Saturday, September 6, 2008

Jon Stewart on Gender

Here's a Jon Stewart's bit that, per Comedy Central, was seen over 1.5 million times in a single day. The show was aired Wednesday night.

Prius Envy


And since there seems to be a sea of gender references in car ads and various car-related publications, I figured I had to include this too. These cars are getting more 'character' reviews and attention than the people who get to pay to acquire and maintain them.
Engine, power be thy name?!

Gender Differences: Car Style


Now this.
Apparently an anthropomorphised car is, indeed, this powerful.
I thought Toyota Prius would have been mentioned, too. Well, at least, it could have gotten a favorable mention.

"A study commissioned by a phallically named insurance company proves beyond all doubt that the unbridled roar of an Italian supercar turns women on but the soft purr of a fuel-efficient econobox doesn't stimulate anyone's MPG-spot.

David Moxon subjected 40 men and women to the sounds of a Maserati, Lamborghini and Ferrari, then measured the amount of testosterone in their saliva. He found everyone had higher levels of the stuff -- a measure of their arousal -- after hearing the revving exotics, but the amount the women had was off the charts.

The econobox, however, left everyone colder than a January day in Nome.

The study was commissioned by the ultra-exclusive British insurer Hiscox (we swear we're not making this up), which was curious to know how people respond to high-end luxury cars. "We knew owners of luxury cars felt a connection with the sound of their vehicles," says Steve Langan, managing director of the insurance company. "We have now scientifically proven the physical attraction people feel when it comes to cars."

To test the theory that high-performance cars get people hot, Moxon had 40 men and women listen to recordings of the three Italian exotics and a Volkswagen Polo. Everyone had significantly more testosterone after hearing the exotics, and all of the women were turned on by the Maserati. The guys, on the other hand, were drawn to the Lamborghini."

graph per blog.wired