Miata = man purse with wheels?

Its truly rare that anything thought provoking comes from Top Gear USA, but last night Rutledge described the Miata as a "man purse with wheels". First, as any good Miata owner would, I scoffed at the notion. Now I'm wondering, does the analogy work? Discussion format: Reasons why it does, Reasons why it doesn't. Conclusion.

Example:

Reasons why it does: -Right or wrong, Miatas (purses) are associated with women. Men who have Miatas (man purses) feel the need to justify having a Miata (man purse) despite the association, and go out of their way to justify possessing a Miata (purse).

Reasons why it doesn't: Purses aren't fun.

Conclusion: No

The hairdresser thing (and all the associated crap) is getting pretty tired. Seriously, it's been a quarter century. Come up with something new. Or we'll have to keep going with Camero trailer park mullet jokes.

Meanwhile, I've had Miata owners make hairdresser comments about my CRX.

Reasons why it doesn't: I've never been one who felt the need to carry a "man card" or prove my manhood through the kind of car I drive. Don't care.

Conclusion: I'm over it.

Purely from a fashion perspective, it totally is. But in terms of fun and function it's way better than any man-purse

Yes, I would consider a Miata to be a scrotum with wheels. I know I would cry if someone hit mine.

In literature, the satchel is often associated with the classic image of the English schoolboy. The Miata is often associated with the classic English sports car.

So no, not a man purse. A Satchel. Indiana Jones wears one.

And like a man-purse, with a few mods you can make it look manly enough that nobody will notice

the core question- do you drive a car for image, or for other reasons?

To me, anyone that brings up maniness is talking image. Since Top Gear brought this up, then it appears that image is more important than substance to some of them.

Since image is not a top priority to me, that means I don't have to pay attention to Top Gear. yay.

If someone brings up the whole image thing to me about my cars, I always as them if they have a problem. Since they seem to have to compensate some kind of issue that I don't have.

Where I'm at, the hairdresser jokes are practically unheard of. The Miata has once again become respected :D

For the little while I had mine, the girls said it was a fun car, that it was sporty, and that it was...cute. Ok sure.

The car guys I knew all dug it because they knew what Miatas were capable of. You could get out of the car and they would say "Ah a Miata! You must be a car guy. I owned one of those once..."

Of course right in line with the hairdresser comments, there are still the occasional "gay" jokes. "Ah a Miata! You must date men!" (facepalm). Said my friend "The Miata...light, quick, easy to work on, and a great way to meet guys."

These things are said very jokingly though, nobody is really judging you for driving one. I feel like the hate/criticism has pretty much blown over.

I think it was drsmooth on this board who bedded two women who mistook his Miata for a Porsche

My 7 year old boy has been carrying around a bag with him to carry all his crap. My wife was picking on him and called it a purse. He asked me if men carried purses, "absolutely not" I said, "what you have there is a satchel". His eyes lit up and ran to his mom and said "it's a satchel not a purse Mom!" She said "that's not a satchel, it's purple and has glitter on it!"

Moral of the story? Just drive the damn thing!

I see a lot of you are in denial.

I can say this, I took my rebel yelling, jacked up 4x4 drivin, backwoods southern raised country boy cousin for a spin in my Miata after listening to his gay and hairdresser jokes.

They immediately stopped.

Didn't hurt that I took him through a set of corners that he's flipped a truck in at the speed he'd flipped at. On the way back I turned up the wick.

I occasionally get cracks about it, (I do live in said small/hick town)but they usually stop when they spot the roll bar, and not a "style bar". And I agree with the above posters, I feel no reason to prove how "manly" I am. Heck that car has gotten me laid, I can't complain one bit about it.

If you want to call some vehicle a purse, it should probably be a jacked up 4x4 pickup - at least it has a lot of room to carry stuff around in.

I agree the whole stereotype thing is pretty tiresome. The Miata thing should be put to rest, along with comments about scooters (especially the boring old joke about being fun to ride but you wouldn't want your friends to see you doing it.)

1988RedT2 wrote: I see a lot of you are in denial.

This

I've actually seen those jokes all but go away now that the Swag Drift Stance y0! crowd has gotten a hard-on for them.

Reasons why it doesn't: The association was made from the worst Top Gear. The American Top Gear is terrible because the cast is lame. The US version repeats what the UK/Original version and somehow it always comes up flat, not funny, and not original. Justifying they have no sense of reality. Therefore, they are not an authority in anything without the UK version telling them so.

Conclusion: Never listen to anything that Rutledge says.

In reply to Swank Force One:

Chances are it was the drift/stance tards that were the ones leading the charge on that front?

Stupidest thread ever.

I drive a Miata. Or a wagon. To add to the stereotype I was a collegiate level cheerleader once upon a time (try telling one of those guys they are anything less that serious atheletes). I even went to nursing school for a while (seemed a reasonable career to follow my time as an army medic).

So by the reasoning of knuckle draggers everywhere I should be leading the pride parade in a feather boa but that just isn't how it works.

I find a more accurate stereotype to be that anyone who drives a Prius voted for Obama.....

KyAllroad wrote: I find a more accurate stereotype to be that anyone who drives a Prius voted for Obama.....

Was that an excavator I just heard fire up?

kreb wrote: Stupidest thread ever.

It's right up there, that's for sure.

Regardless of how you feel about Rut or the American version of TG, you need to understand that it's a TV show made for entertainment. People on shows like that say things they don't really mean for humor or shock value or whatever. Reading too much into their comments is rather silly.

I DD'd a bright orange '73 Beetle and a '78 Blazer with 40" tires and camo paint. I usually drive when the family takes the Caravan.

I also wear a plaid "skirt" and throw heavy stuff around a field.

Judging and worrying about being judged is "gay" (NTTAWWT) the gay guys I know drive an Explorer, an Acura TL and a Wrangler.

Edit: I'm also a nurse... Who drives a big, old, V8, 4x4 Ford truck to work.

kazoospec wrote: Its truly rare that anything thought provoking comes from Top Gear USA,

Wait... There's a Top Gear USA?

Handling-wise, my beater Miata has spoiled me for almost anything else. To some, it might be a rolling vajayjay. Who cares what other people think?

If you're worried about your manly image (or lack thereof) get a diesel pickup. Then go to Autozone and get mudflap girl everything and put all questions about your orientation to rest.

Meanwhile in the real world, The early Miata is becoming a modern classic. Prices are slowly on the rise.

If a big bro-dozer lifted truck means you are compensating for a small package, a Miata therefore means you must be huge. It's simple logic, really.