5 ms·

I'm usually quite critical of campy or exaggerated writing styles, but I thought this wasn't too bad. I like sarcastic and blunt writing for entertainment, but

I'm usually quite critical of campy or exaggerated writing styles, but I thought this wasn't too bad. I like sarcastic and blunt writing for entertainment, but only when there's a legitimate point to be made. The only things that bugged me were the "subscribe to my newslettar!" pop-up and the fact that the author uses swear words but then... censors their spelling? Like, why? Also, I've been meaning to write an article wondering why the front-ends (particularly headlights) of all cars look like an angry face.

buran77 4y ago
The author discovered non-metallic paint in pastel colors, doesn't like it, and has some really strong opinions about it and the people who do. The irony of presenting all this drivel on a page with a dull, pastel greenish-yellow [0] background, almost identical to the (quote) "putty-lookin' a** whips" on the pictured Volvo was surely lost on the author. The article's language serves to replace the missing intellectual value. [0] https://duckduckgo.com/?q=rgb(242%2C+242%2C+227) https://duckduckgo.com/?q=rgb(242%2C+242%2C+227)
em-bee 4y ago
they look like an angry face to make others turn away. i'd love it if cars had friendly faces as if they are from the "cars" movie, but i'd be afraid of others trying to approach them for a hug or a kiss
- themitigating 4y ago
  Aggressive headlights and frontends are part of a trend in car design to cater to those awash with masculine insecurities or being told by the media they need to be more "manly" Take a look at the previous generations of Mazda Miata's compared with the current.
  - em-bee 4y ago
    cars in china have huge grills. i heard that is becauee drivers there want their cars to look intimidating.
    - officialjunk 4y ago
      what do you mean? they don't look abnormal https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_best-selling_automobiles_in_China https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_best-selling_automob...
      - em-bee 4y ago
        maybe it's a regional phenomenon. i definitely remember seeing more cars with large grills in my neighborhood in a smaller 3rd tier city.
  - buran77 4y ago
    Today more women than ever before are buying cars, and more cars than ever before are designed (also) with women's needs in mind. Some models are designed to look intimidating, the typical customer for an Escalade or an S-Class probably wants something imposing, aggressive looking. But the generalization in your analysis seems oddly personal. Design changes so much because people expect a new look to motivate a new purchase. Making designs that will look obsolete as soon as the new one comes out is a huge part of selling the new model even if the technology under the hood (literally and figuratively) may not have changed much.
    - themitigating 4y ago
      Do you have evidence that cars are purposefully designed to be obsoleteM
      - buran77 4y ago
        > Do you have evidence Ironic request given the lack of any evidence in your previous very definitive statement that it's: > part of a trend in car design to cater to those awash with masculine insecurities or being told by the media they need to be more "manly" But if you now tell me (below) that it's just "your opinion" and not a matter of fact then it's perfectly fair to call it "projection" (taking your personal feelings and generalizing them to others). This isn't a PhD thesis. But fine, every other aspect of product design has been proven beyond doubt to be subject to planned obsolescence. It's not only reasonable to assume that aesthetics won't be an exception, it's also the best area to do it as it cannot be regulated in any way. It appeals to people's inherently subjective tastes. You can probably find even better resources than these a short internet search away: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planned_obsolescence#Perceived_obsolescence https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planned_obsolescence#Perceived... https://uxdesign.cc/planned-obsolescence-in-aesthetics-ad73cfce9338 https://uxdesign.cc/planned-obsolescence-in-aesthetics-ad73c... https://www.motorbiscuit.com/car-companies-use-planned-obsolescence-consumers-buy-more-cars/ https://www.motorbiscuit.com/car-companies-use-planned-obsol...
        themitigating 4y ago
  - DiggyJohnson 4y ago
    Is this sarcastic?
    - themitigating 4y ago
      No, why do you think people buy lifted pickup trucks?
      - DiggyJohnson 4y ago
