This week we explored variations in automotive gender dynamics and how they have been represented within the realm of certain vehicles. From the Mustang to the “Texas Mustang,” you learned about how some vehicles have a more diverse set of expected kinds of owners and drivers, while certain types tend to lean toward one gender over the other. However, this has been changing within the past few decades.
Before you begin the class discussion, examine all of the material from this week. Integrate quotes and other evidence into your analyses to support your observations.
To begin, you read and watched materials showcasing the Ford Mustang over the past sixty years. You were tasked to consider the ways that the car came to represent certain gender identities. Since its inception in late 1964, the Mustang has fostered a legacy. In that time, the car has evolved several times. The early years were more of a sports car, those years were the very beginnings of the muscle car era. While the 1970s and the “gas crunch” oil embargo forced Ford to resize the Mustang to a more fuel economic platform. By the late 1980s and through the 1990s, the Mustang came back into form with muscular V8s. And in 2005, the pony car body harkened back to its legendary early-’60s styling. A design that is still can be seen in today’s models. Recently, Ford even introduced the… *gasp!* electric Mustangs! And now they’re pushing boundaries to the limit with the all-new supercar Mustang GTD coming in 2025.
As you read the Ingrassia chapter you learned about the history of the vehicle. What began as mundane Falcon unpinnings, quickly became an American icon with a little imaginative vision and oversight. You learned how different Ford executives influenced the car’s future, and how exactly the car became a metaphorical “sexpot librarian.”
With that niche established, Ford intentionally created various advertisings that sought out different demographics for potential buyers. This included the housewife, the college student, and the middle aged businessman. Based on the readings, how did the early advertising appeal to people across so many demographics?
Additionally, you previewed various commercials and multiple videos portraying the Mustang’s modern influences on popular culture. The Mustang has evolved into an American icon. All forms of popular culture now pay homage to the classic platform. Film and television continue to “star” the model in leading roles. During that time, many songs have also celebrated the brand. With that in mind, what exactly makes the car so iconic that the vehicle is portrayed in film and other media decade after decade?
From the Mustang to the Texas Mustang, the American pickup truck has also carved out its own cultural niche. From Texas to Massachusetts, the truck has come to express certain cultural values. The once utilitarian vehicle has become more of a cultural status symbol, that of blue collar America and more masculine, conservative ideologies. Yet, these roles are not withstanding. Despite the cyclical themes in film and within modern country music, small numbers of women truck enthusiasts have become more outspoken and represented.
You were asked to assess this weeks materials. Consider the points mentioned in this week’s coursework, and then to write a comparative Discussion response. Be sure that your analysis covers BOTH the Mustang AND the pickup truck. You must integrate the Ingrassia readings that illustrates the cultural dynamics explored this week. Think about the ways in which automobiles affect Identity and automotive gender perceptions, like the two platforms explored this week.
Utilizing examples from the readings and other materials, explain in detail how the automobile (car and truck) impact notions of gender and Identity.
What happens when people challenge those social norms through vehicles that they own or drive?
Using American Studies concepts, explain how the cultural Identity of the pickup has evolved over time.
Is the pickup “pliable” enough to appeal to the masses, like the Mustang has been for generations?
Examine the impact of the pickup truck on popular culture and how it is defined, redefined, and repurposed for our cultural expectations and wants. Compare it in the same way to the evolution of the Mustang.
Explain the cultural milieu of the evolution of the pickup truck and its growing popularity.
How did the pickup become a status symbol?
Expand on the impact of the pickup.
Explore the ways gender materializes in culture and then the way other challenge those roles. This does NOT have to be specific to women.
Are there ways that men challenge automotive gender roles?
Ponder these prompts and more. Integrate quotes or paraphrasing to support your argument, remain objective, and have fun with the Discussion.
