@imhkr on twitter
late 30s trans girl
Video Games, Retro tech,
anime and tokusatsu nerd
behind the scenes @cathoderaydude
FFXIV Daria Imhkr@Ultros
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Art by @dataerase
incredible article tbh, i did not even think about the dumb truck's design specs and how they tie back to musk's [gestures vaguely in his general direction] everything
the vehicle as weaponized self-expression. great stuff. today's my "go extremely offline & touch grass outside" day, so this was a nice way to be greeted by the written word I've been missing out on elsewhere.
as an aside, welcome to seattle- if you ever want to connect with a circle of local folks for tea etc, hmu.
thank you so much! I would love to get tea sometime!! my email is on my website or you can use DMs on twitter etc, that sounds lovely
fantastic piece. glad you brought out data on the vehicle weights, that shit's been on my mind since a local Dem campaigned on safer streets "for motorists, pedestrians, and bicyclists" - as if motorists don't already come first enough 🙄🙄
I was lucky a couple years ago to be able to walk away with just massive bruises after being hit by a sedan.
I can't see how someone could survive being hit by something like this, even at low speeds.
The reason I was lucky enough to be able to walk away was that the car swept me off my feet and I rolled up onto the hood. The way the front is angled out on the cybertruck, it seems like it would just push pedestrians down and under.
vehicle weight is a huge issue and no one wants to discuss it in my industry because it flies directly in the face of electrification initiatives, but the problem is, of course, that we cannot consume our way out of a crisis. this is inconvenient to notice for auto reviewers
i would do anything for states to do in-state size / weight purchase limits. there’s no reason we can’t switch over to kei van formfactors, switch to european sized vehicles, and limit existing trucks to commercial licenses
as unrealistic as I know this is
Wow, those marketing images really lean into the whole "this is the truck for the apocalypse" vibe.
I'm glad that someone is talking about the cultural implications of this sort of thing in a magazine manufacturers pay attention to. Hopefully, it will discourage others from going in the same direction.
right?! that's just the default launch press pack!!! also thank you!
that's a good piece, and I think you've definitely gotten to the heart of the Tesla CyberTruck's appeal: it's not even really supposed to be a truck so much as it's meant to give its owners the feeling that they're in a stylish tankette, like it was the Batmobile. I'm guessing that Elon Musk's fans are...probably likely to be the sort of people who are afraid of getting shot, because Elon Musk fans tend to be shitheads.
what's especially remarkable to me about Tesla in general is that they seem to be aiming at a fanbase that loves cars but hates driving—at least, they want a machine to do as much the driving as possible. it's like they want some way they can keep doing what they're always doing (i.e. chasing money while on their phones etc.) and yet still feel like they're behind the controls of a personal spaceship. ~Chara
I think the broader movement of the EV era will be to target buyers who hate driving, who are largely wealthy and commute in their own pods because they cannot access or refuse to use transit, tbh. I think Tesla just rightly identified that demographic earlier than most!
I didn't think I thought much of the cybertruck beyond the product feeling edgy but pointless. As though it was a truck for someone who doesn't want to carry anything. Reading your piece and your viewpoint was a valuable experience. I think the element of advertising itself as dangerous knife, in a increasingly hostile America adds more (horrible) intent to the design. Your work here answers some of my questions on the cybertruck's point.
Edgy murder fantasy vehicles aside, I hope you find some unexpected peace and goodwill out there this winter! thank you for sharing your work!
thank you, and I hope you find some as well! glad you enjoyed!