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Fiat Strikes Again: Another Sexist Commercial, This Time for the Fiat 500S

What exactly is a "bad boy"? Or, more to the point, should we want to be one? Would our mothers want us to be bad boys? Is that a good thing? I mean, have we been wrong all this time asking our dogs "who's a good boy?"
Fiat 500S commercial 1 photo
Photo: Screenshot from YouTube
Fiat sure seems to think it's a good thing since it is associating the 500S model with this idea. Let's ignore for a second the fact that it is absolutely hilarious to imagine the 500 (be it an S) has anything to do with boys, not to mention bad ones, and just focus on the message this commercial sends out.

We all know Fiat is an Italian brand, and its communication strategy doesn't shy away from reminding us that. We also know that one of the cliches surrounding Italians, besides them loving macaroni and cheese, is that they are very passionate when it comes to amore (that's love). And by "passionate," I mean they like women too much to settle on just the one.

Most people would find this trait of innate unfaithfulness a bit insulting, but the Italian appear to bask in it. Well, at least that's what Fiat wants us to believe since it's positioning its 500S model as the car for those men who treat women like socks. Apparently, that's what being a "bad boy" means and that's precisely why your mother didn't want you to be one.

Think for a moment: what could cause a young lady to behave like that, storming out of the car, slamming the door, kicking the tire and smashing the hood with one of her precious possessions: the purse? Could it be that the "bad boy" inside was unfaithful? Most likely. Or is Fiat trying to suggest that women are hysterical and overreact for no reason, and they're lucky we put up with their crap? I'm starting to doubt that anyone involved in making this clip even has a wife. Or ever will, for that matter.

I get it, really, it's a joke. And it's also advertising where exaggerating for the purpose of conveying a message is normal, but there are still some lines that shouldn't be crossed so easily. I'm not for exaggerated political correctness, but let's try not to perpetuate some stupid cliches that aren't even true, nor to promote questionable morals as something desirable.

The thing is Fiat is on a bit of a roll here after the scandal in Argentina where a booklet that came with the company's new 124 Spider convertible made some insulting comments towards women, which prompted a reaction from various feminist organizations. This clip only comes to confirm that it wasn't an accident.

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About the author: Vlad Mitrache
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"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie)
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