Is the MINI a Gay "Icon" ?

[noahe]

Wow, this is a silly thread if you read it from start to finish.

Isn't BMW/MINI smart to target an audience that has otherwise not been exploited? Should every race, creed, colour or sexual preference be bombarded by advertising tailored to "make the sale"?

Why not?

Okay, so some of you care if the MINI becomes a gay icon, some of you don't. But an advertising agency, trying to sell a product, sure as hell doesn't.

Time will certainly tell, but I for one, would still happily buy a New Beetle, Mazda Miata, or whatever other car is deemed 'gay'. Actually, if anything, it seems a complimentary term. All the so-called 'gay' cars are interesting. No one's accusing a Toyota Camry of being gay, and I wouldn't want one of those.

This is as dumb as telling people you're not a man if you drive a minivan. Hey, if you've had kids, and they're all loaded in, ready to be driven to soccer practice or whatever, isn't that proof that you're a man?!

I actually wish we could hear from a certain segment of the community, to see what they think of all of this, but I wouldn't expect them to voice an opinion here, given some of the prior posts.

...and unless I'm mistaken, haven't a couple of other threads, just like this one (maybe more inflamitory) been killed?

I'm almost sorry I posted, to keep it going.

[Wynn]

First, I am gay.

I think this topic is constructive, for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the relevant, original question, does the MINI lend itself to association with the gay community?

That's a question I get to address every day, when I choose what to wear, or drink, or say. It's not important to me to "look gay," and I don't really associated myself much with the out, "gay community," which is to say that I don't hang out in gay clubs or bars, and the reason for that is merely that I just don't like clubs and bars. I neither seek out nor avoid "gay culture," but because I'm gay, I cannot help thinking about how I appear to others-- to other gay people, to adolescent youth who may be struggling to understand their sexuality, to straight people, to potentially violent, closed-minded homophobes, to my parents, and to my friends. And I don't run from or cater to any of those groups... but, it's worth thinking about how my choices influence them, and my relationships with them.

So, whether or not the public or some group of people perceives the MINI as "gay" is relevant to me. It's potentially important, even. It wouldn't influence whether or not I buy the car-- I love the car, and I'm going to buy one. It will influence my thoughts, though, and maybe sometimes my behavior, if I feel like I need to exercise some discretion in some circumstance one day-- maybe if I'm driving through a gay-unfriendly, rural spot in some southern state, and should bear in mind that maybe that's the wrong place to have my windows down in a MINI with Erasure turned up too loud.

And maybe that's a bad example, that itself reinforces stereotypes. My point is broader, though: this is a topic worth discussing, because the values, ideas, thoughts, and feelings at its core are important, and they are worth our exploration.

I'm eager to know what other gay people think about these ideas, as well as the apparently straight folk who've already replied.

Peace,
wynn

[Basil]

Quote:

Originally posted by Wynn

wynn

Nice one Wynn.

Although I didn't at first agree, (as can be seen with my earlier posts) this was mainly because this thread was started after a few others had been killed off due to innapropriate comments as mentioned by noahe above.

Anyway, I agree that it is a topic that is worth discussing openly.

Good work

[noahe]

That's an interesting perspective. Here's a though, feel free to answer it or not, but are there any cars you wouldn't want to buy? Or does this all just re-inforce the fact that a chunk of steel cannot really be sexually oriented...

Nah, that's not entirely true, but a car, developed by a team, reviewed by many, and ultimately given the OK, by boards and marketing research groups, has to be a homoginized version of style. It likely should be a neutral design, after all of those efforts.

Even still, if I'm completely wrong, won't both Wynn, and I, have wonderful little cars that we both adore? Isn't that enough?

[Basil]

Quote:

Originally posted by noahe


I actually wish we could hear from a certain segment of the community, to see what they think of all of this, but I wouldn't expect them to voice an opinion here, given some of the prior posts.

your wish has come true !!!.....

Quote:

Originally posted by noahe


...and unless I'm mistaken, haven't a couple of other threads, just like this one (maybe more inflamitory) been killed?

Yes, but this one has turned out a little better than the first few.......

Cheers

[Basil]

Quote:

Originally posted by Basil


your wish has come true !!!.....



Yes, but this one has turned out a little better than the first few.......

Cheers

OOPs...sorry noahe.......nothing like posting at the same time

[Basil]

Quote:

Originally posted by noahe


Even still, if I'm completely wrong, won't both Wynn, and I, have wonderful little cars that we both adore? Isn't that enough?

