Commercials rarely fire me up. Unless it’s for the McRib in which case ZOMG WHERE THE HELL ARE MY KEYS EVERYONE GET IN THE CAR.
But the commercials for the Toyota Highlander are not sitting well with me.
There’s a small boy, with a mop of curly hair, talking about how he doesn’t want his parents to have a lame car.
And, I think it’s incredibly rude.
I’ve determined that it’s because it’s triggering some deep rooted shame I was carrying from when I was a kid, and my parents drove a station wagon.
But, it wasn’t because they were lame, it’s because we were poor.
Everyone always made fun of that car.
To this day, I get loose bowels when I see wood paneling.
I’ll send you my therapy bill, Toyota.
UPDATE: Click here for one of the stellar commercials.
{ 40 comments… read them below or add one }
I know exactly what commercial you are talking about it and it pisses my boyfriend and I off too. I loathe that little pretentious little boy.
My SIL and I were discussing this commercial this weekend. We both hate it too. It’s rude. I hate commercials that make kids have bad manners and play it off as right.
I’d make the little fucker ride in the trunk.
Seriously, we had a wood paneled station wagon too growing up. A hand me down from my great grandma. It smelled like cats.
HIGH FIVE
oh my god you don’t even know how hard i am laughing at your comment! my thoughts exactly!
OMG. I want to punch that kid in the face. I personally want to make all my large purchasing decisions of $20,000 based on the opinions of a 7 year old. We would also own the “Alien” life sized replica you see when you walk into a Spencer’s gifts.
I too hated my parents car while growing up. Looking back, I am glad they didn’t have great cars. They paid for my college. I will take the Volvo station wagon embarrassment.
EXACTLY. I now drive a 2000 Navy Dodge Durango. Has two rust spots on the back and my driver side window only rolls down when it’s raining. But……….. IT’S PAID OFF.
I never knew not having a car payment was so sweet. I will cry when this car dies.
That commercial makes me mad, too. If you don’t make the car payment you dont get an opinion, kid!
We didn’t have one, but my husband’s family did. It had to be hauled away. And a couple of years ago, my husband brought home a Chevy Impala (maybe a 2003?) from an auction. It totally had wood-ish paneling on the dashboard. Total Grandpa car. I was like, seriously? He’s like, “I thought you didn’t want to drive a mini-van!”. Apparently if you don’t drive a mini-van, you have to drive a car with wood-ish paneling. Go figure.
Oh, and several people have told me that I should tint the windows and put shiny rims on it, because apparently it makes a good drug-dealer car, too. Awesome.
Oh the commercial drives me NUTS!!
Like the world is not hard enough we have to add more materialism and this time with a heap of “you sux parents cause you aren’t cool”.
I mean really where is the commercial showing parents who care enough about their kids futures who drive second hand cars to put roof over their kids heads while feeding them, dressing them and creating college funds.
OMG it totally encourages kids to be more ass munchy than they’re already prone to be growing up right now.
I saw an AT&T commercial and there’s a teenage boy saying that he loves AT&T internet becuase it’s so fast, he gets his homework done quickly and then chats with his buddies and plays games while his mom thinks he is still doing homework. That pushed the wrong button with me immediately. And then, the follow up commercial is the mom saying “I know what he’s pulling, but I don’t care, because him spending three hours on the computer gives me time to play games and chat with friends.” Seriously. What kind of message does that send. I mean, I totally (occasionally) neglect my children for Twitter and Facebook, but I’m not going to use it as an advertising tool!
And on the car issue….we had one of the vehicles from the GM lot that they screwed up the e-coat on and the paint flaked off in massive chunks. We had a spotty car. It was soooo embarassing. I’d tell my mom to pick me up 15 minutes after an event actually ended just to avoid being seen in that vehicle. Now I think, how stupid. I hope I raise children with more confidence than that.
I remember being downright begging for my parents to buy a new car. I can’t believe it mattered that much. But the kids were fucking cruel.
I’ve seen the commercial. I hated it. I believe my comment to my husband was that the kid needed an attitude adjustment.
