Saturday, November 7, 2009

To Own One is to Love One?

"My mom, she has one..."

"My sister."

"My next door neighbor has one..."

"My nephew got one last year, when he went away to college."

What are all these people talking about? Why, the people they know who own a Honda, of course. Well, that's all very nice- they know people who own Hondas. So what?

Narrator: "Everyone knows someone who loves a Honda..."

Um, excuse me? I didn't hear anyone say they knew someone who "loves" a Honda. I heard people say they knew someone who OWNS a Honda. Why is that the same thing?

I own a Honda because they are inexpensive and reliable. My parents own a Honda, as does one of my brothers, and my niece. I'm pretty happy with my car, and so are my relatives. When it's time to replace my car, will I buy another Honda? Yeah, probably- my last car was a Honda, and I'm satisfied with the performance, gas mileage and (for the most part) upkeep costs. Would I consider buying another brand? I guess- though my preference would be for another Honda.

Do I love my Honda? Well, no. The interior noise is loud, and I had to replace the clutch after only 65,000 miles. Besides, it's a car. I don't love cars. But as far as Honda is concerned, because I own one, I must love one, I guess.

Hey Honda- you make a good product. It's very popular in this country. Congratulations. Be happy with your success in the marketplace, and don't stick words in our mouths, ok? Leave that to the Health Care Industry, which thinks that if you have health insurance, you are "happy" with your coverage. Ok?

2 comments:

  1. What is it with the people in charge of accounts for car companies that make them think that a lifeless hunk of machinery is a love object? This weird personification and anthropomorphism has being going on for decades and it's time that it stopped; if they'd just tell people why their car is better and leave out all the squishy emotions, they could be forgiven a lot.

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  2. "The true test of an automobile is, when you turn it on- does it return the favor?"

    Um, no, it doesn't. I don't expect to get "turned on" by my car. I expect it to get me from point A to point B. Jesus, you'd think that would be enough for most people.

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