Thursday, April 9, 2009

ninja bear.

i honestly don't think i'd ever purchase a minivan with dual tv screens in the back seat. the new 2010 lexus rx is boasting double screens that can be set to different programs so as to minimize the amount of fighting amongst the kiddies. granted, i'm not so sure i'd ever be driving such a vehicle, but i honestly think that these cutting edge technological innovations are what's screwing up our entire social conduct these days!

growing up in new york, my family used to make the 5 hour drive down to new york city to visit my grandparents and relatives. it was a long drive. in a time before seat belts were considered necessary under the law, my parents would take out the middle seats in our caravan so that us kiddies could take naps on the bed of the car. yet however long and tiresome the trip, i can still picture driving alongside the rocky ledges of the delaware water gap and whenever time wasn't a factor, my dad would take the scenic route home.. passing through upstate new york country where the tree leaves tell you exactly when the autumn season had arrived. we'd sing along with old taiwanese cassette tapes and make a card table out of the center seat.

there really wasn't anything unbelievably incredible about our little van.. i think we had automatic power seats up front but definitely nothing like dvd screens for the back seats. and for this, i'm glad. what a waste of scenery and lively experiences when your eyes are glued to an LCD projected hannah montana concert or another viewing of the incredibles?! (btw, i loved that movie) i guess if you're driving through rush hour traffic on I-80 there's not much to look at.. but the point is, so much is missed when your attention is fixed on something static.

the aforementioned lexus came out with a commercial featuring 2 kids sitting in the backseat arguing about everything under the sun. "keep your foot on your own side!" "pizza's better than hamburgers" "dinosaurs can't flyyyy" yeah. totally reminds me of my brother and i in the backseat.. even to this day. the commercial closes by implying that dual screens with separate controls will eliminate such triffles between siblings. right. let's numb the kiddies into a stupor, impairing all their physical and mental capabilities so that i can drive in silence up front. what the heck?!

i can't say that i have any experience with kids as i have none of my own, but observation tells me that kids can be a pain. i know i've purposely made it my mission to be one on several occasions throughout my childhood.. regardless, i think it's a tragedy when kids become the ones dictating what happens in a household. rather than inspiring them to appreciate what's going on outside the car or just having a silly conversation inside, it seems so much easier to pop in a movie. and also, regarding sibling rivalry, i really believe that supervised arguements can build relationships.. me and my brother used to fight in the car all the time. especially in the summer when the middle seat directly in front of the air conditioning vent becomes a hot commodity. but with my mom's mediation, we all learned to take turns. (all together now, "awwwww") no just in the car, but discipline at home should completely eliminate the need for separately controlled tvs in the car.

now before you think i'm going to turn into a sadistically irrational mother in my old age, let me just clarify that i have nothing against watching tv and playful hyperactivity. among other things, i follow way too many tv shows to mention truthfully, and i love love love video games, esp. ones where you get to slice off your opponent's appendages woohooo. my qualms with all these new gadgets is that it's hurting face time between parents and kids. and with that, pandora's box is unhinged.

..and that is why i think the toyota camry is the most awesome car ever. hahaaa ^_<

2 comments:

  1. I think I always came out as the winner.

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  2. basically i completely agree with this post -- i won't ever install dvd players in my car for my kids. they can learn to play fun car games that i'll force them to play. har har, jk. :D

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