VIDEO: Saturn's demise? We blame Jim Gaffigan*
Click above to view the video after the jump
When the deal to sell Saturn to Penske Automotive fell through, there were likely a lot of surprised people at General Motors' Detroit, MI headquarters. Penske released a statement saying that the reason the deal fell through after months of good faith negotiations was that a suitable post-GM supply of vehicles could not be found. However, after reacquainting ourselves with over eight minutes of outtakes from Jim Gaffigan's old Saturn commercial, we're thinking the comedic pitchman is to blame.
Hit the jump to join in on the laughs. Gaffigan is a flat-out goofball, and we're pretty sure he's addicted to calling animals and inanimate objects his family members. We're not sure how the old guy with the lease term paper didn't flip the hell out, though. Sure, the video is old, but considering the quickening demise of the Saturn brand, we feel it's apropos to revisit it now. Besides, we reckon that both Saturn fans and employees could use a bit of humor at a time like this.
*WARNING: Explicit language may be NSFW.
[Source: YouTube]
Get a WordPress.com Blog
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Thomas 12:38PM (10/02/2009)
I blame Jim Smith, the 'saturn total confidence' shill who was the public face to saturn's blatant rip-off of the hyundai assurance. http://imsaturn.com/video/saturn-total-confidence-tv Mr. "At saturn, we wouldn't do that," but they always did, take your car if you couldn't make the payments.
Reply
John 4:45PM (10/02/2009)
um, all of GM's divisions shared in that program, not just Saturn.
Thomas 5:13PM (10/02/2009)
The point is, in the advertisement, he said "At Saturn, we wouldn't do that" (take your car if you can't make the payments.) And until that ad promoting their version of Hyundai Assurance came out, that is _exactly_ what Saturn (and GM) had done whenever any of their customers couldn't make the payments because they lost their job or for any other reason. And they had to insult Hyundai in the process.
Alex K 10:47PM (10/03/2009)
"take your car if you can't make the payments."
If you don't make the payments it's not your car...
Farmboy 12:49PM (10/02/2009)
Blaming Jim Gaffigan last time I check....yeah, it is a crime. He is too funny. hahaha
Reply
Independence76 1:02PM (10/02/2009)
I've always loved this video.
Gets me everytime.
Reply
raw toast 1:02PM (10/02/2009)
Hot Pockets
Reply
BoxerFanatic 1:56PM (10/02/2009)
Bippity-boppity- BACON!!!!!!
Kevinkeenan 10:44PM (10/02/2009)
That guy is creepy...
Justin 1:07PM (10/02/2009)
Why are there so many spineless politically correct people out here? Why shoot the messenger, when it is clearly, entirely the union's cause that destroyed Saturn and almost the entire American car industry.
It is the unions along with liberals that forced the auto industry to pay $35/hr, 45+ if you add on the pension & all that cr@p.
If the auto industry wasn't forced to pay a good 25% or more premium on market salary, the American cars would be far more reliable in design, and Saturn wouldn't be out of business.
Reply
jowen 1:38PM (10/02/2009)
Justin - You have failed miserably at understanding sarcasm, and then interjected with some tired right wing tag line about blaming the unions. FAIL!
paul34 2:26PM (10/02/2009)
I think we've hashed out the role of unions and apathetic management in the demise of the domestics; however, it's beyond the scope of this article, which was clearly sarcastic/made for somewhat humorous purposes. Relax man.
uzz30driver 1:22PM (10/02/2009)
It's all those lazy poodle-pumper union bastards who wrecked it. No big deal about saturn though, all they had going for them was the Sky redline.
Reply
Kevinkeenan 10:47PM (10/02/2009)
Yah, but at least the Solstice is still around... Nevermind. FAIL!
iQuack 1:23PM (10/02/2009)
Unions are parasites that ultimately kill their hosts.
Reply
Clay Garland 12:32PM (10/03/2009)
And a parasite that kills its host isn't a very good parasite, is it?
minidude 1:39PM (10/02/2009)
Justin... you don't think it had anything to do with bad design, bad decisions and bad build quality? Yes, greedy people, blue collar and not helped for sure.... but just look out your window at at Malibu or Cobalt... Gak! Ya got to ask if Toyota is building plants here and their ugly Camrey is a best seller where did we go wrong... Where is the Euro Ford Focus RS or the fine Mondial?
Reply
another view 2:00PM (10/02/2009)
Worst 3 cars I have ever owned. 2009 WRX (blown motor at 6800 miles), 2004 Honda Accord (blown transmission at 9,000 miles), 2005 MINI Cooper S (failed seat heaters, radio, clutch, flywheel and throw out bearing at 7700 miles). Sold the MINI at 13,500 mile because the trans was failing. I have owned 23 cars and am 48 years old.
minidude 2:17PM (10/02/2009)
Another view... not saying imports are best. My comments were related to Justin suggesting Saturn went down because of UNIONS.
I have owned 3 MINI Coopers. 2002 MCS, a piece of crap, a 2003 MC now with 100,000+ miles, my daughter drives it, and the only thing wrong with it has been getting it into reverse. I now own a 2004 MCS with heated seats and full packages and the only thing I have had to replace at 65,000 has been windshields. I belong to a club here in SoCal with some 500 MINIs. I'd say 70-80%are quite happy. Too bad you had trouble with yours.
The best vehicle I've ever owned has been a 1997 Toyota 4Runner the worst... Ford AeroStar.
I'm 63 and have owned countless vehicles and the worst have been American, sorry to say. I hadn't owned a US vehicle since 1970 and then came the Aerostar and I dropped that turd in 11 months.
You can't really be defending our auto industry now can you? I'd buy the Ford Focus RS if they indeed sent or built that car here.
TimO 7:24PM (10/02/2009)
@anotherview: You'll forgive me for suspecting that the 2 transmission and 1 engine failures on very new cars had less to do with the cars and more to do with you.
Stories of initial failures of major drivetrain components on modern cars are few and far between. That you managed to have 3 fail on you like that is too much to be coincidental.