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Car Forum / Mazda / Mazda Miata / April 2007NYT says Miata "gay by design"?
Folks; See http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/12/fashion/12cars.html?_r=1&oref=slogin for the whole story, but the gist of it is that some cars are seen as "gay" and the Miata is one of them. Other gay cars are the Volkswagen Beetle, Mini Cooper, and Subaru Outback. Does it make sense to you to say that a Subaru is a "Lesbaru" or that a Miata is "gay" and an Escalade is "manly"? Don't construe this as some kind of sexual preference bashing, I just want to know if some people really think that the choice of a car can say something about their sexual preference, or anything else for that matter. I know some people prefer certain emblems because they cost more, but when I see that fancy Mercedes tooling past, I know it's a lease with a nasty downside and my Miata is all mine for a long time. But is that cool lady behind the wheel looking at me and thinking I'm gay because I know which car is the most fun to drive? The NYT says "Yes, she is." The article goes on to say that automakers are interested in targeting their marketing to different demographics, so if Mazda decides to advertise in the gay media, will that make the Miata a gay car? :-) For all I know, they already do advertise specifically to gays and why not? It's a desirable demographic. I can't imagine I'm going to switch away from the Miata if someone thinks it's gay. What would I switch to? I don't have any idea how to tell what models are for gays and which ones are for straight guys. :-) OK, got my flame retardant underwear on ... I've heard that before and I don't buy it for a second. My dad, a 75 yr old retired Army colonel drives a Miata while my little brother, decidedly gay and a little "flamboyant", drives a late model Z-28. I haven't detected any gay agenda at the few Miata Club events I've attended. I think it's a clever covert marketing ploy by GM to lure buyers to the new Solstice. JD > Folks; > [quoted text clipped - 27 lines] > > OK, got my flame retardant underwear on ... > I think it's a clever covert marketing ploy by GM to lure > buyers to the new Solstice. Oh, you mean like this one? http://i.walmart.com/i/p/00/68/06/74/00/0068067400007_500X500.jpg I Guess the Miata is kinda impractical as a family car, & gay people often have procreation problems. On the other hand, the vehicles I would say that has "gay icon" status are usually made by Harley Davidson. The local (Perth) & Sydney Gay mardi gras both regularly feature dozens of "Dykes on Bikes", never seen a Miata there anywhere. > Folks; > [quoted text clipped - 27 lines] > > OK, got my flame retardant underwear on ... Also "Poofs on hoofs", so maybe horses are a gay vehicle? Not seen "munchers in Miatas" yet. >I Guess the Miata is kinda impractical as a family car, & gay people often >have procreation problems. On the other hand, the vehicles I would say [quoted text clipped - 34 lines] >> >> OK, got my flame retardant underwear on ... > Folks; > [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > say that a Subaru is a "Lesbaru" or that a Miata is "gay" and an > Escalade is "manly"? Heh, I always felt that a guy driving an Escalade was trying to make up for lack of size in another area. <g> Iva & Belle.) '90B Classic Red.) #3 winkin' Miata > Folks; > See http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/12/fashion/12cars.html?_r=1&oref=slogin > for the whole story, but the gist of it is that some cars are seen as > "gay" and the Miata is one of them. Other gay cars are the > Volkswagen Beetle, Makes some sense. A Golf with a less practical body will appeal mainly to childless people. > Mini Cooper, IIRC, Jeremy Clarkson has not insulted it, so it can't be very gay. > and Subaru Outback. > Does it make sense to you to say that a Subaru is a "Lesbaru" That is a marketing choice by Subaru to sponsor lesbian athletes, that Women's golf tournament that has become a lesbian happening (Dinah Shore Weekend), the L-Word series, etc. There is nothing gay about a Subaru Impreza WRX, STI or WRC (I still have dust on my knapsack from Petter Solberg's and Chris Aktinson's cars in the Portuguese Rally, a couple of weeks ago). > or that a Miata is "gay" There was also an episode in the "Yes, dear" sitcom in which one of the male characters buys a Miata and then is annoyed that a lot of people say it is a "girl's car". That episode includes a little girl telling him her Barbie has one, and several girls driving or washing their Miatas. Maybe the Miata needs a stronger engine to get a more masculine image, although in the last review I read the journalist liked the 2.0 (relatively low weight does miracles: the competition (BMW Z4, Honda S2000) has more powerful engines, but also 200 kg more). > and an Escalade is "manly"? Only if your definition of "manly" is derived from rap singers...  Signaturehttp://www.mat.uc.pt/~rps/ .pt is Portugal| `Whom the gods love die young'-Menander (342-292 BC) Europe | Villeneuve 50-82, Toivonen 56-86, Senna 60-94 > OK, got my flame retardant underwear on ... I drive a Miata and the wife just got her Subaru. Wonder what that tells. :-) cu .