4 ms·

How Subarus Came to Be Seen as Cars for Lesbians

16 points by knownhuman 10y ago

projectramo 10y ago
What? I realize that cars carry connotations for people but I am certainly not aware of them. How are other people? I remember trying to buy a second car (my first car was a Subaru, and I loved it!). Mazda Miata looks nice. (No! That's midlife crisis). Toyota Carolla? (No! It says you're a family man) And so on. Finally, I just went on the basis of which car was in the shop the least amount of time and had high safety ratings. How do people pick up on connotations like these ones? I watch all the same movies, and shows.
- mywittyname 10y ago
  > How do people pick up on connotations like these ones? By stereotyping the people that drive them. Most cars target a certain demographic and sometimes those demographics are easy to pick out. I bet you know some of these, I bet you have an image in your head of the typical driver of some of these cars: Jeep Wrangler Toyota Prius Chevrolet Corvette BMW 3-Series Ford F-150 And whether or not you'd consider owning one of these vehicles would have a lot to do with whether or not you identify with the group you associate with it.
  - projectramo 10y ago
    Now that you mention it, I do for Ford Trucks from those ads, but then when I see people on the road driving them, they don't stick. As for the others, you got me. A Jeep Wrangler? Prius? (Environment?). BMW? Corvette (80s?).
    - dsfyu404ed 10y ago
      Corvette = "successful plumber" or "poor man's supercar" (i.e. people who climbed the economic ladder over their lifetime and Jeep Wrangler = "I'm not too outdoorsy but I like to think I am" (doesn't apply to the third owner onward Prius = college professors and people who suck at driving, people who want the world to know how environmentally friendly they are Subaru wagon (new)= lesbos and people who are outdoorsy Subaru wagon (old) = poor white trash Land Rover = trophy wife SUV/Minivan/Crossover (new) = soccer mom Acura/Lexus = old money Volvo (old) = hipster Single cab pickups = poor young men and old white guys
      - projectramo 10y ago
        I love my old Subaru wagon. Okay, I hesitate to ask, what is an Audi?
detaro 10y ago
dupe: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11755522 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11755522

16 points by knownhuman 10y ago

What? I realize that cars carry connotations for people but I am certainly not aware of them. How are other people? I remember trying to buy a second car (my first car was a Subaru, and I loved it!). Mazda Miata looks nice. (No! That's midlife crisis). Toyota Carolla? (No! It says you're a family man) And so on. Finally, I just went on the basis of which car was in the shop the least amount of time and had high safety ratings. How do people pick up on connotations like these ones? I watch all the same movies, and shows.

mywittyname 10y ago
> How do people pick up on connotations like these ones? By stereotyping the people that drive them. Most cars target a certain demographic and sometimes those demographics are easy to pick out. I bet you know some of these, I bet you have an image in your head of the typical driver of some of these cars: Jeep Wrangler Toyota Prius Chevrolet Corvette BMW 3-Series Ford F-150 And whether or not you'd consider owning one of these vehicles would have a lot to do with whether or not you identify with the group you associate with it.
- projectramo 10y ago
  Now that you mention it, I do for Ford Trucks from those ads, but then when I see people on the road driving them, they don't stick. As for the others, you got me. A Jeep Wrangler? Prius? (Environment?). BMW? Corvette (80s?).
  - dsfyu404ed 10y ago
    Corvette = "successful plumber" or "poor man's supercar" (i.e. people who climbed the economic ladder over their lifetime and Jeep Wrangler = "I'm not too outdoorsy but I like to think I am" (doesn't apply to the third owner onward Prius = college professors and people who suck at driving, people who want the world to know how environmentally friendly they are Subaru wagon (new)= lesbos and people who are outdoorsy Subaru wagon (old) = poor white trash Land Rover = trophy wife SUV/Minivan/Crossover (new) = soccer mom Acura/Lexus = old money Volvo (old) = hipster Single cab pickups = poor young men and old white guys
    - projectramo 10y ago
      I love my old Subaru wagon. Okay, I hesitate to ask, what is an Audi?

detaro 10y ago

dupe: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11755522 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=11755522