3 ms·
Like a lot of products I think part of it's appeal is a feeling of security which doesn't necessarily equal practical security, in the same way a 4x4 might appe
by kipchak 3y ago
Like a lot of products I think part of it's appeal is a feeling of security which doesn't necessarily equal practical security, in the same way a 4x4 might appeal to someone wanting to feel "rugged" even if it never leaves asphalt. I think to some extent Tesla employed a similar strategy with it's other models and green appeal.
- rasse 3y agoThis is exactly the key point that I think the author just missed entirely. People don't appreciate the Cybertruck being bulletproof because they think they're really getting shot at. They appreciate it because in their mind it makes the car cool and they want to drive a car that they think is cool. It's not about the real life need but the capability. As you mentioned, the same goes for 4x4's, but also motorbikes, sports cars and almost any type of car but the cheapest or most reliable one. Car purchases are not driven by need or rationality. Like Dieter Rams puts it, cars are people's avatars.
- vernon99 3y agoYeah, but _why_ having a bulletproof car is cool these days in America? I think in your cultural programming (nothing bad in it btw) you may not be realising that this is not universal cool and this sort of cool is definitely very specific to both mid-America and the current zeitgeist. Eg, having lived in Europe, it’s _very_ hard to imagine for me having a bulletproof car being perceived as cool (actually, rather opposite). This is the authors’ point. Utility and fears as its projections are connected with the culture.