Are we a cult, yet?

Napoleon XIV.

 

Thanks Bob, now I'll have that stupid tune haunting my mind all day.

 

As someone that has been a long, long time observer of Prius Chat but had the separation possible of not actually owning a Prius?

Without trying to pick a fight, I'd say the creators of South Park did hit upon an aspect of SOME Prius owners, and maybe all of us, at some times. Prius owners can sometimes be "smug" in relationship to their Prius ownership and operation. But this really shouldn't be too surprising as visit any automotive enthusiast website or forum and you are likely to find a population at any given time that is pretty confident, happy and "smug" about their automotive choice. I think it only becomes a little higher profile when you are driving a Prius, because The Prius for all it's increasingly mainstream glory, is still a comparatively unique automobile. Recently I have found that people, Co-Workers and the such will ask "How do you like your Prius?" and when you tell them it's great, quiet, comfortable, reliable and averages upwards of 50 mpg...you get a sometimes quietly jealous reaction. Am I being "smug" in response? No....I think what I'm saying about the Prius is true. It's actually the only response I can honestly give. But sometimes, especially when you are purchasing gas at less than half the rate of other people, people don't really want you to share your happiness. They would rather hear the Jeff Dunham description of Prius ownership and operation.

Are Prius owners a cult? Is Prius Chat a cult? Well despite the propensity to gather in large groups in California State Parks to celebrate the wonders of Hybrid ownership and fellowship, I'm easily going to say no. There is way, way too much diversity among us, in thought and operational application of ownership of our common vehicles for me to label "us" as a cult. "Cult" like "Smug" I think is a label that others like to apply to Prius owners, but like "smug" I don't think cult is really applicable either. Of course Toyota doesn't help when they release commercials of glazed eyed young people mindlessly dancing around Prius and Hybrids while singing repeatedly "Join Us!".

But scroll through Prius Chat on any given day, any given time, and find the incredibly diverse ways that all of us enjoy and sometimes suffer with Prius ownership and I think that diversity clearly divorces "us" from being a cult. We can barely agree on window tinting, 17 inch tires, and suspension heights....let alone how to use "B" on our Prius...this isn't a cult, we'd get along better if it was. At best I think we are loosely connected family of owners of a still unique and yet increasingly mainstream vehicle. At worst? We are the hybrid owning equivalent of "The Lord Of The Flies" . But since I believe there is a best and worst to us, and an entire spectrum in between, I have no real fear that I have joined a cult.

 

Bob, I believe we are a cult, in a mostly good way.

Since a cult is a small unpopular religion, and a religion is a large popular cult, my question is, "will the Prius eventually become a religion, or will it become secularized and just be another car?"

 

My Prius has risen from the dead twice... all I had to do is wait a month until it returned to me via the body shop...

 

I'd characterize it as strong branding - not a cult.

 

We are mostly emotionally engaged with the brand. Although it would take some convincing to get us to consider other brands/cars, I don't think anyone here is 100% loyal. If Honda came out with a decent hybrid, I guarantee I would go back over there.

 

One rarely hears a cult member describe their organization as a cult.

 

Cult?

Danny hasn't offered any 'Smugly Pious' Kool-Aid in the company store... yet.
Color? Holier Than Thou Purple, of course.

 

cult-ure. and classy! bob, you should have polled how many knew that song, would be a good age detector.

 

Koo-el! Did you do that yourself?

Make it an inside-the-window sticky.
We can mount it next to the Get Your Hybrid Nation Badge | PriusChat when it comes...

Pick one: Classy... Sassy... Trashy.

 

Yes and the URL of that meme generator is in the bottom right of the meme in my post. They are easy to make.

 

My notion of cults is that they have strong leaders. Seems not to be the case here. Here we have quite a diverse group, frequent squabbles, and not much more than one thing in common.

it is a good point though, that someone ought to whip up some koolaid for TGB4. Preferably lacking cyanide.

 

From Season 10, Episode #2, "Smug Alert," 3-29-2006 They predicted the Prius v.

 

When the object of veneration is an object, not a person, then the appropriate description might be a fetish. With apologies to those who accept the narrowed definition of fetish to refer to things not safe for work discussions.

So, I'm going with fetish, broadly defined.

 

Yes, Need a robot like this in the passenger seat to play at stop lights.

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Toyota 'Need' Bots Show Off Their Violin and Trumpet Skills