Ignorance and S.U.V.'s

The Suburban with an American flag protruding from its antenna has recently become an icon for what this nation stands for. But what does it mean? Let’s take a closer look…

“The Suburban”- First of all, it does not have to specifically be a Suburban, but rather any tank sized S.U.V. (the vehicle that epitomizes American mass consumerism). In some cases, the pick-up truck will serve the same iconic purpose. However, I would like to focus on the S.U.V. The Suburban because of the pure irony of the product’s name. The term S.U.V. (sports utility vehicle) implies a four-wheel drive feature intended for rough off road driving. The spacious interior seems to be designed for hauling large loads. However, the term Suburban clearly states that the vehicle is intended for a heavily populated residential area with flat, smooth streets. The four-wheel drive feature is useless for this landscape, and the only large load that a Suburban would likely be hauling would be family groceries or the large ass of a soccer mom. Therefore, I believe that The Suburban stands for the concept of buying something that you don’t really need. This is the basis of the so-called American dream: to have enough money to buy buy buy everything that advertisements tell you that you want. No one really needs a gas guzzling air polluting S.U.V., just like no one needs beer and football on Sundays, McDonald’s hamburgers, big screen T.V.’s, twenty different Abercrombie & Fitch T-Shirts, Rolling Stone Magazine, Coca-Cola, vacations to Disneyland, the newest Britney Spears CD…. the list could go on forever. Americans love to mindlessly consume useless crap.

“The American Flag”- It has fifty stars to represent the each state that belongs to the country and thirteen stripes to symbolize the original colonies. The flag represents our country as a nation, separate from any other, controlled by our own government. It is an icon that is supposed to be respected, but for $10 a pop the American flag can be purchased as a symbol of mass ignorance. The average American may claim that by placing a flag on their car, or in front of their home, they are saying, “I am proud to be an American, and I support my country whole-heartedly in this tragic time of war.” However, what they are really saying is, “I have proved my stupidity once again by throwing away money on something that has no use.” I find it utterly ridiculous that people actually believe that putting a plastic flag on their car, or on their front lawn, makes one bit of difference in the war against terrorism. If they really wanted to do something that could have an affect on the world, they could start off by attending peace rallies. But that’s not The American Way. They would much rather consume useless shit in ignorant bliss than take time from their precious T.V. watching schedules to actually do something meaningful.

Now that I’ve expanded on each subject separately, what does The Suburban with an American flag on its antenna symbolize as a whole? It is an icon of the American ideal: to be lazy and rich. Americans boast their country’s honor atop the vehicle of mass consumerism, and they’re proud to be Americans as long as it means that they don’t have to alter their daily routine. Americans want terrorism to stop and so they dutifully go out and purchase an outrageously overpriced plastic flag from a street vendor or convenience store. And while the U.S. bombs hospitals and civilians in Afghanistan, Americans can hoist their flag and feel good about themselves.