Closet racism/ageism/sexism is better than flipping the bird?
January 16, 2003 7:28 AM   Subscribe

HIT!!! SQUISH!!! MASH!!! or BASH!!! your Buddy whenever the feelings of Road Rage come over you.

Please take a moment to let us know what you would like to see in the next buddy: Cow girl, Business Women, Old Geezer, Racial/Ethnic Taxi Cab Driver, Grandma, Black Businesswomen and man, Asian women, Valley Girl, Cop, Bus driver.
posted by machaus (25 comments total)
 
I almost needed one of these after I read that second post!
posted by Pollomacho at 7:32 AM on January 16, 2003


Heckler buddy. For standup comics.
posted by basilwhite at 7:43 AM on January 16, 2003


And after those feelings come over you, and you've torn the stuffing out of the little fucker, look up just in time to see that you've crossed the center line of the road and are close enough to smell death embedded in the grill of that oncoming truck.

These buddies? They're categorized? WTF?
posted by Dick Paris at 7:45 AM on January 16, 2003


I think my hypothetical choice of "buddy" might be considered illegal under the USA PATRIOT Act!
posted by troutfishing at 7:47 AM on January 16, 2003


"Racial/Ethnic?"
posted by Songdog at 7:48 AM on January 16, 2003


How about a mefi Troll buddy!
posted by SweetIceT at 7:50 AM on January 16, 2003


"Racial/Ethnic?"

Right, a cab driver possessing the quality of ethnicity. A doll of a race. I can dig it.
posted by mikrophon at 7:59 AM on January 16, 2003


Of course a cab driver would have to be racial/ethnic (I'm assuming they intended to imply a race other than caucasian here) since all cab drivers must be "ethnic"

Yeah, that's a really good idea, let's make a doll with distinct ethnic/racial characteristics with the intention of committing violent acts on it, no, this doesn't breed any hatred.

The ONLY thing I can conceivably come up with in defense of this doll is that it would be better that people beat up effigies of a race than actual members of that race, but that's stretching it!
posted by Pollomacho at 8:03 AM on January 16, 2003


It's odd that there's no "lawyer" on the list; that's usually one of the prime ways to make fun of the whole profession (huh-huh-huh, first thing we do is kill all the lawyers).

But seriously, wtf is a "cow girl"? And why specify black businessman/woman? Methinks the losers only got 10 suggestions for a new "buddy" and used them all, so as not to offend any of their vast pool of redneck customers.
posted by yhbc at 8:19 AM on January 16, 2003


Racial/Ethnic, right up there with "People of Color". Sheesh. If there's one thing worse than racism it's underhanded racism.
posted by signal at 8:21 AM on January 16, 2003


Is it just me or does it seem like lately that even the most innocuous MeFi post will eventually offend someone? I'm guilty of being offended by a few myself. And if it isn't one of us being offended, it's one of us feeling compelled to call someone else's post "lame." What gives with us?
posted by VelvetHellvis at 8:36 AM on January 16, 2003


But seriously, wtf is a "cow girl"?

The opposite of a cow boy.

Silly.
posted by iconomy at 8:40 AM on January 16, 2003


VelvetHellvis: Is it just me or does it seem like lately that even the most innocuous MeFi post will eventually offend someone?

You might take a look at the title of the post: "Closet racism/ageism/sexism is better than flipping the bird?"
posted by UKnowForKids at 8:42 AM on January 16, 2003


Jeez we need these in South Africa. Thanks to an understaffed traffic dept and our minibus taxis terrorising the road, road rage has been a mini-epidemic here lately.

It all came to head about 2 years ago when a suburban dead, involved in a minor fender bender, beat the other motorist to death. With a hockey stick. In front of his kids.
posted by PenDevil at 8:47 AM on January 16, 2003


uh... make that suburban dad.
posted by PenDevil at 8:48 AM on January 16, 2003


That usually happens on the hockey rink here in the US, dads beating other dads to death in front of the kids, we use our guns for the road rage.
posted by Pollomacho at 8:49 AM on January 16, 2003


UKnowForKids: You might take a look at the title of the post: "Closet racism/ageism/sexism is better than flipping the bird?"

I agree with you upon rereading the headline. I originally interpreted the post as much lighter in tone.

I'm just making a more general comment that lately we all (including me) seem to be on edge. Clearly, Machaus posted this to make a point.

I'm going to go tape my fingers together so I can't type and just say "Duh, VH, what were you thinking" over and over.

Perhaps this is a lesson in how many different ways a post can be interpreted or misinterpreted...I wish the Internet had MeFi Cliffs Notes.
posted by VelvetHellvis at 8:54 AM on January 16, 2003


I found this while reading a half-ass MSNBC article that tried to metaphorically link road rage and increasing tensions in the Iraq debacle. It baffles me that the editors of MSNBC/Newsweek would include a photograph of the doll's creators without venturing to their misguided website.
posted by machaus at 9:02 AM on January 16, 2003


The idea of the Road Rage Buddies is rather cute - it's just a funny novelty item. I have a squishy rubber pig sitting on my hard drive that I abuse during moments of stress.

The list, however, is rather disturbing with its targeting of a general class of people because of their age or skin colour. And not the least of my questions is..... Why would anyone want to beat up a representation of a group of people when they could beat up on a representation of someone who is specifically and characteristically offensive? Where is the Kathie Lee Gifford Road Rage Buddy?
posted by orange swan at 9:24 AM on January 16, 2003


And a lovely bunch they look too, machaus. You might also have mentioned the half-ass author of the article as well. Is it clearer now why there wasn't much editing (or content) in the article?
posted by yhbc at 9:24 AM on January 16, 2003


VH: I don't think you would be stretching it to say that the subject of this post is neither innocuous nor remotely inoffensive -- to anyone. (The material posted, not the post or poster, Machaus.) Sure, one could say they are not offended because it's "funny" or because there is nothing wrong with making a range of dolls of various ethnicities (I can not believe I just wrote that!) but this product really pushes the buttons. I am not even sure how much sense -- argh -- are we supposed to have a doll that represents the most likely candidate of who might trigger road rage or a doll that represents people we would most like to take a pot-shot at? Are cow girls or asian women particularly bad drivers? Or is the survey for a different kind of doll. (Skipping obvious link to sex toy site.) Kidding!
posted by Dick Paris at 9:26 AM on January 16, 2003


Designed for ages 5 and up.

tricycle rage?
posted by nylon at 9:32 AM on January 16, 2003


"1. 'Where'd you learn how to drive? A cornfield'"

As someone who's irritated to the point of exasperation daily by the piss-poor driving habits of visitors from Idaho, I find that this statement, coming from a doll that has the expressed purpose of helping me vent my road rage and which is being produced by a company from Idaho, is the supreme pinnacle of irony.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 10:12 AM on January 16, 2003


Also, "Use caution when operating a motor vehicle while beating your Buddy" is a little piece of advice everyone should live by.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 10:14 AM on January 16, 2003


>But seriously, wtf is a "cow girl"?

>>The opposite of a cow boy. Silly.


Or the opposite of a "bull girl," possibly.
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 11:30 PM on January 16, 2003


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