• solsangraal@lemmy.zip
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    1 month ago

    what are these people expecting everyone’s reaction to be when they buy these cartoonish giant clownshoes trucks?

    because i see those things and think “oh look, another sensitive douchenozzle”

    • Jiggle_Physics@lemmy.world
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      1 month ago

      Back when I was young, I had a job building, and installing, custom stereos for cars. The place I worked at also did a lot of modifications, one of the most popular things we did was lift trucks, add huge wheels, move exhaust to end above the backs of the cabs, etc. People who had trucks like that, just like the people with the stereos you could hear 5 miles away, absolutely did concern themselves with the way they were perceived, having that tricked out truck. They also rarely used them for work, or took them off road. They liked to cruise them down the night life areas, and show off. They would talk about how excited they were to do this. This was the same with people who tricked their cars out like something from TFATF movies. They never raced, they just showed off.

      • Semi-Hemi-Lemmygod@lemmy.world
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        1 month ago

        A lot of that is for the same reason people dress nice or have nice accessories like watches and handbags: Conspicuous consumption makes it look like you have money to at least some people.

        And anywhere there are vehicles there’s going to be a vehicle culture, from low riders to pickups to rice tractors

        • Jiggle_Physics@lemmy.world
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          1 month ago

          correct, and fast fashion, precious metals, and gems, etc for this are bad. it is a lot harder to deal with the fast fashion thing, because it took over the industry needed for clothing. but yeah, I feel the same about doing things like buying jewelry without concern for where it came from, as jewelry is something that can be easily boycotted. The big difference is, someone wearing a ring with a big old blood diamond on it will never inject its way into my life, and what I am doing, like getting stuck in traffic with some big coal-rolling d-bag, or someone whose muffler is replaced, or their stereo is as loud as a stadium concert, and so on.

            • Jiggle_Physics@lemmy.world
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              1 month ago

              I mean, you can make cars cool without making them obnoxious, inefficient, intrusive, poorly fit for local infrastructure, etc.

              Unless you think things that cause greater issues for other people are the only ways in which cars can be cool. Then I don’t know what to tell you, at that point it is a personal problem.

              • Semi-Hemi-Lemmygod@lemmy.world
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                1 month ago

                Most of what are generally considered coolest cars are loud, inefficient, and hard to maneuver around a city. Think Lambos, Ferraris, Bentleys, low riders, hot rods, in addition to lifted trucks and fart-can Hondas.

                  • Semi-Hemi-Lemmygod@lemmy.world
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                    1 month ago

                    They put a great big resonator in the exhaust of a four cylinder car, generally a Honda Civic. They think it makes them sound cool but it really doesn’t.

                    Sometimes they’ll even remove the catalytic convertor for extra fart sound.

      • Socialist Mormon Satanist@lemmy.world
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        29 days ago

        peoople who had trucks like that, just like the people with the stereos you could hear 5 miles away, absolutely did concern themselves with the way they were perceived, having that tricked out truck.

        Yep! This past weekend, my girlfriend and I were waiting to be seated at Texas Roadhouse, and we saw something interesting.

        Some young guy pulled in with his tricked-out, shiny truck, meeting friends who were all decked out in cowboy hats, boots, and big belt buckles—total urban cowboy vibes.

        They were laughing and showing off around his truck, talking about the truck, being impressed. But then something odd happened: they took off their cowboy hats, swapped their boots for tennis shoes, untucked their shirts, and walked over to the Kohl’s next door!!

        I was like, what the fuck did I just see? They switched personas from country to urban real quick—they def cared a lot about how they were perceived.

      • solsangraal@lemmy.zip
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        1 month ago

        Y’all can’t fathom using the vehicle or having fun.

        with the trucks on the market at this point, the actual “use case” functionality comprises maybe 10% of the reason people buy them. the rest is peacock feathers sticking out your ass

        and the “you can’t fathom having fun” bit LOL – classic “you just don’t get it” defense of anything dumb. and the fact that there’s always always someone who has to chime in and come to the defense of stupidly large obnoxious emotional support trucks just proves the point: “y’all” can’t handle anyone not thinking you’re cool because your goofy ass truck

          • solsangraal@lemmy.zip
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            1 month ago

            LOLOLOLOL

            https://www.axios.com/2023/01/23/pickup-trucks-f150-size-weight-safety

            Instead, experts say, much of the big pickup mania is being driven by consumers’ self-image. “Today, personality and imagery are playing an even more important role in how consumers choose which truck is right for them,” Strategic Vision researcher Alexander Edwards told Axios.
            The firm surveys owners each year about the character traits they associate with their vehicle. Two words set F-150 owners apart: “powerful” and “rugged.”

            dude, the trucks are just stupid security blankets. which would be fine if they weren’t such a nuisance, a danger to others on the road, and didn’t take up 4 parking spots. congrats, you are doing the exact opposite of making a case for buying one of these ridiculous bullshits

              • solsangraal@lemmy.zip
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                1 month ago

                LOL you’re literally demonstrating my point with every comment you make. it would be adorable if it weren’t so sad. best advice i can give you is stop being SOOOOO concerned about what the entire world thinks about your own perceived lack of manliness

                  • solsangraal@lemmy.zip
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                    1 month ago

                    “giant land-blimp trucks are cool because you can’t find a quantitative study that says they aren’t !!!”

                    good job champ. keep up the good work standing up for those poor sensitive unmanly truck drivers

                    i’m honestly glad you’re here. thanks for the entertainment

      • LibertyLizard@slrpnk.net
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        1 month ago

        The lady doth protest too much, methinks. Every single time anyone posts something vaguely critical of these emotional support vehicles, we always get someone with a bruised ego in here trying to fight the entire community over it. Which is hilarious because it kinda just proves the whole point. If it’s not about image then why are people so sensitive about it?

        There really isn’t any other explanation for why these monster trucks have become so popular than vanity. Larger trucks with higher, smaller beds have become the norm, and they’re actually less useful for the things you might need a pickup for. And there’s similarly no reason to think that Americans have suddenly discovered a huge need for pickups that didn’t exist 50 years ago. Yet their prevalence on the road has increased dramatically.

        It’s just another fashion accessory. But unlike the fedora, it’s a deadly one, and so of course we will criticize you. Don’t like it? Easy solution: stop choosing fashion accessories that kill people. There are plenty of other ways to cosplay wealth or rugged individualism.