I don't have much to say about this video, but as we're nearing the end of our media blogs, I thought I should share with everyone the gem that is "Car Phone." Several parts of the video actually relate well to some of the topics from Merchants of Cool. The first few times I watched "Car Phone," I found it hilarious but couldn't exactly figure out why. The video itself is pretty stupid, so why do I continue to laugh at it? It seems to me that we're meant to see our parents in the protagonist/narrator played by YouTuber Julian Smith. Smith's character is the stereotypical "dad," complete with dorky glasses, slightly creepy mustache, and sort of nice shirt tucked into dress pants. What's funny about him, though, is how he interacts with technology. First of all, it's clearly outdated. The devices in the background while he irons his pants are a radio and T.V. set that look pretty antiquated. The subject of the song, Smith's car phone, is just a landline phone in a car - not all that impressive.
Yet Smith's reaction to his gadgets is what we find funny. The song makes one point clear: the man loves his car phone. His excitement over technology that seems primitive to us is exactly the kind of fascination we see in our parents and grandparents when they use modern electronics. To paraphrase Mean Girls, it's sort of like watching a dog walk on its hind legs. At 1:56 into the video, Smith's character uses an old video camera to dramatically film the ground. Haven't we all experienced laughing at our parents for not understanding how to use common electronic devices? (Maybe not, I could just be a terrible person.) In Smith's ridiculous relationship with technology we see our parents, making the video a relatable piece of comedy.
The fact that we find Smith's "dad" character funny shows the huge divide between our generation and our parents' generation that's discussed in Merchants of Cool. We clearly have a standard of what's hip and what isn't. The latter are often things associated with our parents like Smith's "dad" outfit and outdated phone. We find these things funny because of their lack of relevance in pop culture. Merchants of Cool discusses young peoples' tendency to rebel against their parents and create a "cool" identity of their own. "Car Phone" is funny because the subject and main character are totally outside the realm of what we consider cool. The video touches on that in the shots of Smith's son, who looks completely done with his father and his obsession with his car phone. In a lot of ways, we are the son: angsty teens embarrassed by our parents' cluelessness. And like the son, we want to be unique from our parents. (The son does so by using an iPhone.)
This raises the question: will the iPhone eventually become the next car phone? I have no idea, but at least we can find some comfort in the fact that "Car Phone" exists. Thanks, Julian Smith.
Is there a way to reblog these?
ReplyDeleteI think it's especially interesting that he says "let's call the guys and get donuts...every single night!" This part shows the faulty cause in marketing where there's no actual relationship between using the product and doing what it says you can if you use the product. Obviously he could call the guys and get donuts every night anyway, he doesn't need the car phone for that. Also, he says very quickly at one point, "Two dollars a minute has me speaking cryptically on my car phone." This is interesting because it shows how it costs a lot but he feels it's worth it because of how awesome the product is. By the way Mr. Starace, I know you have a lot of posts and comments to read but I would seriously recommend checking this video out. It will change your life.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, this is the most hilarious video that I have ever seen. I don't know why I've never come across it before, but thanks for bringing it to my attention. Even my little sister was cracking up and she didn't understand it. Although the video was really funny, I found one part in the video kind of weird, and it didn't make sense. It was when the dad was videotaping the ground and all of a sudden a kid in the background gets picked up by a white van without the dad even noticing. I was confused and thought maybe it was a joke and part of the video, but never about that ever came up again... I started to get confused, and it made me wonder: Is this video making the assumption that all parents who use outdated technology only pay attention to the technology and don't realize what's going on around them? Also, does that mean that the video is trying to get out the message that technology for everyone can distract you from important things going on around you? (Like the boy being kidnapped).
ReplyDelete*(nothing about that) should be instead of never about that
DeleteI, too, thought that was interesting. That part of the video likely reflects the way our obsession with trends and pop culture removes the humanness from our relationships. If you look at one of the earlier lines of the song, it says, "Meet my wife, my child, and most importantly, my Car Phone." Smith's character clearly prioritizes being "cool" over caring about his family, which I think says a lot about society today.
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