Years ago, when we had cynic, George did some research on car ownership in the UK.
It focused on how drivers – specifically, British male drivers – saw car heirarchy and how they reacted and responded to it in their daily lives.
I remember us presenting it to clients who were shocked by the spoken and unspoken rules and cues of the road.
I say this for 2 reasons.
1. I recently saw an old BBC program that perfectly encapsulates George’s findings.
2. It’s near the end of the year and I’m running out of things to write about.
[Don’t get too excited, it’s only temporary, and it’s not like it impacts quality, ha]
Ignoring point 2 for a moment, the documentary was fascinating.
An insight into the mind and behaviours of middle England.
The role of the class system.
The quest for materialism.
The importance of status.
And while the way they demonstrate this is equal parts sad, curious, petty and hilarious … it’s all underpinned by a level of transparency, honesty and self-awareness that you can’t help admire and kinda-relate to.
The need to be seen … to be respected … to progress … while all the time, being deeply aware of ‘your place’ in societies pecking order, including knowing how to deal with the expectations of behaviour placed upon you because of it.
While those not from the UK may read this and laugh at the ridiculousness of it all, I can assure you, it was not just very real, it was a source of huge personal anxiety, vulnerability and pressure.
Now I don’t know if this ‘company car driver attitude’ remains.
And I don’t know if the ‘company car driver’ attitude was more prevelent in the UK.
Plus I’m not even sure if company car ‘ownership’ is as big in the UK as it once was.
But what I do know is that before we judge those in the program, we should look at how we’re behaving currently as individuals and as a society … because it can be argued we’re more caught up in ‘materialism heirarchy’ than any British company car driver of 1994.
Hell, when status is now defined/judged/awarded as much by how we live as what we own, it could be said we’re more caught up in the rat race than ever before.
So enjoy the show, but remember it’s more a mirror than a moment in history.
