Advertising Weapons..

[Rob Pincus]

So, here I am, working on something or other and sorta-half-kinda watching CNN, and I notice a commercial with a little kid playing with a model plane. All of a sudden the plan flies out the window, turns into a F-22 and roars of finto the sky.. I missed the beginning of the commercial, but I did here this gem:

"..you see, at Lockheed-Martin, we are also developing the next generation of fighter aircraft to..." [protect, help, take care of, people for years to come....or something like that]

I was reminded of the Saab commercials with the fighter aircraft they build being compared to their cars.

Why is it okay to "advertise" fighter aircraft that drop bombs on people and shoot other aircraft down and people shudder at the idea of mainstream positive exposure for guns.

What am I missing?

 

[Ed Brunner]

Rob;What you are missing is that THEY are now the Hawks. They like airplanes. They like cars.They like alcohol.
THEY do not like tobacco,SUV's and guns.
They dont much like you and me either.

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Better days to be,

Ed

 

[Rob Pincus]

They sure as heck don't like what I consider a car either .

 

[Grayfox]

Gee Rob, Did you miss TOP GUN? Fighter jets are just COOL! Who cares if they can kill, wound or maim a hundred people in a few seconds. Besides, these are military weapons, nothing for us good guys to fear, right?
Remember, in advertising, image is everything.

 

[Byron Quick]

Rich,

What you are missing is that they like firearms, also. They don't like you and me owning firearms.

Senator Daniel Webster knew them when he said,"They want to be good masters. But they mean to be masters. They want to be good rulers. But they mean to rule."

So the question is: Do we submit to being mastered and ruled?

 

[cornered rat]

As a Russian song that has endured from 1940s said:

Remember, comrade, the fog-covered hills
How the panicked enemy retreated
And the roar of your trusty avtomat*
And our return from the action...

Something along those lines (*avtomat in Russian covers both automatic rifles and subguns, colloquially). Guns in patriotic settings are good, guns in private hands are mark of banditry. We are getting the same treatment...want a gun, join the Army!

Now, the song above is actually a soldiers' song. Most were written for non-military masses...and far more general and gung-ho on terms like "assault, vanquishing, killing a commie for mommie", err...wrong script.

Propaganda works...and given about twelve years (duration of public schooling), can work evil wonders.

CR

 

[Mike in VA]

Hell, Ed, I don't like SUV's either, at least not since they became trendy, hip, and 'In'. With all due respect to the less than 10% of the owners who actually go off-raod and get them dirty or scratched-up, those left-lane-squatin', view-blockin', gas-guzzlin', polutin' POS's are nothing more than butch stationwagons for dweebs that can't feature themselves in a mommivan or Volvo (I have a whole 'nother rant for Volvo drivers, but I'll save it for another time). I react with great glee every time I see one in the ditch on a frosty morning. A pox on them!

Before you ask, I drive a BMW, and yeah, I know about the porqupine. Had to vent, bimbo with cell phone driving a Land Cruiser in left lane made commuting hell this AM. M2

[This message has been edited by Mike in VA (edited February 24, 1999).]

 

[Rob Pincus]

One of myproudest days when the first day I owned a 1997 Pathfinder.. fully loaded.. every option.... I took it to an access road for high tension lines and proceeded to get its left rear wheel in the air and mud up over the right headlight... And then we got it out without a winch or other vehicle... I had mud come in the sunroof.... That evening I took it back to the dealership, without cleaning it or myself, and told them that "it works".. they almost ****....

I hate people who baby their trucks/SUVs.... its just not right.

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-Essayons

 

[Jim March]

If the subject is "freaking out a car dealer", my old '65 Baja Bug in "multiple bits from the junkyard" color scheme, oil cooler on the roof (exposed), rusted old rims, open monster-motor, unpainted fiberglass hood complete with bungee retaining system, 31" rear wheels and other neat features was the topper.

I had the words "Barfergnugen" on both doors. Used to drive it to VW dealers just to buy spark plugs or some dumb thing just to see 'em all pass out. For some reason I got GREAT service 'cuz they wanted that critter off the lot NOW .

The ultimate joke was that the suspention was beefed, it had a $700 tranny with superdiff and welded gears, and a pro-built and balanced 1776cc monstermotor with dual carbs and a "torquemeister" cam. Off road it'd hill-climb better than most of the big-bux 4x4 crowd...the 34gallon extended fuel tank helped keep the nose down.

I miss that ugly thing...best yuppie freakout tool ever.

Jim March

 

[chink]

actually, the are working on legistlation prevent us from importing jet fighter. Larry elison, the big guy at oracle who has to much money wanted a Mig 29 I think that the new know. State wouldn't let him have it. I think he ended up settling for a not so fully loaded f-15. I works, just doesn't have some of the option, like missle and the machine gun up front

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[Mike in VA]

Just me popping off again, I'm good at it.

Appologetically, I must adjust my stance as I gingerly lift my foot off my dong, and say that I like trucks (for their intended purpose), and find my self [stupidly] railing against the object rather than the operator.

Let me say unequivocably, it's not what you drive, but how you drive.

Given the marginal driving skills of the general driving public compounded by the general clumsiness of these SUV's (Stupid, Useless Vehicles), I still find them extremely annoying and in my way, and, of course, when I'm elected god, there will be many changes.

No offense to those who know the difference, M2

BTW, back on thread, I'd trade vital body parts for a ride in an F-14/15/16/18/22. I was working for McD/D when the Streak Eagle broke every time-to-climb record on the books. The jet was tied to the ground with a cable secured by explosive bolts & did a full power take-off. Airborne in LT 400 FEET, 8,000 M in under 3 minutes, even my bimmer can't dothat.

[This message has been edited by Mike in VA (edited February 25, 1999).]