Thursday, March 15, 2012
The Wired Become Clueless
You know that the issue of generational differences in the social networking experience has been taken to the next level when it's parodied in a funny car commercial. The tables are turned when the wired become the clueless. There is some risk here for Toyota because they probably don't want to be seen as marketing to "old people." Other lenses through which to view this ad include gender and class just for starters.
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What I find interesting about this commercial is that the audience has to completely dismiss (even mock) the young woman's stated views on the value of online social networking in order for the commercial to work. Although the young woman is the only direct narrator, everything she says about the value of online community is immediately undercut by images of a group of people having intense physical experiences in the "real" world (experiences that are, of course, made possible because they own a Toyota). The commercial makers assume that their audience--adults skeptical of social networking--will immediately accept the idea that such physical social experience is more valuable than digital social experience. But, even among car-buying adults, acceptance of mountain biking as a more valid social experience than communicating with a network of friends on the internet is by no means a given. In an increasingly digital age, adults as well as teenagers value their online social lives. Therefore, it seems risky to base the commercial on the idea that "physical=good, digital=bad."
ReplyDeleteI dislike the way that the commercial makes fun of the girl just because she is using online networking to connect with her friends. Some people may enjoy mountain biking like the parents—that's fine. But there is no need to ridicule those who chat with their friends online instead of mountain biking. Not everyone enjoys the outdoors. But even though I don't like the way the commercial treats the young girl, I did think there were some funny moments, such as when the girl made the comment about the puppy online not looking like a real puppy.
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