole. Be proud.
February 7th, 2011 at 11:58 PM ^
"While the city stands for hard work and blue collar ethics, politically, it stands for liberalism and economic downturn. I don't think you have to be a political blowhard to see why someone sitting in for Rush Limbaugh would bash the commercial."
This is where I think people are missing part of the "controversy" of this ad. It's political, but it's not partisan. Like I said in one of my other posts, the most scathing review of this ad was written by someone very on the left. If it was just the same ol' bashing of Detroit and equating its troubles with one particular political ideology, that'd be one thing, but that isn't where the totality of the criticism of this lies.
February 8th, 2011 at 9:39 AM ^
Or try really hard...
February 7th, 2011 at 11:35 PM ^
Stop by the Bucharest Grill, a 5 minute walk from Comerica Park. Best potato salad and chicken shawarma I have ever had, and a pretty neat bar.
February 8th, 2011 at 12:44 AM ^
This is OT but I don't suggest going to Detroit for shawarma when East Dearborn is 10 minutes away. C'MON MAN!
But ya, Bucharest is aaight overall.
February 8th, 2011 at 1:09 AM ^
I worked downtown for 5 years and had a girlfriend that lived in Dearborn....I have had plenty of shawarmas and I would take a Bucharest shawarma every day of the week and twice on Sundays. Don't even think about breathing on anyone afterwards though.
February 8th, 2011 at 1:20 AM ^
Hahaha truth on the breathing.
On shawarma: Fair enough. :) I guess I just have a bias against non-authentic Middle Eastern eats....although it IS a delicious corruption of the real deal. Bonus: There's unfortunately 0.0 good shawarma places in Dearborn that have alcohol so Bucharest wins there.
February 7th, 2011 at 11:48 PM ^
Mark Steyn was (and remains) a columnist with Canada's conservative magazine Maclean's. He is hardly influential in Canada and doesn't move the meter up here. However, he seems to have created something of a following with Limbaugh and Hannity et al in the US following his America Alone book (rant) being published.
Anyway, he's moved to New Hampshire FWIW; I suspect because nobody up here gave a rat's ass about him.
