2008 Woodie Awards
Dodge Rear Ends the Family Life
Shannon Obey '08
Issue date: 11/15/07 Section: Commentary
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I saw a commercial for the New Dodge Caravan the other day which, if you watch television at all, I am sure you have seen as well. Typically this commercial would not have bothered me. When I heard them say in the commercial, however, that the new Dodge Caravan "brings families together" and it is the "new favorite room in the house" I wanted to rear end whoever came up with these terrible inventions.
First of all, they are completely trying to sugarcoat the fact that you are still driving a minivan by saying it's a "Caravan," making it seem like you are going on a crazy adventure if you drive this car. In fact, the Oxford English Dictionary says a caravan is "A company of merchants, pilgrims, or others, in the East or northern Africa, traveling together for the sake of security, esp. through the desert." So by getting into this "non-minivan" you are going to become these "others" they speak of-unless you are a pilgrim or merchant of course-and drive through Algeria with your family, escaping, I suppose, the terrifying bills you are paying for this expensive piece of metal that has become your favorite room in the house.
Not only that, but your family will be brought together in perfect harmony. Oh really, Dodge? You think so? How, may I ask, are the two televisions in this vehicle going to bring families together? Think about it. When you are sitting in your house and the whole family is sitting around watching television, does anyone talk to each other? Unless it is a commercial, I would have to say no. But that is just one television. Now imagine little Johnny and Susie sitting in their brand new Dodge Caravan. Johnny is in the back seat playing Zelda on his Playstation with headphones on so as not to disturb Susie who is watching SpongeBob-which always seems to be the show on at the time of the commercial. This leaves Mom and Dad to talk to themselves, bringing their marriage closer together I suppose. But that is not what Dodge advertises. It seems to me that instead of bringing the family closer together like a good game of "20 questions" would, where everyone is talking and conversing, it is distracting the kids so Mom and Dad can have a quiet moment to themselves.
First of all, they are completely trying to sugarcoat the fact that you are still driving a minivan by saying it's a "Caravan," making it seem like you are going on a crazy adventure if you drive this car. In fact, the Oxford English Dictionary says a caravan is "A company of merchants, pilgrims, or others, in the East or northern Africa, traveling together for the sake of security, esp. through the desert." So by getting into this "non-minivan" you are going to become these "others" they speak of-unless you are a pilgrim or merchant of course-and drive through Algeria with your family, escaping, I suppose, the terrifying bills you are paying for this expensive piece of metal that has become your favorite room in the house.
Not only that, but your family will be brought together in perfect harmony. Oh really, Dodge? You think so? How, may I ask, are the two televisions in this vehicle going to bring families together? Think about it. When you are sitting in your house and the whole family is sitting around watching television, does anyone talk to each other? Unless it is a commercial, I would have to say no. But that is just one television. Now imagine little Johnny and Susie sitting in their brand new Dodge Caravan. Johnny is in the back seat playing Zelda on his Playstation with headphones on so as not to disturb Susie who is watching SpongeBob-which always seems to be the show on at the time of the commercial. This leaves Mom and Dad to talk to themselves, bringing their marriage closer together I suppose. But that is not what Dodge advertises. It seems to me that instead of bringing the family closer together like a good game of "20 questions" would, where everyone is talking and conversing, it is distracting the kids so Mom and Dad can have a quiet moment to themselves.