ࡱ > ; = : '` bjbjLULU . .? .? h h h h h h h | | [ ( $ h y h h h n n n F h h n n n h h n @hgA B n + 0 [ n X n n L h n ~ ~ X [ | | | | | | | | | h h h h h h HIS VIEW: 'Lame' cars just as good as cool ones Daily News Posted on: Tuesday, November 23, 2010 INCLUDEPICTURE "http://www.dnews.com/images/2269973.jpg" \* MERGEFORMATINET Johnston Awise man once told me "It's not what you say, it's how you say it." That statement has held true in my personal and professional life and, after seeing their new commercials, someone in Toyota's advertising department should heed those words. I'm quite frankly offended by their new television ads that feature a young boy whose message is "Parents, you don't have to be lame." The advertising implies, quite directly, that parents who cannot afford to own a Toyota Highlander somehow don't fit the bill of being "cool." I grew up with what some would consider "lame" cars. Our primary car growing up was a 1972 Ford Elite, hardly the Griswold's family truckster. Only after it finally puked did we trade up to a Ford Explorer that lasted us for nearly 100,000 miles. It had a passenger entertainment system that consisted of a rousing game of "eye spy," books to read and taking a nap. The rear climate control was also known as rolling the window up or down and heated seats were only heated after you had been sitting in them for a number of hours. But it was our car and we were happy to have it. I'm more impressed by Volkswagen's advertising, featuring a young man who wants to buy a new VW Jetta and is saving his money in order to buy it. The video montage in the commercial shows him working a number of different jobs - including walking dogs and posing nude for an art class - to save enough money to buy his new car. Only after he sees a billboard does he realize that the price of his dream car isn't near what he thought it would be and we ultimately see him washing his new car in his driveway, with the license plate titled "MINE." Pan back and we see that he has another titled "MINE 2." The messages contained in both advertisements are polar opposites. In the Toyota commercial, you have an entitled little brat who thinks his standard of living should apply to everyone around him and that if people are unable to live up to his standards, they're somehow less of a person. Volkswagen, on the other hand, shows that responsibility and work ethic are required to get what one wants. Honestly, someone needs to slap that little kid from the Toyota commercial off his pedestal or next thing you know he'll be demanding that his father secure him an Oompa Loompa. If you were to ask the average American of the 1990s what they wanted, they might say things like "more money" or "more stuff." Ask the same question today and I'm sure "a job" and "money to feed my kids" would top the list. Nothing put this in better perspective than how I spent my day on Sunday. I had the privilege of spending the whole day with a film crew from Moscow, Russia, here on assignment to report on Moscow, Idaho. Throughout our conversations about the differences between our two cultures, I realized that I'm pretty darn lucky. What more could I really want? The modest doublewide we own would be considered premium housing in Russia - something that never dawned on me as I looked across town to Rolling Hills and wondered what I'd do with a house that big. I'm also lucky enough to have a loving partner who is my best friend and puts up with me, cars that are considered luxury automobiles in Russia and a fantastic job that I can't wait to go to in the morning. I share these thoughts so that when you celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday, you will be able to take time to look around and be thankful for what you do have and reflect on how truly blessed we are to live in a town as nice as Moscow, Idaho, and a free country like the United States of America. Remember, saying you're thankful for what you have isn't enough - sometimes, it's how you say it. Henry D. Johnston lives in Moscow. He is employed by a local auto dealership that is not affiliated with Toyota or Volkswagen. He may be reached by e-mail at HYPERLINK "mailto:moscowmoderate@gmail.com" moscowmoderate@gmail.com. 1 ; G a b c h/n h]R 0J j h]R U h]R 0J h]R 0J h]R 1 < b S g gd]R gd]R gd]R gd]R , 1h/ =!"#$% D d $# d S @ A 2 2 6 9 9 7 3 J o h n s t o n R < B3vOa}IG D "F B3vOa}IG JFIF Anygraaf Oy / Doris file C C ###################### " A !1AQa"q2#BR3r4C5bsSct + !1AQa"q2B# ? E}5Wk-