\\arc > Folks; > [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > say that a Subaru is a "Lesbaru" or that a Miata is "gay" and an > Escalade is "manly"? I don't really see any of those cars that way nor have I experienced anyone saying my MX-5 is anything besides "cool", "very good looking" and stuff along those lines. However I do think the Bettle and the Mini are both over designed fashion items trying to capitalize on the original models. The original models was both affordable and intelligent designed for their time while the Bettle and the current Mini are neither. The term "girl car"/"Wife car" is in use here in Denmark but it's a label put on cheap small cars like the Opel Corsa, the Ford Fiesta and similar. There is also a term best translated as a "Hair dresser" car which is reserved for cars trying to look sporty and fashionable while not really being neither - Cabrio versions of most smalle cars are often labels as "girl car's" or "Hair dresser" cars. The terms are used very relative so when discussing Porsche's The Boxter and even The Cayman model's can be refered to as "girl cars" or "Hair dresser" cars because they are less models to the 911! My guess is the MX-5 is to expensive* for people to label it as a "girl car" since price also somehow has something to say and also those who know about cars has a lot of respect for the MX-5 as being a clever car. (*Expensive as in a new one costing around $60,000 - $70,000 and therefore about 3 times the cheapest car you can buy here in Denmark.) > Don't construe this as some kind of sexual preference bashing, I just > want to know if some people really think that the choice of a car can > say something about their sexual preference, or anything else for that > matter. For sure cars say a lot about who we are but it's not very clear what they say since the statement is very much in the eyes of the one's which look at the car. For example a Hummer may for some signal the owner is strong, rich and ready to face anything while other's may think the owner is a "new money" trying to hard sort off guy with more brawn than brain. It's also very much about who you are that defines the statement you make with your car. For example a Porsche seems to be viewed as the car for a young(ish) bloke with success but the average age of a Porsche buyer is 53 so for at least some buyers I'm tempted to thing they are buying the car not for it's performance but because they want to appear younger. Kind regards Bruno > (*Expensive as in a new one costing around $60,000 - $70,000 and therefore > about 3 times the cheapest car you can buy here in Denmark.) I think that ratio would work in most places. Here in Australia, the cheapest car I could think of was a Hyundai Getz, at $13990, the MX-5 starts at $42870. (prices from manufacturers web site). That makes the MX5 a little over 3 times the cheapest. A 94 MX5 in good condition is more than the price of a new Getz. I suspect our 94 will retain it's value for the next 20 years or so if we maintain it well. >> (*Expensive as in a new one costing around $60,000 - $70,000 >> and therefore about 3 times the cheapest car you can buy here [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > manufacturers web site). That makes the MX5 a little over 3 > times the cheapest. Yikes. I haven't checked prices in the past couple years, but here in 2004, you could easily buy a new MX-5 for well under $20K. I think the cheapest new car I saw around that time was a few dollars under $10K, so in the US a Miata is about 2X the cheapest. SignatureGrant Edwards grante Yow! You were s'posed at to laugh! visi.com >>> (*Expensive as in a new one costing around $60,000 - $70,000 >>> and therefore about 3 times the cheapest car you can buy here [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > few dollars under $10K, so in the US a Miata is about 2X the > cheapest. Hmm, MX5=$21180, Chev Aveo=$9890 That gives us a ratio of 2.14. I guess the USA don't have heaps of crap like the Getz, Hyundai USAs cheapest is the Accent which is $15990AUD here. Australia also only get higher trim level MX5s. Comparing the specs, it looks like entry level here is a US $23890 Touring, with a few extra options. (immobiliser, Torsen diff & DCS are standard) >>>> (*Expensive as in a new one costing around $60,000 - $70,000 >>>> and therefore about 3 times the cheapest car you can buy here [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > > Hmm, MX5=$21180, Chev Aveo=$9890 That gives us a ratio of 2.14. That sound about right. The cheapest car I remember a couple years ago was a Kia something for $$9999 or something like that. I'm not sure what MX-5 list prices were at the time, you can usually get MX-5's well below list if you shop around. > I guess the USA don't have heaps of crap like the Getz, > Hyundai USAs cheapest is the Accent which is $15990AUD here. > Australia also only get higher trim level MX5s. Comparing the > specs, it looks like entry level here is a US $23890 Touring, > with a few extra options. (immobiliser, Torsen diff & DCS are > standard) The MX-5 trim level here in the US is gradually creeping upwards. The NA base model used to have stamped steel wheels, no AC, manual windows, no leather, cheap radio, etc. When I was shopping in 2004, it was really hard to find a base model. Almost all of them had various "trim packages" and then a bunch of negative-value extra "dealer options" on top of that (fiberglass wings and other crap, crome filler lids, and so on). SignatureGrant Edwards grante Yow! WHOA!! Ken and Barbie at are having TOO MUCH FUN!! visi.com It must be the NEGATIVE IONS!! >Almost all of them had various "trim packages" and then a bunch >of negative-value extra "dealer options" on top of that >(fiberglass wings and other crap, crome filler lids, Chrome filler lids are positive-value items. :)) Leon SignatureLeon van Dommelen :) Bess, the Miata :) Bozo, the Miata :) rammm@dommelen.net http://www.dommelen.net/miata The only thing better than a