This Is Our Cleaned Up Country

Unless I'm missing something, the Chevy adds for Silverado trucks have been sanitized of the video that might suggest life in America isn't all baseball, hot dogs, apple pie, and NASCAR.

I gave the car company, or in this case truck company, a lot of credit for its "This is Our Country" musical montage that included footage of Nixon resigning and Katrina, if I recall, which suggested strength and resillience–good truck values–rather than simply a rose-colored adland larded with patriotic symbols and devoid of complexity or pain.

Not that there wasn't heartland evocation to spare in the ads, but at least it was alloyed with some of the imperfections that are out country, too.

Now, the adds seem to be of the stock, unalloyed variety, which may only be because the former did not sell trucks. Still, I'm sorry just the same.

And speaking of imperfections, ABC's Brothers & Sisters his neck and neck with Boston Legal for taking on tough subjects. Sunday night's episode dealt with the character of Justin and his fear of returning to Iraq, as well as his sister's fear of a post 9/11 world.

I know, the world is full of dead bodies to be forensically examined from every angle, but I am so much more impressed by the shows that examine a body social and politic that needs help right now.

By John Eggerton