Long ago Quote by Michael Perry
““It isn't just the idea of a woman in a truck. At this point, they're everywhere. The statisticians tell us today's woman is as likely to buy a truck as a minivan. One cheers the suffrage, but the effect is dilutive. My head doesn't snap around the way it used to. Ignoring for the moment that my head (or the gray hairs upon it) may be the problem, I think it's not about women in trucks, it's about certain women in certain trucks. Not so long ago I was fueling my lame tan sedan at the Gas-N-Go when a woman roared across the lot in a dusty pickup and pulled up to park by the yellow cage in which they lock up the LP bottles. She dismounted wearing scuffed boots and dirty jeans and a T-shirt that was overwashed and faded, and at the very sight of her I made an involuntary noise that went, approximately, ohf...! I suppose ohf...! reflects as poorly on my character as wolf whistle, but I swear it escaped without premeditation. Strictly a spinal reflex. [...] The woman plucking her eyebrows in the vanity mirror of her waxed F-150 Lariat does not elicit the reflex. Even less so if her payload includes soccer gear or nothing at all. That woman at the Gas-N-Go? I checked the back of her truck. Hay bales and a coon dog crate. Ohf...!””
About This Quote
Source Interview: The New Yorker, “The Art of the Truck”, 2015
The speaker notes that his automatic reaction to a woman in a pickup truck is tied to stereotypes about certain women, not all women drivers, revealing hidden bias triggered by visual cues.
In simple terms: He reacts differently to women in trucks based on appearance, showing subconscious bias.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and question automatic judgments about people.
Themes
bias
stereotypes
gender
perception
Mood
reflective
critical
thoughtful
Type
observational
personal
cultural.
When to use this quote
- shopping at gas stations
- seeing women drive trucks
- media representations
- personal interactions
Key Concepts
social psychology
implicit bias
cultural norms
Questions to Reflect On
- What visual cues trigger your own biases?
- How can you pause before reacting?
A Different Perspective
The reaction may be more about the speaker's own insecurities than the woman's vehicle.