white Miata is two white Miatas >>Almost all of them had various "trim packages" and then a bunch >>of negative-value extra "dealer options" on top of that >>(fiberglass wings and other crap, crome filler lids, > > Chrome filler lids are positive-value items. :)) Judging by the difficulty of finding a Miata w/o one, most people must think so. I had to pay extra to have a regular filler door painted to match. When they installed the regular filler lid, the dimwits in the dealer's service department decided they didn't need to install the 4 screws that attach the bottom of the filler "bay" to the collar on the fill tube. When I complained about it, they maintained that those four screws weren't needed. I disagreed (since the filler tube was obviously loose and rattling around), and told them I wanted the scews put in. When I picked the car up, they had put in two of the four. I stopped at the hardware store on the way home and bought two more and finished the job myself. Not going back there again... SignatureGrant Edwards grante Yow! UH-OH!! I put on at "GREAT HEAD-ON TRAIN visi.com COLLISIONS of the 50's" by mistake!!! > > the gist of it is that some cars are seen as > > "gay" and the Miata is one of them. I wonder if the MGB or the TR6 is "gay"? > The term "girl car"/"Wife car" is in use here in Denmark but it's a > label put on cheap small cars like the Opel Corsa, the Ford Fiesta and > similar. The three Fiestas I've owned were some of the best cars I've had. Just call me girl. > There is also a term best translated as a "Hair dresser" car I heard that said around LA for Ferrari 308GTBs some years back. miker > Outback. Does it make sense to you to > say that a Subaru is a "Lesbaru" or that a Miata is "gay" and an > Escalade is "manly"? No, it doesn't. > Don't construe this as some kind of sexual preference bashing, I just > want to know if some people really think that the choice of a car can > say something about their sexual preference, or anything else for that > matter. It says something about what kind of car you like. > I know some people prefer certain emblems because they cost > more, but when I see that fancy Mercedes tooling past, I know > it's a lease with a nasty downside and my Miata is all mine > for a long time. But is that cool lady behind the wheel > looking at me and thinking I'm gay because I know which car is > the most fun to drive? The NYT says "Yes, she is." Who cares? SignatureGrant Edwards grante Yow! Will the third world at war keep "Bosom Buddies" visi.com off the air? > Folks; > [quoted text clipped - 27 lines] > > OK, got my flame retardant underwear on ... Do you like Broadway show tunes? > Folks; > [quoted text clipped - 27 lines] > > OK, got my flame retardant underwear on ... I just tell people I'm straight but sensitive. Iva wrote: > "my_two_cent" wrote: > [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > Heh, I always felt that a guy driving an Escalade was trying to make > up for lack of size in another area. <g> reely, ferret? what about the size of their codpiece? you spend more time thinking about dicks than david hawk or steven sullivan and they are the biggest faggots in the world. are ya still pissed at shona for having a nonny that isn't the sahara desert like yours? > Iva & Belle.) > '90B Classic Red.) > #3 winkin' Miata winkin' like yer balloonknot ANUS NYUKLES SUPREME I can understand why people think this car is gay. I did when I was younger and my son didn't like it when I got mine. But after driving the mountain roads in it for the past month, we both really love this car. Granted, he doesn't wave wildly at me when I pick him up at school as when his mother picks him up in her Porsche. Also, I live near San Francisco, CA, so this car doesn't carry as much stigma as other places in the nation I would imagine. > Folks; > [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > say something about their sexual preference, or anything else for that > matter. Wa-a-a-all, sure, Hell, that's why I bought one. Being so awesomely masculine and unremittingly heterosexual as I am, one fine day I started to worry about how anxious it must make all those less macho dudes to behold me in all my incomparable manly vigor. I mean, I sure don't want to inadvertently hurt anybody's feelings, even though I'm clearly twice the man that they might ever hope to be. When you're as much of a *God of Sheer Raw Masculinity* as I am, you feel like you can afford to make a few concessions for the benefit of the more obviously wussy guys around you, such as all those limp-wristed overcompensating Hummer drivers. So I got me a Miata just so I could set their minds at ease. The other thing is, if I had a car with a back seat, every day bunches of smokin' hot babes (especially the chronically-unsatisfied wives of those Hummer-driving cream-puffs) would be crowding into my vehicle, and I'd have to mediate all the conflicts between them about who gets to do *it* with me first. But in a Miata, I don't have to worry about that. I can speed off to a beach-front hotel with the hot babe of my choice, and leave all the other disappointed ladies behind, heart-broken, to dream of another happier day when it will be their turn. Yours, Achilles the Magnificent > See > http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/12/fashion/12cars.html?_r=1&oref=slogin [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > say that a Subaru is a "Lesbaru" or that a Miata is "gay" and an > Escalade is "manly"? Do manly men buy Escalades, or just men desperate to seem manly? |
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