I was standing on my front porch this bright sunny day. My neighbor's blinged-out Cadillac Escalade was parked in front of my house, and I suddenly had a Detroit flashback.

In those days, the favored car among pimps was the Buick Electra. Usually they would be was kitted out with wire wheels, continental spare tire, curb feelers, fringe at the top of the windshield, and pillows on the parcel shelf. With the continental kit, these cars were about twenty feet long, literally. The pimps themselves had a dress code that consisted of polyester suits with wide lapels and flared trousers, platform shoes, shades, excessive gold jewelry, big hair and a wide brimmed hat.

About twenty years after I left Detroit, I was working on a movie where several of the main characters were pimps (Yes, really.) At this point in history, many non-pimps were delving deeply into the modern pimp aesthetic. At this time, automotively speaking, that meant a big SUV, preferably black, although pearl white was acceptable, with big wheels and super low-profile tires, illegal window tint, and of course, lots of Pep Boys accessories. You couldn’t buy the car without an appropriate uniform and that meant a T-shirt, baggy shorts, designer sneakers, backwards baseball hat, and the requisite shades and gold jewelry.

That was over twenty years ago. Those trends haven't exactly gone away. In fact several luxury manufacturers like Mercedes-Benz and Lexus have been building giant SUVs catering to today's most decadent consumers. This you call "progress?"


(Disclaimer: This Journal is not intended to be an endorsement of pimps or pimping.)