Deconstructing Pimp My Ride. There are many different makeover style reality shows on television today that make

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1 AJ Will Deconstructing Pimp My Ride There are many different makeover style reality shows on television today that make improvements to peoples cosmetic appearances, homes, and wardrobes. Music Television s Pimp My Ride is a different style of makeover show that takes old, high-mileage, and cosmetically damaged cars and restores them to aesthetically pleasing vehicles with features such as televisions, video games systems, custom paint, and professional quality stereos. The host of the show is a well-known rapper that goes by the name of Exhibit. Like many other rappers, Exhibit is featured in music videos flaunting expensive, exotic cars with similar custom features that capture the attention of young people. People apply to be on the show in the hope that they will be the one whose door the rapper shows up at and takes their car away to customized and restored. The show focuses entirely on the body work, paint, and custom electronics that are put into the cars to make them appear extraordinary. A team of custom car specialists first discuss, then show an overview of the improvements being made to the vehicles. At the end of the show, the car is unveiled and the reaction of the owner is shown to viewers. Tricks The aspects of what constitutes a pimped-out ride are any variation of the flashy, custom, and in many cases non-functional automobiles that are attractive to the eye. MTV (Music Television) has played a substantial role in the spread of hip-hop influence in popular culture that creates the value of these attributes. The images seen through various programming on the network create the assumption that rich and famous, typically men; drive expensive and exotic cars that are an indication of wealth and status. The message that is sent to viewers is that having these cars, or others modeling them, will give them a status and make them desirable to 1

2 women. The fact that the cars repaired on the show are often mechanically impaired is of no importance, but instead the feeling of satisfaction about falsely appearing to have wealth AJ Will overtakes basic needs like safety and reliability. These values are explicitly shown throughout each episode of the show. First the person s car being fixed is directly made fun of and laughed when it is shown to the viewers for the first time. All the cosmetic defects of the vehicle are highlighted for criticism to further reinforce that there is a general disapproval of driving a typical first car, and then it is praised and gawked at during the end reveal. There are also other implications when the repair work is being done, that are often over-looked. Just the simple fact that there is no engine repair shown during the program further devalues the importance of having a reliable vehicle. What instead should be taught to teens and young-adults is that money should first be spent on meeting basic needs before being frivolously wasted on cosmetic decorations. The Ride The show s title has a significant effect on the car, which is to a simple object that provides the function of transportation. The car is effectively pimped, but not just in the sense 2

3 that it provides a hip description of the car that makes it cool by societies standards. The way AJ Will rappers showcase these cars as symbols of status effectively does two things. It advertises the car as a commodity which translates into sex much as a pimp would a prostitute, while also creating a psychological monopoly on what products can acceptably uphold this image. It is important to remember that in this show specifically, companies pay the producers as well as the endorser s to promote certain products. It is a business that they are able to create with the power of their social influence. The effect of this influence comes not from people s need for function, but from the need to feel more psychologically fulfilled. It is at this point the car is transformed from a functional tool, a commodity of use, to an enhancement of their sexual ability. According to Karl Marx s concept of the commodity-fetish, the mysterious character of the commodity-form consists [] simply in the fact that the commodity reflects the social characteristics of men's own labour as objective characteristics of the products of labour themselves, as the socio-natural properties of these things." The owners of these cars get pleasure from having the illusions put on that they gained the success that warrants attention from women. This is seen by the positive attitudes expressed towards the cars. There is a battle between imitation creating the appearance that a person is successful, and actually having the talent or having done the work that warrants the credit due for being successful. The car is devalued for its functionality, but instead turned into a way to create a virtual reality for people who are sold on the idea that a pimped ride will actually make them successful. 3

4 AJ Will Players The individuals selected to be brought on the show are almost unanimously year old males in lower-middles class. This may be due to the fact that this demographic is made up of the age group that follows the pop-culture that has made these flashy cars popular, making them the most likely to apply to be on the show. The contestants chosen can be seen as fair representations of the people that make this group. Many of them are students at different levels of education; however, they are typically not professional-degree seeking individuals. In today s society the expectation is that ambitious person with good values must get a traditional college education to succeed and earn higher wages than un-skilled or trade workers. The exclusion of this section of the demographic, who are surely still involved in the pop-culture, can negatively affect the view of the profile of those who hold their appearance and sex appeal above other values. From this a clear connection to level of maturity can be seen through the priorities of these young people. Many of them are now for the first time, or otherwise have never supported themselves financially and have not learned the importance in being fiscally responsible. There is something to be said about their scope in their current situation, due to the fact that they put relationships and sex ahead of much more basic needs. According to Abraham Maslow s hierarchy of needs, in order to reach self-fulfillment, they must first meet basic needs such as safety before moving on the higher step of sex (McLeod). When applying this theory to 4

5 lessons in personal finances, they are essentially putting the safety and comfort of a properly functioning vehicle behind less fundamental needs. AJ Will The infrequent deviation from this profile is only ever a female from the same age group and socio-economic status. The idea that these cars are symbols of people who are socially wellliked and sexually desirable fits the male stereotypes most closely, so the focus of conversation changes from male to female participants. Males discuss how the car will help them get dates and girls, while girls focus on how the cars make them look cool or hip. This difference in consistent with unequal treatment of women that is present in hip-hop culture, but the intentional placement of females on the show is intended to reduce the polarity of its presence in the show. The rapper chosen to host the show is the thread that holds them all together, acting as a figure head for this sub-culture and its values. The Deal By looking at the values, commodities, and followers of Pimp My Ride, it can be seen that the reality in this reality TV show is one fabricated on poor values and fundamental psychological errors. The show aired for 6 seasons, had an international version, and a spin-off called Trick My Truck. Since 2005, MTV has broadcasted a series of images that put aesthetics, sex, and imitation above important values such as safety. The rappers who promote these ideals through this show and their music videos choose to put the money they earn above the importance of instilling good values in young adults. The producers at MTV have been successful at creating both a lie and a profit by making people believe that it is realistic to live a sex-filled, rock star lifestyle, and all they need to do it is have a pimped out ride. The only things real about Pimp My Ride are the cast, cars, and millions of viewers who buy the lie. 5

6 AJ Will Works Cited Felluga, Dino. "Modules on Marx: On Fetishism." Introductory Guide to Critical Theory. Date of last update, which you can find on the home page. Purdue U. 23 August < Mcleod, Saul. "Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs." Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. Simply Psychology, Web. 23 Oct < 6