I recently learned that the new Lorax movie has one weird sponsor: Mazda. I really don't have any words to describe how this makes me feel. I've always found car commercials to be crass and ugly, but I think this has taken it to a whole new level. Not only does the commercial continue propagating the same stupid psychology typical of car commercials (especially grating is the phrase "joy of driving"), but it's doing so on the back of a beloved and pointed environmental warning.

Every time I think American culture cannot disappoint me any more, something like this - almost always an advertisement or new product - comes along to dig a deeper hole.

I assume that Halliburton will be the sponsor if ever they do The Better Butter Wars.

I've got worse. About 10 years ago here, there was a tennis tournament called the Salem Open. As in Salem tobacco, not Salem Massachusetts. Mazda might not be totally inappropriate - they do make a hybrid car. I mean, at least it isn't Hummer.

I understand the need to get your name out there, but why do you they have to change the names of places. In Michigan there is music venue formally known as Pine Knob. Now because the power company bought it or sponsored it or what ever they name has changed to the DTE Energy Music Theater. Blah...

The specific car the campaign is attached to is their CX-5, which is a non-hybrid SUV.

For what it's worth, I love driving. But I don't love driving SUVs.

I get why peole like driving SUVs as I used to own an '88 Chevy Blazer before trading it in for a new Toyota Corolla in '06. Aside from more room, I think sitting up higher gives the illusion of more power to the driver. Unfortunately too many can't get past the emotional attraction and think through getting something more practical.

As for out of control advertising I'm surprised the latest Snapple commercial hasn't been overwhelmed by complaints of racism and pulled off the air. Since the drink is 1/2 iced tea and 1/2 lemonade it features a black man arguing the tea (brown) half is better with an asian man who says the lemonade (yellow) half is better.

I didn't even notice that until you pointed it out, s.i.l.

I know it is stealthy but we all know how sensitive some are to such things like race and quick to complain.

It's a white guy who says "they're blended so well I can't say which is better" isn't it?

Yeah, I believe so. I saw that commercial and I couldn't help but wonder if someone out there was offended by it.

I'm not offended by your description of the ad, but I'd have to see the ad to be sure.

I checked a video of it. I probably wouldn't have noticed unless it was pointed out to me. It may have been simply unfortunate casting. A Yellow Ranger, Black Ranger incident, if you will.

The Power Rangers weren't the result of unfortunate casting, and neither was this. It's playing on the racism inherent in our culture and using it for humor.

It's funny, but I'm not sure if it should be.

Actually, the power rangers casting was re: their outfits was, officially, not intentional. The director, Haim Saban, thought the team needed two girls rather than one like in the original Japanese show, and thought yellow was more "feminine" than the other colors. The original actor cast, a Filipino-American woman, dropped out, and Thuy Trang was next in line. The black ranger actually being black is a little more hazy, but everything I could find indicates that it just wasn't considered before the show aired. Obviously, someone sent them a memo, because in subsequent seasons the colors the next group of actors wore were switched out (i.e., the black guy wore yellow, the Asian guy wore black).

We could perhaps have a discussion about subconscious decisions regarding costuming and race, but I'm thinking it really was unintentional. The Snapple commercial I'm unsure about, but given most commercials simply try to diversify, I could give them the benefit of the doubt.