Work Hard, Get Rich, Do Nothing

The problem with rich people in commercials, is that they’re so unrealistically portrayed, it’s hard to think, “Wow, I could own this product.”  If you’ve ever seen commercials like Lexus, which I’m sure you have, they all have to involve some high-speed chase, or a picture perfect couple going out to eat at a fancy restaurant. “Yep, there goes my hope of having a fancy car,” It seems that they’re just meant for rich businessmen who sit around all day and drink coffee.

One of the new Cadillac commercials stars a self absorbed, rich man who spends his life working all the time so he can buy expensive things. Now this add has become a controversy providing a misguided representation of the American work ethic, and received very critical feedback. The Cadillac ad starred actor Neil McDonough as a rich guy looking out at his pool and pondering why he and other Americans work so hard when people in other countries take off the whole month of August.

Neil McDonough in the Cadillac commercial

He then turns to the camera and gives a vivid monologue while walking around his expensive house. In it, he describes Americans as "crazy-driven, hard-working believers" who do bold things like go to the moon. He ultimately walks out to his new Cadillac ELR hybrid coupe. "It's pretty simple. You work hard, you create your own luck, and you've got to believe anything is possible. As for all the stuff? That's the upside of only taking two weeks off in August. N’est Ce-pas?”

Can we really expect that that’s going to make you want to buy a car? Do they think we want people to turn to look at you and judge you as a snob with nothing but material wealth? Outside of this guy being incredibly annoying, here's a question: Does taking two fewer weeks of vacation guarantee upper-middle-class wealth? Thinking about how many people labor all over the world—here and abroad—and don't enjoy the same opportunities as this guy, this is extremely hard to dismiss. This commercial was aired during the Winter 2014 Olympics, which was a strange choice. The Olympics is supposed to be about celebrating different countries and cultures coming together, not slamming their success and diligence. Since the commercial, there has been a debate between sides, which includes the supporters of the commercial, and vice-versa. Some people have applauded the commercial for a well represented portrayal of America, while most others have criticized its fake ambition.

In order to draw a contrast, Ford copied the theme of Cadillac's commercial in a recent take on their ad. Only it decided to use Pasho Murray, a real woman who founded Detroit Dirt, a company that turns waste into compost and sells it to people who want to create urban gardens.

The woman looks out at a landfill and wonders why Americans aren't more like other countries who buy locally-grown food.

She gives her speech while walking through a local restaurant where she collects food scraps for compost. She says Americans are starting to get more food from local markets because they're "crazy entrepreneurs trying to make the world better."

She then walks out to her Ford C-Max Energi and draws a phrase of her own. "It's pretty simple. You work hard, you believe that anything is possible, and you try to make the world better. You try. As for helping the city grow good, green, healthy vegetables? That's the upside of giving a damn. N'est-ce pas?"

--Governess Bob