Slog - Comments on Volkswagen & Vicarious Traumatization http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/12/volkswagen_vicarious For what seems like the past 17 months, Volkswagen has been running TV commercials like the one above, wherein a carload of friends is leisurely driving and chatting until CRASH! At first I grudgingly praised the ads for their ingenious exploitation of the mechanics of trauma (when adrenaline skyrockets, memories get implanted more deeply, and the commercials' post-crash info on the Jetta is probably deeply ingrained in the brains of countless viewers.) Now I'm just sick of feeling like I've lived through 600 car crashes at the end of a leisurely evening of TV-watching. Who's with me in filing... Copyright 2008 Thu, 07 Dec 2006 11:37:32 -0800 Sat, 09 Dec 2006 03:20:36 -0800 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.34 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Comment by caitlin! Wow. That's quite possible the most stressful commercial I've ever seen. It makes me glad I don't have T.V....

]]> caitlin! http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/12/volkswagen_vicarious#c551887 http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/12/volkswagen_vicarious#c551887 Media Thu, 07 Dec 2006 11:51:08 -0800 Comment by The Peanut Gallery a DVR would let you skip commericals...

]]> The Peanut Gallery http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/12/volkswagen_vicarious#c552062 http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/12/volkswagen_vicarious#c552062 Media Thu, 07 Dec 2006 12:04:49 -0800 Comment by The Peanut Gallery ...or are you one of those people that can't stand to watch tv knowing you are 85 seconds behind the network feed?

]]> The Peanut Gallery http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/12/volkswagen_vicarious#c552098 http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/12/volkswagen_vicarious#c552098 Media Thu, 07 Dec 2006 12:06:39 -0800 Comment by Sandy You can only sue for vicarious trauma if the actual trauma was physical and happend to an immediate family member in front of you. Like if your kid gets hit by a car and you're watching from accross the street.
And yeah, that commercial was an adrenaline producing good time.

]]> Sandy http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/12/volkswagen_vicarious#c552099 http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/12/volkswagen_vicarious#c552099 Media Thu, 07 Dec 2006 12:06:47 -0800 Comment by Goldy Upon seeing this commercial for the umpteenth time (they show it during The Simpsons,) my nine-year-old daughter told me that we should never buy one of those cars because they are always crashing.

]]> Goldy http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/12/volkswagen_vicarious#c552100 http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/12/volkswagen_vicarious#c552100 Media Thu, 07 Dec 2006 12:08:20 -0800 Comment by keshmeshi After seeing each commercial (I believe there's two) once, I knew exactly what I was watching each subsequent time. So, I don't feel like I've experienced several hundred car crashes.

]]> keshmeshi http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/12/volkswagen_vicarious#c552297 http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/12/volkswagen_vicarious#c552297 Media Thu, 07 Dec 2006 12:27:47 -0800 Comment by Nick Oh when those commercials come on, I get scared because I know they will crash! I don't like them anymore. So stressful!
"I Don't Need To See That"

]]> Nick http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/12/volkswagen_vicarious#c552299 http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/12/volkswagen_vicarious#c552299 Media Thu, 07 Dec 2006 12:33:57 -0800 Comment by K Allstate was running the same kind of commercial awhile ago. I wrote them to complain and got a lame form letter back. I have a feeling the same thing would happen here. They are horrible commercials and even worse if you have been in a car accident. I will never purchase a car from them for that very reason. What if kids are watching? Plain and simple, they suck.

]]> K http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/12/volkswagen_vicarious#c552300 http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/12/volkswagen_vicarious#c552300 Media Thu, 07 Dec 2006 12:34:44 -0800 Comment by PDXRitchie Can you imagine what would happen if kids saw a car crash on tv? We need to protect their fragile little minds.

]]> PDXRitchie http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/12/volkswagen_vicarious#c552315 http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/12/volkswagen_vicarious#c552315 Media Thu, 07 Dec 2006 13:07:03 -0800 Comment by StressKitten My husband finds them traumatizing in that he hates that they always cut off the sound before the "shit" in "Holy shit!" is uttered.

