ENGL 100 Essay
Appreciating Our Real Values
The idealized images, the pictures of perfection, are what we usually see in advertisements nowadays. Commercials have become a great part that we encounter in our daily life; as a consequence, we are all affected by the perfect outlook of what showed on mass media. As a case in point, Americans are usually attracted by the greatly designed sport utilities vehicles. These vehicles are usually a symbol of an ideological value through the image of a powerful, break-through tool in order to conquer nature. Nonetheless, the gap between the mythic significance of the SUVs and reality is somehow undeniable. From historical to modern aspects, the legend of SUVs in stunning advertisements are sometimes just a disappointment. The idealized images, however, are often the symbol of how American life is viewed and lived. Thus, the differences between these images of perfection and reality not only illustrate an ambitious dream, but also confusion and the exploitation of historical values. Differences between idealized images and reality reflect the dream of conquering and achieving. According to David Goewey in “‘Careful, You May Run Out of Planet’: SUVs and the Exploitation of the American Myth”, “it was America’s unique values of freedom, individualism, and the pursuit of happiness that became manifested in the automobile – values that imbued the car with definitive mythic significance” (147). Different techniques have been used by manufacturers to advertise their SUV products. In fact, advertisements always come with the image of a strong, masculine car passing through the roughest terrain, climbing up a mountain or running through a forest. Regardless of any unfavorable condition, these cars are pictured as never failing to move forward and reach the final destination. This is certainly unreal. These idealized images are totally different from what reality is, when “The vehicles are designed for rugged, off-road motoring, yet a mere 10
The idealized images, the pictures of perfection, are what we usually see in advertisements nowadays. Commercials have become a great part that we encounter in our daily life; as a consequence, we are all affected by the perfect outlook of what showed on mass media. As a case in point, Americans are usually attracted by the greatly designed sport utilities vehicles. These vehicles are usually a symbol of an ideological value through the image of a powerful, break-through tool in order to conquer nature. Nonetheless, the gap between the mythic significance of the SUVs and reality is somehow undeniable. From historical to modern aspects, the legend of SUVs in stunning advertisements are sometimes just a disappointment. The idealized images, however, are often the symbol of how American life is viewed and lived. Thus, the differences between these images of perfection and reality not only illustrate an ambitious dream, but also confusion and the exploitation of historical values. Differences between idealized images and reality reflect the dream of conquering and achieving. According to David Goewey in “‘Careful, You May Run Out of Planet’: SUVs and the Exploitation of the American Myth”, “it was America’s unique values of freedom, individualism, and the pursuit of happiness that became manifested in the automobile – values that imbued the car with definitive mythic significance” (147). Different techniques have been used by manufacturers to advertise their SUV products. In fact, advertisements always come with the image of a strong, masculine car passing through the roughest terrain, climbing up a mountain or running through a forest. Regardless of any unfavorable condition, these cars are pictured as never failing to move forward and reach the final destination. This is certainly unreal. These idealized images are totally different from what reality is, when “The vehicles are designed for rugged, off-road motoring, yet a mere 10
Cited: Goewey, David. “’Careful, You May Run Out of Planet’: SUVs and the Exploitation of the American Myth.” Signs of Life in the U.S.A.: Readings on Popular Culture for Writers. 6th ed. Ed. Sonia Maasik and Jack Solomon. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2009. 147-157. Print. Hine, Thomas. “What’s in a Package.” Signs of Life in the U.S.A.: Readings on Popular Culture for Writers. 6th ed. Ed. Sonia Maasik and Jack Solomon. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2009. 109-118. Print.