My Wheels, My Self

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I suppose he's right. I also hope, though, that Pimp's viewers--watching a channel increasingly dedicated to the idea that a car, or a mansion, or a new pair of breasts, is the ticket to fulfillment--realize there are cheaper routes to self-esteem. "We're about to put $20,000 into a $900 car," a craftsman boasts as he rebuilds a pathetic Mitsubishi Mirage for Antwon, a 19-year-old art student. The gleaming, finished car is hilariously over the top (it includes a built-in fish tank), and Antwon is delighted. But I have to wonder: Wouldn't he be better off with $20,000 to pimp his college fund?

That, of course, is the spoilsport New Yorker in me. The Michigan kid in me replies, Better not to ask. Better to enjoy the ride. Better to step back and admire your reflection in the beautiful Mirage.