About a year ago Callie Cline was given the title of "Voice of Women". That's good, I just asked then as I as now - "What women?!" I know it isn't me, and most likely not any woman I know. And what does this voice say? Well its just not in my job description to sling quotes about. I will say that I've been less than impressed with the voice of women and that's probably because that voice didn't say a single thing that my voice would have said.
The ideal of women and cars is not new. As a matter of fact car mags have been slapping nearly nude women alongside pinstriped hot rods for years. Hell my first boyfriend and his friends used to buy Lowrider magazine just because the chicks wore more skimpy bathing suits. I know the mechanics behind it. Pun intended, by the way.
OMG did you Farce?
If you get a SL gig with a RL company - kudos. You've reached status quo - but when you get advertising diarrhea it really makes my ass burn after a while. Not to mention the fact that I'm running out of toilet paper so I've had to smear my shit here. There is a rather bold line in the world of grease monkeys and mechanics between a car enthusiast and a mere fan. I won't go pasting in dictionary definitions as I'm sure most know the difference. Car enthusiasts are the ones that really love cars - or a specific car. John Travolta is a car enthusiast (as well as planes), the writers for Car and Driver are enthusiasts, and mechanics as a whole are most usually enthusiasts as well. Callie, I'm afraid - is a mere fan.
The Thin Red Pinstripe
She states in her blog that the Solstic is a great car in RL and in SL. Her reason why its a better car IRL? Simply because its really fast. It goes to prove that you don't have to be knowledgeable about a product in order to be its spokesperson. It goes back to that whole 'ideal' I've been against since I was probably 11 "Stand there, look pretty, don't say much, and smile a lot." Its actually laughable. The Motorati thing started over a year ago - yet she was surprised that they chose her? Seems like advanced marketing for outsourcing if you ask me. She was definitely thinking ahead which is great! I'd love to have that kind of insight - but don't try to pass it off as coincidence.
Recognisable Faces
After conferring with fellow Mean Girls JellyBean and Rosie we came to the conclusion that the Maxim thing was because of Callie's recognizable face. That's very true. Her face is recognisable (then again I've been seeing it here and there for going on 3 years) but isn't it also true to say that any face you see repeatedly over a long period of time becomes recognisable? YadNi has a recognisable face - so why couldn't he throw on a female av and do such a thing? Maybe he could!
Objects may appear closer than they are
I personally just feel that the whole caLLie coNUNdrum has already been played out. Everyone's all freaking out that she's getting 'attacked' but how is stating an opinion an attack? Its anonymous comments - not a boot to the face. And seriously it isn't as if a few negative opinions really make or break a business deal unless those with the neg views are consultants.
We should all let her ride her train to fame for as long as her ticket is good for. And in SL (as I've already said) days are only hours long - and stuff like this lasts just as long. I would like to suggest though that if you're going to get someone to speak for your product who has any sort of influence at all: just be sure they know about it. I can safely say that if Mountain Dew came to SL and offered me to do something for them - I'd decline and send them to JellyBean. She's a friggin' authority on Dew. As a general rule, know your limits and there's nothing wrong with taking a back seat and merely knowing that by passing things up for the RIGHT reasons that you're doing something good as a whole.
Clutch Grinding
I've just been smelling burning clutch over the fact that once again things have come to who you know and not what you know. As a gear headed grease monkey I've just failed to see the appeal of having someone who makes clothes be any sort of figure head for a car. She sat on a few cars and make a few racing suits, I get it. But couldn't someone who used to or still .. oh I don't know .. build cars, race cars or know how to use a cherry picker actually get the kind of gig they deserve? I realize its a lot to ask of any company - doing all that hard research and all - but come on! I really just can't take Pontiac seriously (and I went through a lot of trouble to drop a 455 into a two bolt main 76 Camaro) after all this. All I can really say is "Meh".
*wipes her hands and wrench on a dirty rag and shoves it in her back pocket* Looks like your diesel engine needs new spark plugs.