Yes, and it's why the thread title needs "Gay car" removed and replaced by "Gay Icon"......imho.

would it help ?........maybe i'm missing the point as well.

[Wynn]

! Noahe, your question made me chuckle-- yes, there are cars I wouldn't buy: they're called trucks.

Why? Because that's so NOT ME. And is that because I'm gay? Hell, I don't know, but... maybe, sure. If someone asks me what I'm like, or if I had to pick a few words to describe myself, I'd say that I prefer wit to might, dexterity to speed, speed to power. My sense of humor is more goofy than vulgar, and more witty than raw. I'd say to someone that I am gay. I'd point out that I have taugh the world's only university course on Dr. Seuss, at Rice University, in Houston. I'd say that I'm much more Houstonian than Texan.

And I'd say that all those things are much more MINI than they are F-350 extended cab... which I think is brutally "straight." <grin!> "Brutally straight" is not me, and that's got something to do with my being gay, but only because being gay is just part of the whole Wynn.

And I think that the whole Wynn is probably a lot like the whole Basil or Paul or Bruce K (another Texan!), not because of anyone's sexuality, but because at our core, each of us is a MINI person, whose priorities run to dexterity over power, and creativity over conformity.

*laugh*

...That said, as far as I can tell, there are only two gay people on mini2, so how gay can the car BE?! !

I need a martini.

[Milquetoast]

Quote:

Originally posted by Basil
I'm a bloke. I wear pink shirts (you know the ones - don't mix colours in the wash - and Red shirts that are now so old they've faded to pink). I don't get offended when someone says "thats a bit gay" , or looks at me slightly oddly. Just means they are homophobic, and I'm man enough to wear a "discoloured" shirt.

Sorry, but is this in reference to my beautiful elephant analogy ? I didn't mean pink in that context, just that people can focus on the wrong thing and miss the forest for the trees.

I personally couldn't care less if people classify the car a certain way. My current ride is a Miata, and we all know how many feel about that car. I still love it regardless, and of course I love the MINI as well.

[Milquetoast]

So Wynn, I suppose we won't be seeing you in that new Ford 'Tonka' concept truck anytime soon, eh?

[Wynn]

Quote:

So Wynn, I suppose we won't be seeing you in that new Ford 'Tonka' concept truck anytime soon, eh?

Mmm, not unless Ryan Phillippe is in it first.

[erazo]

Interesting that this is one of the longer threads, yet with more than one request to kill it....

I think it's a reflection of the type of person who would want to own a Mini/MINI...it's a car meant mostly for fun, and most of the posts here have been in the nature of fun (apologies to those who made serious comments...you should chill a little bit).

The whole idea is, when you think about it, kind of ludicrous. I mean, who cares? Why try to assign significance where none exists? So just have fun with it.

[Sejanus]

Quote:

Originally posted by Milquetoast
I regularly have to pass through the Castro in San Francisco, which is considered to have the greatest density of gays in the world, and I have yet to see anything there that is MINI related. Therefore the notion that the car is "intended for gay people" is either completely false or there are people in the marketing department that need to be fired for missing such a hotbed of potential customers.

Nah, that's just because SF MINI is charging an arm an a leg. Anyone with any sense in any part of SF is on the waiting list at East Bay and hasn't gotten their car yet.

[Basil]

Quote:

Originally posted by Milquetoast
Sorry, but is this in reference to my beautiful elephant analogy ? I didn't mean pink in that context, just that people can focus on the wrong thing and miss the forest for the trees.

I personally couldn't care less if people classify the car a certain way. My current ride is a Miata, and we all know how many feel about that car. I still love it regardless, and of course I love the MINI as well.

ha ha ha. No mate. Just another example of how homophobic a lot of people are generaly. No reference intended.

[Basil]

Quote:

Originally posted by erazo
Interesting that this is one of the longer threads, yet with more than one request to kill it....

I think it's a reflection of the type of person who would want to own a Mini/MINI...it's a car meant mostly for fun, and most of the posts here have been in the nature of fun (apologies to those who made serious comments...you should chill a little bit).

The whole idea is, when you think about it, kind of ludicrous. I mean, who cares? Why try to assign significance where none exists? So just have fun with it.

you have to bear in mind that the early requests/suggestions to kill this thread was based on the past experience of a couple of threads that came before it. Probably should have edited those out. Never mind, they are all opinions.