a newspaper man adjusts his pen

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Car magnets gotta go


By Amanda Gillooly

So I’m pulling into my driveway when I get a gander at my neighbor’s new car. After noting that he is a male, and that the little red car is decidedly a “girl car,” I observe one of those magnetic ribbons on his bumper.

It read: "Support the Pens."

What the … ?!?

While I have been accused by the publisher of this very blog for having some anger-management issues, I can’t hold this rant in. Sorry, Scotty.

To my knowledge, the American Cancer Society originated the pink ribbon as a symbol of solidarity against breast cancer – one of the leading causes of death among women. The little ribbons, originally worn on the lapel to show support for the cause, is also a fundraising mechanism for the nonprofit.

Now the idea of a ribbon as a fundraising tool has gone from poignant to pitiful.

There are “Support the Troops” ribbons, which I can almost understand, but then there are the “Go Stillerz” (I honestly saw that one, spelling intact) and even “P.O.W.”

I mean, what’s next? Ribbons that say, “Go Britney, get sober!” or perhaps, “Support your local strippers”?

You tell me. In the meantime, take the stupid damn magnetic ribbons off your car. If you feel that strongly about a cause, get off your ass and take action instead of putting some lame ribbon on the ass-end of your car.

OK. Rand is over.

6 comments:

Scott said...

They are annoying, and I'm not talking about guys who drive girl cars

MJ said...

I agree completely with your thinking about the sports teams magnets. They are pretty lame, in my opinion. But I don't understand why people rip the "Support the Troops" magnets (you are not one of those people because, as you pointed out in your post, you can understand those). While those yellow ribbons don't necessarily matter to the troops on the ground in Iraq and Afghanistan, it is a constant reminder that we are still at war. I think that fact has been lost on the many people who bitch more about pay for $4 gas than acknowledging these wars have been raging for more than five years.

Anyway, that is enough of my rant. Enjoyed your post, Amanda. Carry on.

Mike Jones
www.jonesinforspeed.blogspot.com

Moe said...

Amanda,
Next time your in 'Guntown' stop for gas at the local station down there. You know the one I'm talking about? When you pull up to a pump, look up at the ceiling of the protective roof over the pumps. I have a feeling the young men that work there have the same opinion as you. Or maybe not. Check it out. I LMAO the other day when I looked up. I asked one of the guys that I know that works there and he gave me an ornery grin and said, "I don't know what you're talking about."

Anonymous said...

Yeah, because supporting Prisoners of War is a tacky thing to do.

The next thing you know, they will have banners and flags supporting them! And what did they do?! Just get captured by enemy forces! I mean, that's easy!

::eye roll::

And don't get me started on your "almost understanding" support for the men and women putting their lives on the line every day. That's really generous of you.

Brant said...

Bravo, Amanda. I'm not a big fan of the magnets, but I differ from you and Mike in that I think the worst ones are the "I Support the Troops" or "I Love America" magnets because, hey, pretty much everybody in the country supports the troops and loves their country, unless they're an al-Qaida operative. It seems as if people who plaster those on their cars are saying, "Hey, look at me, I'm a patriot." And I doubt that very many of those same people are lobbying their lawmakers to improve health care for our war veterans or for our government to root out the widespread waste and corruption related to military contractors and use that money, instead, to provide the equipment our soldiers need. I will admit that my wife has a bumper sticker I like. It says "My family values" and is surrounded by the words "Equality," "Free Speech," "Accountability," "Liberty," "Education," "Tolerance" and "Peace." At least it isn't just some mindless catch phrase.

CarMagnets said...

I am fan of magnets - Yes !! especially Car Magnets.
The message they deliver are straight and to the point. No issues if you support it or otherwise.
I generally find non profit organizations taking help of them for promotion of cause and general awareness.