Friday Funny: Eulogy for the Hummer

A victim of soaring gas prices, a slumping economy and a changing public consciousness, the Hummer appears headed for extinction.

1 minute read

December 5, 2008, 2:00 PM PST

By Michael Dudley


"Since its debut in the early '90s as the manly man's answer to what to drive when a Dodge Ram pickup is just too damn small, the mighty Hummer has been celebrated and reviled as a metaphor for American bravado -- and wretched American excess.

[Now,] thanks to recent high gas prices, and the stunning collapse of domestic auto sales, Detroit can't give Hummers away. The beast, at least in its North American incarnation, may die not long after the Bush administration, whose shortsighted environmental policies and twisted tax codes helped give it commercial life.

What a shame! Now what are tree huggers going to use as a symbol of Detroit's excess? What are poor Richie Sambora and 50 Cent going to drive? In an affectionate eulogy, Salon presents proud moments in Hummer history."

Friday, December 5, 2008 in Salon.com

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