Is it possible that the American political/popular culture is on the brink of turning a corner?
There is a new commercial for Toyota cars that has been shown on television lately. It shows the latest spokesmodel for Toyota commenting how Toyota Camry (I think it's a Camry,) is a car that doesn't "eat apple pie" or "watch football games". Yet, in spite of this, Toyota claims that it is the most American of cars, being manufactured more thoroughly in the U.S.A than other cars. It's a clear dig on Chevy's longstanding advertising themes of "baseball, hot dogs, apple pie and Chevrolet" miasma of faux patriotism, not to mention the ad campaigns of any number of truck manufacturers with cloyingly masculine voice overs proclaiming down home Norman Rockwell-esque visions redolent of Reagan-era monomania.
Amusingly, as the Toyota commercial ends, a slightly off key Star Spangled Banner sets off blinking headlights from the Camry and a smirky salute from the spokesmodel. It is delightfully subversive, and kind of makes me want to check out a Toyota the next time I need to replace my car.
Then reality sets in. Did I just see a major corporation place a TV ad that knocks the goofy patriotism of our age down a notch or too? I almost can't believe it, but there it is. Wow!
On the political side, we have the recently performed Democratic Nation Convention. In the fumbling about regarding the party platform, someone at Fox News apparently noticed that the Democratic platform made no mention of "God or faith" in its text. The spineless leaders of the party, buckling under to Roger Ailes, couldn't get out of its own way in trying to rectify this horrible omission. The silver lining to this dark cloud of idiocy was that in calling for a voice vote from the attending delegates, the votes AGAINST the insertion of these references were in the clear majority in spite of the three attempts by the presiding officer to ram through the changes the party leaders cravenly wished to insert.
The cowards won the battle but humiliated themselves in doing so. It was clear to all who watched live on national television or saw the news of it reported for the next couple of days that a majority of delegates to the Democratic National Convention were AGAINST the insertion of "God and faith" into the party platform.
Then reality set in. Am I dreaming? Did I actually witness these events or am I just becoming demented in my old age? Is it possible that the dominion of the Reaganaughts may be coming to an end?
Maybe this time it will be the real morning in America.
There is a new commercial for Toyota cars that has been shown on television lately. It shows the latest spokesmodel for Toyota commenting how Toyota Camry (I think it's a Camry,) is a car that doesn't "eat apple pie" or "watch football games". Yet, in spite of this, Toyota claims that it is the most American of cars, being manufactured more thoroughly in the U.S.A than other cars. It's a clear dig on Chevy's longstanding advertising themes of "baseball, hot dogs, apple pie and Chevrolet" miasma of faux patriotism, not to mention the ad campaigns of any number of truck manufacturers with cloyingly masculine voice overs proclaiming down home Norman Rockwell-esque visions redolent of Reagan-era monomania.
Amusingly, as the Toyota commercial ends, a slightly off key Star Spangled Banner sets off blinking headlights from the Camry and a smirky salute from the spokesmodel. It is delightfully subversive, and kind of makes me want to check out a Toyota the next time I need to replace my car.
Then reality sets in. Did I just see a major corporation place a TV ad that knocks the goofy patriotism of our age down a notch or too? I almost can't believe it, but there it is. Wow!
On the political side, we have the recently performed Democratic Nation Convention. In the fumbling about regarding the party platform, someone at Fox News apparently noticed that the Democratic platform made no mention of "God or faith" in its text. The spineless leaders of the party, buckling under to Roger Ailes, couldn't get out of its own way in trying to rectify this horrible omission. The silver lining to this dark cloud of idiocy was that in calling for a voice vote from the attending delegates, the votes AGAINST the insertion of these references were in the clear majority in spite of the three attempts by the presiding officer to ram through the changes the party leaders cravenly wished to insert.
The cowards won the battle but humiliated themselves in doing so. It was clear to all who watched live on national television or saw the news of it reported for the next couple of days that a majority of delegates to the Democratic National Convention were AGAINST the insertion of "God and faith" into the party platform.
Then reality set in. Am I dreaming? Did I actually witness these events or am I just becoming demented in my old age? Is it possible that the dominion of the Reaganaughts may be coming to an end?
Maybe this time it will be the real morning in America.
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