James Howard Kunstler Rips On Campus Martius Park, Chrysler Ad

DetroitDad · February-11-11, 02:25 AM

You guys will get a kick out of this one, really. It's episode #143 in the player.

Link: http://kunstlercast.com/

Proof that you just can't win with some people [[and why).

**blackmath** · February-11-11, 05:57 AM

According to him, Detroit couldn't possibly have places with doormen, and that shot was from somewhere on 5th Avenue in New York, and the entire city is basically destroyed and primitive.

Where do they find guys like him?

**adamjab19** · February-11-11, 07:30 AM

Poking through this podcast:

At the beginning Detroit and the commercial are brought up and some American rental cars are trashed for a minute. Then FINALLY at minute 38 the host says, "Getting back to the original idea about this Detroit commercial..." Then at the 38:15 minute mark they start talking about railways! This podcast isn't against Detroit, it isn't even about Detroit!

Maybe I missed something, but besides the title of the podcast Detroit is mentioned about 3 times and then trash American rental cars which is in fact pretty easy, and obvious, to do. This guy goes from the auto companys [[for a second) to Vietnam to Reagan to railway and it's over.

**mwilbert** · February-11-11, 07:51 AM

There is often a grain of truth in what Kunstler says, but his schtick is to be so hyperbolic that the actual words are usually incorrect.

**iheartthed** · February-11-11, 08:41 AM

I can understand criticizing Detroit. I can understand criticizing the content of the commercial because "most of Detroit doesn't look like that" [[however irrelevant the point may be... most of New York City doesn't look like 5th Avenue either). But to make claim that there is nothing in Detroit that looks like that while simultaneously claiming to have spent a lot of time there makes you sound like a fucking fool. What an ass.

**DetroitPlanner** · February-11-11, 09:00 AM

Originally Posted by iheartthed

But to make claim that there is nothing in Detroit that looks like that while simultaneously claiming to have spent a lot of time there makes you sound like a fucking fool. What an ass.

- What he said, there has always been something about this guy that has rubbed me the wrong way. Way too smug, he wants to be Jane Jacobs but has all the tact of a drunk monkey.

If you have read any of his books, he hates cars to begin with. He likes to paint Detroit as a hell hole. Combine these two and you have fodder for him.

**GOAT** · February-11-11, 09:08 AM

I think he just has grumpy old-man syndrome.

Sure he has some spot-on remarks as to what passes for architecture today [[cripes there is some bad junk out there) but really Campus Martius? It is rated one of the better urban parks in the country for meow's sake.

I thikn he is another Richard Florida, all show with no go; an idealist not living in the real world.

**izzyindetroit** · February-11-11, 10:27 AM

kunstler is an idiot. you really shouldn't listen to him.

**sirrealone** · February-11-11, 10:33 AM

Response from Billy Madison's principal:

"Mr. Kunstler, what you've just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent podcast were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this forum is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no diggs, and may God have mercy on your soul."

**220hendrie1910** · February-14-11, 09:34 PM

Want a real belly-laugh at James Howard Kunstler's expense? Listen to KunstlerCast #65 [[from 2009), where he makes a number of embarrassing errors, including mistaking the Fox Theatre for the Michigan Theatre [[and then coming across it on Google Street View and pronouncing that they must have renovated it so that cars are no longer parked inside) and saying that he once drove a mile and half on a six-lane stretch of Woodward Avenue without realizing it was one-way the other way.

**220hendrie1910** · February-14-11, 10:08 PM

The building with the doorman in the ad is the Penobscot, not something on Fifth Avenue. I think I'll take a walk over to JHK's blog and smack him around some.

**Lt. Dan Bassett** · February-14-11, 10:22 PM

Originally Posted by 220hendrie1910

The building with the doorman in the ad is the Penobscot, not something on Fifth Avenue. I think I'll take a walk over to JHK's blog and smack him around some.

in the spirit of getting it right you could start of by transposing the "s" and "t" in his name. now then, you're ready to smack that bitch up.

**canuck** · February-14-11, 10:50 PM

Actually, you could make a point for bad design in japanese cars or german cars, whatever. He is taking easy jabs at everything american it seems. The Toyota Matrix has the stupidest wiperblade in its rear window that arcs at a puny 12 inch radius. This from the largest auto manufacturer in the world? WTF? Chrysler cars have pretty good interior design compared to Toyota or even Honda. The Civic has a 5 inch digital tachometer that stares at you from above the steering wheel in bright blue. No let-up. I would walk rather than be subjected to that car design from a successful car company.

I agree with you about Richard Florida, he is a flavor of the month urbanite. I cant find the meat in anything he writes, it is all about pushing his conference and book tour circuit. He will give you the magic recipe, sprinkling gays here, adding a couple of tech there and creatives in right measure to get the right kind of city. Not much better than a VICE or an ASKMEN review of cities.

**JBMcB** · February-14-11, 11:58 PM

Kunstler's worldview is that everything and anything having to do with the automobile is evil. Detroit, veritable home of the auto, is therefore ground zero for his wrath. Everything about Detroit must be terrible, there can't be any redeeming qualities in the city or it's people, as it's practically the anti-thesis for the purpose of his being.