        Because they like them? Because their friends think they’re cool? Do you not buy anything that you like but not need? Are you tasteful in everything your purchase? You’re coming across as more of an ideologue than the sorts of people you’re so comfortable lumping together. You’re extremely comfortable making sweeping assumptions of people on the grounds that you don’t relate to them. This comment of mine is significantly more negative than what I like to see on Hacker News, but I think it’s important to question needless callousness and divineness.
        themitigating 4y ago
        If I asked someone why they did something and they say "I like it" I'm going to press for details. I also don't find your comment to be negative at all. As for creating divisiveness, I want that. The status quo is unacceptable. I do hate most pickup truck owners because 1. They creates a dangerous dependancy on oil that can causes economic issues since oil is needed for many but also used for fun. 2. They also pollute more and waste gas even though the vast majority don't use their truck for it's abilities as compared to a car. 3. Lifted trucks are less stable therefore more likely to be involved in an accident If their reasoning is that they like it or think it's cool that's not good enough for me considering the down sides.
  - jcampbell1 4y ago
    Have you also noticed the hot colors are all military these days. Navy gray, desert khaki, marine corps green. I see it as little more than a trend, but it does offer you more ammo to diss.
  - UIUC_06 4y ago
    Hey. I had an old Miata. A friend said it looked like a jellybean. Maybe that's feminine; I don't know. I also haven't seen any current ones, I don't think. An awesome car. A MG Midget / Triumph but with great engineering.
    - CocaKoala 4y ago
      The current Miata (ND) has some fairly aggressive headlight styling but still maintains the wide grin "mouth" for the front grill: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mazda_MX-5_%28ND%29#/media/File:2016_Mazda_MX-5_Sport_NAV_1.5_Front.jpg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mazda_MX-5_%28ND%29#/media/Fil... They look pretty neat in person, it's a very nicely designed car.
      - UIUC_06 4y ago
        There was a safety reason why they got rid of the flip-up headlights. https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/mazda-mx5-miata-history/ https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/mazda-mx5-miata-history/ still, those were super-cool. You could flip them up without turning on the lights, and one Miata driver would greet another one in the oncoming lane by doing that.
        themitigating 4y ago
        When people complain about modern car complexity I think of headlights with electric motors and I realize their hypocrisy
        UIUC_06 4y ago
        Well, those never had any problems, while all four window regulators on my 2002 BMW had to be replaced, at $900 each.
        themitigating 4y ago
        Every single popup headlight never had issues. In the winter they could freeze shut due to ice, then unsuspecting people would attempt to operate them sometimes damaging the motor. Another key thing to note is, unlike other luxury features if this breaks you absolutely have to get it repaired.
- dag11 4y ago
  One of the main reasons I'm super into Rivian's aesthetic -- which is super controversial! I love the R1 front end, it just looks like it's happy to be there :)
  - em-bee 4y ago
    interesting, never seen that before
UncleOxidant 4y ago
> Also, I've been meaning to write an article wondering why the front-ends (particularly headlights) of all cars look like an angry face. Yeah, what's up with that? Is it just a cultural reflection? Is it because the automakers think we want to appear angry to other drivers? I miss the happier cars of decades past: the MG Midgets, VW Bugs, original Miatas, etc.
- sammalloy 4y ago
  I love this particular topic, and it’s been something I’ve been following for a while now. It became mainstream to talk about it around 2014 or so, but I first noticed it emerge as a cultural trend in 2002. My personal pet theory is that the vicious, aggressive car style emerged out of the post-911 era after the buildup to the War in Afghanistan and the eventual Iraq War. In other words, I’m convinced that this car style arose in the 2000s out of the cultural militarization in response to 9/11, which led to beefed up and weaponized hardware for military and civilian vehicles in these conflicts. When these conflicts first began, I remember seeing firsthand how this war aesthetic began to bleed into popular culture. One of the first films I recall seeing minor, but aggressive car mods prominently used on screen reflecting this aesthetic was "Equilibrium" (2002). I think from there, it proceeded to spill out into the commercial car market.

