Every person has his story, and every bumper sticker also comes from a specific background of sorts. It may be pure humor, political satire, political stand, a line from afavorite movie, a striking line from a song, or names of one’s children. Whatever the sticker has, it says a lot about the owner of the car in which it is stuck. For example, a car has this to say: There is no flag large enough to hide the shame of killing innocent people. -Howard Zinn. This shows that the owner of the car values peace.
It also means that he is against the war that the United States is putting up with other countries. Another car agrees with this bumper sticker, saying Peace is Patriotic. Other bumper stickers are meant for humor. There is I’m busy, you’re ugly, have a nice day; and Drugs lead nowhere, but it’s a scenic route. Another is Work harder, millions on welfare depend on you, and Speak your mind even if your voice shakes. These examples are just some among the millions, even billions, of quotations that Americans love to turn into bumper decals.
Though some will get a bumper sticker for the sheer aesthetics of it, some would opt for something which speaks their thoughts. This proves that bumper stickers are a way for Americans to converse. It is used to tell others the position of the car owner about something, without being popish about it. It is also a way to speak up satirically, lightening serious issues with a play on words. However, there is the saying that all jokes are always half meant. This can be said to be true in the case of bumper stickers.
While the car owners are injecting humor into the messages, they are undoubtedly meant to say something. Sometimes, it is an avenue to speak about something without really saying anything at all. Americans are letting their car bumpers do the talking so to speak. Some people post bumper stickers that say something about themselves. Thus, there are stickers bearing the words Lawyer, Vegan, American, Dog lover, and so on. There are also bumper stickers which make fun of what others are. A very funny example would be a Vegan bumper sticker with a fried chicken graphic.
A sticker with the words Well-behaved women rarely make history is another funny example. All of these talk about personalities, and the funnier the message then the more interesting the bumper sticker is for many Americans. Bumper stickers are also good tools for recognizing the feelings of others and identifying it with one’s own. A sticker saying: Caution: Backseat Driver may well be chosen by someone whose wife or relative loves to play the role—and when an American has these words in his car bumper, it is easy for others in the same situation to identify.
Anyone who has been spotted on by a pigeon will laugh at a Take revenge, shit on a pigeon bumper sticker. Drivers whose cars are old-fashioned or even junky can identify with the bumper sticker This is not an abandoned vehicle. The same goes with bumper stickers saying Yes, as a matter of fact I do own the whole damn road, which can be funny for other drivers to see. Other stickers can be discriminating too. There is Caution: Blonde thinking, which is a take against blondes. There is also the sarcasticFeminismis the radical notion that women are people.
Other stickers teach lessons: Change how you see, not how you look; Support our troops, bring them home; while others advertise presidential candidates, political parties, organizations, companies, and even websites. Indeed, bumper stickers are already a part of the American life. Friends may even compare and share laughs on these simple decals. Yet on these simple conversations from such simple things, there is always a deeper thought. Bumper stickers say something about their owners, as much as the owners would like to say something through them.