]]> StressKitten http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/12/volkswagen_vicarious#c552316 http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/12/volkswagen_vicarious#c552316 Media Thu, 07 Dec 2006 13:13:18 -0800 Comment by Emmakat Those ads are directed by Phil Morrison, who directed the movie Junebug and the apple commercials with John Hodgman.

]]> Emmakat http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/12/volkswagen_vicarious#c553237 http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/12/volkswagen_vicarious#c553237 Media Thu, 07 Dec 2006 18:29:46 -0800 Comment by Tahn Stressful??

David (and co), if you ever come to Australia, make sure you don't watch any TV here. We have quite a few ads with very graphic car crashes, often in slow motion, with people ending up bloodied and hurt or even dead, etc. They're usually about seatbelts or speeding.

]]> Tahn http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/12/volkswagen_vicarious#c553822 http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/12/volkswagen_vicarious#c553822 Media Thu, 07 Dec 2006 21:26:59 -0800 Comment by Tahn So don't watch this.

Or this.

]]> Tahn http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/12/volkswagen_vicarious#c553967 http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/12/volkswagen_vicarious#c553967 Media Thu, 07 Dec 2006 21:40:07 -0800 Comment by genevieve The first time I saw one of these I was defintiely jolted, and thought it was quite compelling. After repeated viewings, I now just ignore them. I think it's especially dumb that they filmed at least two (I think there might be three) versions of basically the same thing. The message I'm getting (especially with this one) is that Volkswagen drivers are so busy yapping to their friends that they don't pay attention to their driving. If you see someone driving a VW - take another street!

]]> genevieve http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/12/volkswagen_vicarious#c554037 http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/12/volkswagen_vicarious#c554037 Media Thu, 07 Dec 2006 22:53:25 -0800 Comment by Dianna I've hated these commercials from the moment I saw them. There are a bunch like this, tho (think BK with the "King" crashing a motorcycle in a stunt) and they're all huge mindfucks.

]]> Dianna http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/12/volkswagen_vicarious#c554387 http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/12/volkswagen_vicarious#c554387 Media Thu, 07 Dec 2006 23:47:33 -0800 Comment by Gabriel David, if you think that's stressful, you should see public service commercials in the UK. They employ both real and simulated car accidents in horrible detail to shock people into paying attention while driving and to not drive drunk. You're at the cinema about to enjoy a movie, or at home watching some late-night TV, and suddenly you just want to curl up into a ball and you feel sick to your stomach.

]]> Gabriel http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/12/volkswagen_vicarious#c554398 http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/12/volkswagen_vicarious#c554398 Media Fri, 08 Dec 2006 02:24:37 -0800 Comment by monkey I was just about to tell my very own recent car wreck story when I had a sudden strong case of deje vu. I'll spare you the details but I'm really done with those commercials.

]]> monkey http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/12/volkswagen_vicarious#c555826 http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/12/volkswagen_vicarious#c555826 Media Fri, 08 Dec 2006 09:47:26 -0800 Comment by Action TAHN, you have it right. I saw some of these ads in Australia, and have made it my mission to get a similarly realistic look at traffic crashes and their costs.

David, the thing that pisses ME off about these commercials is that they ALWAYS end up with everybody being OK!

]]> Action http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/12/volkswagen_vicarious#c556606 http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/12/volkswagen_vicarious#c556606 Media Fri, 08 Dec 2006 14:47:45 -0800 Comment by Kathy Fennessy I agree with David, although I have a grudging respect for any commercial that breaks from the pack (which seems to be Morrison's stock in trade). That said, what irritates me most about these ads is that I never get to hear the end of the conversation (shallow, but there ya go). I mean, I'm glad they're okay, but I feel like I've been cheated somehow.

]]> Kathy Fennessy http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/12/volkswagen_vicarious#c556854 http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/12/volkswagen_vicarious#c556854 Media Fri, 08 Dec 2006 17:12:53 -0800 Comment by joebob Give me a car crash anytime rather than all the pharmaceuticals. . cancer, enlarging prostates, ED:
Thats true vicarious trauma

]]> joebob http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/12/volkswagen_vicarious#c558869 http://slog.thestranger.com/2006/12/volkswagen_vicarious#c558869 Media Sat, 09 Dec 2006 03:20:36 -0800