buran77 4y ago

The author discovered non-metallic paint in pastel colors, doesn't like it, and has some really strong opinions about it and the people who do. The irony of presenting all this drivel on a page with a dull, pastel greenish-yellow [0] background, almost identical to the (quote) "putty-lookin' a** whips" on the pictured Volvo was surely lost on the author. The article's language serves to replace the missing intellectual value. [0] https://duckduckgo.com/?q=rgb(242%2C+242%2C+227) https://duckduckgo.com/?q=rgb(242%2C+242%2C+227)

em-bee 4y ago

they look like an angry face to make others turn away. i'd love it if cars had friendly faces as if they are from the "cars" movie, but i'd be afraid of others trying to approach them for a hug or a kiss

themitigating 4y ago
Aggressive headlights and frontends are part of a trend in car design to cater to those awash with masculine insecurities or being told by the media they need to be more "manly" Take a look at the previous generations of Mazda Miata's compared with the current.
- em-bee 4y ago
  cars in china have huge grills. i heard that is becauee drivers there want their cars to look intimidating.
  - officialjunk 4y ago
    what do you mean? they don't look abnormal https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_best-selling_automobiles_in_China https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_best-selling_automob...
    - em-bee 4y ago
      maybe it's a regional phenomenon. i definitely remember seeing more cars with large grills in my neighborhood in a smaller 3rd tier city.
- buran77 4y ago
  Today more women than ever before are buying cars, and more cars than ever before are designed (also) with women's needs in mind. Some models are designed to look intimidating, the typical customer for an Escalade or an S-Class probably wants something imposing, aggressive looking. But the generalization in your analysis seems oddly personal. Design changes so much because people expect a new look to motivate a new purchase. Making designs that will look obsolete as soon as the new one comes out is a huge part of selling the new model even if the technology under the hood (literally and figuratively) may not have changed much.
  - themitigating 4y ago
    Do you have evidence that cars are purposefully designed to be obsoleteM
    - buran77 4y ago
      > Do you have evidence Ironic request given the lack of any evidence in your previous very definitive statement that it's: > part of a trend in car design to cater to those awash with masculine insecurities or being told by the media they need to be more "manly" But if you now tell me (below) that it's just "your opinion" and not a matter of fact then it's perfectly fair to call it "projection" (taking your personal feelings and generalizing them to others). This isn't a PhD thesis. But fine, every other aspect of product design has been proven beyond doubt to be subject to planned obsolescence. It's not only reasonable to assume that aesthetics won't be an exception, it's also the best area to do it as it cannot be regulated in any way. It appeals to people's inherently subjective tastes. You can probably find even better resources than these a short internet search away: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planned_obsolescence#Perceived_obsolescence https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planned_obsolescence#Perceived... https://uxdesign.cc/planned-obsolescence-in-aesthetics-ad73cfce9338 https://uxdesign.cc/planned-obsolescence-in-aesthetics-ad73c... https://www.motorbiscuit.com/car-companies-use-planned-obsolescence-consumers-buy-more-cars/ https://www.motorbiscuit.com/car-companies-use-planned-obsol...
      - themitigating 4y ago
- DiggyJohnson 4y ago
  Is this sarcastic?
  - themitigating 4y ago
    No, why do you think people buy lifted pickup trucks?
    - DiggyJohnson 4y ago
      Because they like them? Because their friends think they’re cool? Do you not buy anything that you like but not need? Are you tasteful in everything your purchase? You’re coming across as more of an ideologue than the sorts of people you’re so comfortable lumping together. You’re extremely comfortable making sweeping assumptions of people on the grounds that you don’t relate to them. This comment of mine is significantly more negative than what I like to see on Hacker News, but I think it’s important to question needless callousness and divineness.
      - themitigating 4y ago
        If I asked someone why they did something and they say "I like it" I'm going to press for details. I also don't find your comment to be negative at all. As for creating divisiveness, I want that. The status quo is unacceptable. I do hate most pickup truck owners because 1. They creates a dangerous dependancy on oil that can causes economic issues since oil is needed for many but also used for fun. 2. They also pollute more and waste gas even though the vast majority don't use their truck for it's abilities as compared to a car. 3. Lifted trucks are less stable therefore more likely to be involved in an accident If their reasoning is that they like it or think it's cool that's not good enough for me considering the down sides.
- jcampbell1 4y ago
  Have you also noticed the hot colors are all military these days. Navy gray, desert khaki, marine corps green. I see it as little more than a trend, but it does offer you more ammo to diss.
- UIUC_06 4y ago
  Hey. I had an old Miata. A friend said it looked like a jellybean. Maybe that's feminine; I don't know. I also haven't seen any current ones, I don't think. An awesome car. A MG Midget / Triumph but with great engineering.
  - CocaKoala 4y ago
    The current Miata (ND) has some fairly aggressive headlight styling but still maintains the wide grin "mouth" for the front grill: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mazda_MX-5_%28ND%29#/media/File:2016_Mazda_MX-5_Sport_NAV_1.5_Front.jpg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mazda_MX-5_%28ND%29#/media/Fil... They look pretty neat in person, it's a very nicely designed car.
    - UIUC_06 4y ago
      There was a safety reason why they got rid of the flip-up headlights. https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/mazda-mx5-miata-history/ https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/mazda-mx5-miata-history/ still, those were super-cool. You could flip them up without turning on the lights, and one Miata driver would greet another one in the oncoming lane by doing that.
      - themitigating 4y ago
        When people complain about modern car complexity I think of headlights with electric motors and I realize their hypocrisy
        UIUC_06 4y ago
        Well, those never had any problems, while all four window regulators on my 2002 BMW had to be replaced, at $900 each.
        themitigating 4y ago
        Every single popup headlight never had issues. In the winter they could freeze shut due to ice, then unsuspecting people would attempt to operate them sometimes damaging the motor. Another key thing to note is, unlike other luxury features if this breaks you absolutely have to get it repaired.
dag11 4y ago
One of the main reasons I'm super into Rivian's aesthetic -- which is super controversial! I love the R1 front end, it just looks like it's happy to be there :)
- em-bee 4y ago
  interesting, never seen that before

UncleOxidant 4y ago

> Also, I've been meaning to write an article wondering why the front-ends (particularly headlights) of all cars look like an angry face. Yeah, what's up with that? Is it just a cultural reflection? Is it because the automakers think we want to appear angry to other drivers? I miss the happier cars of decades past: the MG Midgets, VW Bugs, original Miatas, etc.

sammalloy 4y ago
I love this particular topic, and it’s been something I’ve been following for a while now. It became mainstream to talk about it around 2014 or so, but I first noticed it emerge as a cultural trend in 2002. My personal pet theory is that the vicious, aggressive car style emerged out of the post-911 era after the buildup to the War in Afghanistan and the eventual Iraq War. In other words, I’m convinced that this car style arose in the 2000s out of the cultural militarization in response to 9/11, which led to beefed up and weaponized hardware for military and civilian vehicles in these conflicts. When these conflicts first began, I remember seeing firsthand how this war aesthetic began to bleed into popular culture. One of the first films I recall seeing minor, but aggressive car mods prominently used on screen reflecting this aesthetic was "Equilibrium" (2002). I think from there, it proceeded to spill out into the commercial car market.