By Shira Ovide
If you didn’t tune out during a dull stretch of the Super Bowl last night, you may have caught rapper Eminem fronting a TV commercial for the Chrysler 200 car that was all about Detroit pride.
The ad showed Eminem cruising past spewing factories, the statue of boxer Joe Louis’s fist and other downtown Detroit sights. “When it comes to luxury, it’s as much about where it’s from as who it’s for,” intones the narrator. “Now we’re from America, but this isn’t New York City, or the Windy City…and we’re certainly no one’s Emerald City.”
Eminem ends by leaping on stage — with a chorus, naturally — at the historic Fox Theatre in Detroit. “This is the Motor City and this is what we do,” Eminem says.
But just a thought: Chrysler is 9% owned by taxpayers after a $9 billion federal rescue two years ago, and it’s part owned and run by an Italian, Fiat’s Sergio Marchionne. Can the company still brag about its Detroit origins?
Readers, what do you think?
I can’t wait to see the commercial for Goldman Saks after struggling for years due to the actions of greedy car companies and other American industries nearly brought them to their knees, but they struggled and fought and emerged with the heads up high and proud of who they are. “This isn’t the Windy City, this isn’t the Motor City and it ain’t the Emerald City, this is NY and this is what we do. We take billions from the bankers we planted in the Treasury Dept to cover our greedy mistakes….
No I don’t think the Fox WSJ would understand pride in honest hard work!
Yes, they can still claim Detroit. It’s their heritage.
Yes its a good commercial, but please stop for a minute and think people. I got a question for ya! Was this company part of the reason this city has been to hell and back. Yes it was!! Hard working woman and men lost jobs because the Chrysler corporate bigshots made bad decisions, for far too long. I hope this company comes back, but I hope the people, hold them accountable. Stop and think about it, Its propaganda, they stir your emotions and we get worked up and go Yeah!!!!!!!!!!!! Detroit. Its a Corporation who were part of the rise and fall of this city. Hopefully they can help in the future rebuilding but Shame on all of us if we are led by Propaganda and let them make the same mistakes.
Sergio Marchionne went to school right across the Detroit River, at the University of Windsor, and Chrysler has a history of paying back Federal loans…ahead of time; the US gov’t made money on it…just ask Lee Iacocca
i though Chicago was the windy city?