Me and my SO were just discussing this last night. I wanted to slap that boy in the mouth… a little. Kids these days…
We would get someones hand me down Chevette every 5 years or so. There was three of us in the back seat. Fumes of gas and no floor boards. We would hold on to one another in hopes we wouldn’t lose anyone. It was like the flinestones. My brother would go to school telling eveyone he was dropped off in the Vet hoping they would think it was a Corvette. I feel your pain.
I said this on Twitter, but I hate the commercial. After all of this about bullying, this seems like it’s just more fuel to the fire for kids whose families can’t afford the newest and trendiest things.
My parents totally would have thrown me out the window. I blame The Hills for this.
YES. And Super Sweet 16. Those shows turn kinds into assholes.
Neither one of my parents drove and to this day, still do not drive so my means of transportation were my feet or public transportation. Kids should appreciate any type of vehicle their parents drive as this society is becoming too obsessed with what we should have as opposed to being grateful for what we do have.
I HATE this commercial! Whoever let this creative concept get to air should be fired. Immediately.
Speaking of the McRib – did you see this?? It’s back!
http://consumerist.com/2010/11/the-mcrib-is-here.html
I saw that commercial the other day and wanted to smack that kid!
That kid is a little asshole. You make the money little dude and then you can pick out the car. Pisses me off the whole entitlement thing. Let’s not glamorize it in commercials please!
Thank buddha, it’s not just me wanting to bitch slap that brat out of that stupid Toyota.
I’m pretty sure I’m the last of a generation that does not consist of assholes. People 18 and younger seem to be entitled snot balls these days. I would NEVER (and still don’t) speak to my mom that way or I would’ve ended up walking….
i hate that commercial too. that kid is written like a complete tool.
on a side note: i personally LOVED that my grandma had an old lady car. sure the other kids’ parents had sleek sports cars and they totally rubbed it into my face that our poor asses had a boat. but our car had a trunk that could fit SIX bodies in and still have room for the crap my grandmother bought at yard sales.
BOOYAH!
I drive a hybrid. I think it is so cool that my kid brags about.how green (cool) my car is.
My mom had an army green Pontiac that we called the Tank.
Whenever my kid asks when he will be allowed to do something, I always tell him when he buys his own house.
That little turd should go work in a sweat shop for a month or two. Dickhead.
Agreed! My family always had “used” cars that were pretty embarrassing. Geez…it was a frickin car! I will send Toyota a picture of my new (not a Toyota) car….when I get one!
Ditto to the above and glad it’s not just me who thought “What a little shit. You don’t like it, then work hard, finish school and you can put all your money into a depreciating asset, moron”.
who thought up this shit. It’s utterly disgusting, disrespectful and teaches children the exact wrong thing!
So, my dad had a wood paneled station wagon, and the back window rolled down with a button he had on his door. I thought that was pretty cool, because I’d never seen a window that rolled down without the cranky door turny handle thing. It only worked half the time because the car was old and I think he traded it for drugs. (Not that drugs made the window not work. Although, who knows.) Best part about the wagon was that it said “GRATEFUL DEAD” across that back window, and the letters were made out of bones.
We were poor, too.
I actually like the song the parents are singing in that commercial *hangs head in shame*
LoL I do too, my first reaction was to look at my fiance and say, whats wrong with being a dork, and we are so going to be that family.
Oh thank gawd – I thought it was just me that thought that little boy was a brat. It’s been driving me crazy since it started and seriously – if I had the cash for a new car I would stay away from Toyota just for that damn annoying child. And that’s bad as I was saving for a toyota corolla (in a few hundred million years) when I saved enough for one.
M
i FUCKING HATE that commercial. seriously, way to make those of us who are RESPONSIBLE and like our PAID FOR CARS.
that being said… i *love* the swaggerwagon commercials.
I called Toyota to comlain. I was not the first. I can’t imagine how a room fuul of professionals sat around and thought it was a good idea to take this little bastard and try to sell cars with thje mouth they gave him. I have kids about his age. I’m not a fan of corporal punishment, but only maturity and a cool head would keep me from slapping the teeth out of his mouth. In real life, he could be a great kid.
Room Full
AHHHHHH TOTALLY SAW THE MCRIB COMMERCIAL LAST NIGHT!
What’s this post about? I couldn’t get past the part about getting a McRib!!!! Can we have one together in Vegas?!? Yum!!
Really, though, I hate that Toyota commercial!