The Scientific American magazine reports this month about a study which looked at gender differences in attitudes about "environmentalism." The title of the article is Men Resist Green Behavior as Unmanly. This made me think about the marketing of "green" vehicles -- and especially the Prius Prime. In many ways, I think that Elon Musk and his Tesla S did a great service to the environment in marketing an electric vehicle as large, powerful and serious. And, I think Toyota figured out that by adding a raft of sexy technology to the Prius Prime Advanced that they could appeal to men who have traditionally considered the Prius as just a little car for environmentalist weenies. The British news paper, The Guardian, pretty much said as much in an October 2015 article which says: "Vegetarianism, reusable tote bags and Prius cars are not ‘manly’ enough for some. The answer is not imprinting veggie burgers with grill marks." While fuel economy is a nice benefit, I'm not sure that it provides the same male bragging rights as owning a Hummer, Escalade, Dodge Durango or GMC Yukon XL -- and getting eight mpg. Having an 11-inch display, however... The Prius Prime Advanced is just geeky enough to have a cachet which extends beyond fuel efficiency and environmentalism. My suspicion is that we're reaching a tipping point where car manufacturers are beginning to think "How do we design a car that's electric?" rather than "How do we design an electric car?" Above cartoon by ABJ Lane in the Ideas section of The Boston Globe, December 10, 2017.
Oh, I could give you such a smack! Our own research suggests an additional possibility: men may shun eco-friendly behavior because of what it conveys about their masculinity. It’s not that men don’t care about the environment. But they also tend to want to feel macho, and they worry that eco-friendly behaviors might brand them as feminine. I am 68 years old and buy my wife's female products that I carry as needed. When going out together, I often carry her purse as her cane hand is busy. When unsure, I ask the lady clerks after explaining I'm my wife's home care provider. I've long since given up on worry about what 'sheeple' think. Curiously, I get approving looks from female shoppers which for this old man, makes my day. Bob Wilson
I suspect the full moon and association with: alt.autos.toyota.prius | PriusChat. Perhaps the moon light is bringing them out of their closet . . . about time. Bob Wilson
i'm trying to diagnose my own brother, a muscle car fan since the 60's. one thing i notice about boomers is their 'bucket list' obsession, self centered 'this is my time' thought process, and living life to the fullest while healthy, while at the same time claiming to want to die around 85 because that's when it all falls apart. and a serious fear and obsession with death.
