During the Olympics Opening Ceremonies, I sat in the Manning lounge with friends, enjoying the Parade of Nations, cheering for Germany’s blatantly rainbow outfits, and marveling over the ballet number. But then, a new Cadillac commercial came on and changed the mood, one that elicited groans from everyone in the room and made me squirm at its ignorance.
Though likely attempting to get at an American-Dream-work-hard-play-hard vibe, this commercial is impossibly narrow-minded. The man argues that the reason he leads such a luxurious life is because he is one of our country’s “crazy driven, hard working believers.” This phrase might inspire confidence and pride in some contexts, but here, it not only criticizes other countries, but also creates a major divide within our country along racial, gender, and class lines. Does the commercial mean to tell us that in order to have a beautiful house, pool, car, kids, and wife, we just have to work? This confident (ahem, arrogant) man tells us all, “It’s pretty simple.” But the American Dream is not at all simple for everyone and for the most part, let’s face it, is downright misguided.
This white, middle-aged man tells us, “You work hard, you create your own luck, and you’ve got to believe that anything is possible.” Okay, Desperate Housewives actor Neal McDonough. This is a nice thought. And I like to think that anything is possible. But it’s not in the way that is examined here. The ad ignores the key fact that some people start off with more luck in that realm. In reality, we don’t all start on a level playing field in trying to create our own luck. Having all that “stuff” which our consumption-driven society considers valuable and desirable requires a high-paying job, which likely requires a college degree, which likely requires money and resources to begin with, which likely requires having certain uncontrollable advantages from a young age. The chance that this commercial character grew up in a privileged area, with parents who were successful and who helped send him to college is high. He already has luck. It is not “pretty simple.” It’s actually pretty darn complicated.
That’s not to say that hard work means nothing. It means A LOT. But we can’t be so narrow-minded a society to believe that everyone must make their own luck all on their own. Recently, Ford came out with a commercial for their new hybrid car that parodies the Cadillac commercial, successfully relaying the idea of what working hard should really be about.
Though it does not slam the Cadillac commercial outright, Ford makes it clear that Cadillac’s message is single-minded and inaccessible to many people. Though working hard does matter, and if you put your mind to something you can make a difference, Ford takes a completely different spin. As an ad for a hybrid car, the commercial advocates the value of working to save our planet and decrease our carbon footprint. An African American woman who is not a paid actor, but rather the founder of Detroit Dirt (Pashon Murra), encourages buying locally grown food, reusing goods, and eating healthy. But Ford’s message doesn’t just apply to saving the environment; it can also expand to many different aspects of life, like reducing inequality, improving the education system, and simply treating everyone with respect.
Instead of going about with the false impression that we all have a level playing field and equal opportunities, perhaps we should put some of our energy towards making the world a better place. Instead of believing that you one hundred percent create your own luck, like Cadillac tells us, let’s change those last lines: “You work hard, you believe that anything is possible, and you try to make the world better. You try.” And what comes of it? Well, “That’s the upside of giving a damn.”
[Photo Source: Huffington Post]