Leave it to Roll-Oh is a silly, long-form advertisement from General Motors and its subsidiaries, but it posits particular relationships between people and technology. In this ad, how will robot technology change lives? Do all kinds of people co-exist with robots in the same way? In one or two well-formed paragraphs, make a specific point about how this ad imagines people (or one kind of person) interacting with “robots.”
6 thoughts on “Leave it to Roll-Oh (group 4)”
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
I’m deeply intrigued by the human character exchanges in the first half of the ad–before it topples over into the realm of commercialism, and simply allows itself to soak in the genre fun of a robot-riddled reality. The short opens with a mechanic tuning up Roll-Oh’s control panel–a bored housewife sitting across from him and watching with a glazed look in her eyes. The mechanic then attempts to explain his repairs to her–all of which go over her head in a short dialogue sequence played for laughs. This joke functions by harnessing societal archetypes that the audience is familiar with–but contextualizing them within heightened, unfamiliar realities (i.e. a sci-fi future). We’ve seen this scene before–a male mechanic twisting a screwdriver while explaining to a ditzy woman how her car works; she pretends to understand, but clearly she doesn’t. Remove all of the bells and whistles of Roll-Oh, and we have the familiar gender dynamics of an archaic joke setup; its humor is only bolstered by the fact that they’re talking about robots and not cars. One aspect sticks out, though–something which prevents this comparison from being perfect. The robot mechanic is written and played far more sophisticatedly than the archetypal mechanics dictated by these outdated genre conventions. This mechanic doesn’t speak in tough-guy/wise-guy colloquialisms, nor some kind of Brooklyn accent. He’s portrayed as more of a scientist than a mechanic; instead of saying “call again if ya need anything,” he states, “don’t hesitate to give us a ring.” The implications of this choice are interesting, as it assumes that, even in a fictitious society wherein robots are normal, Roll-Oh is still seen as highly technologically advanced–a far-cry from the tool of common folk. This social stratification is reaffirmed when the package delivery-boy is scared off by Roll-Oh. This scene–though, again, written for laughs–sticks out as it conflicts with the assumption that robots are the norm. Shouldn’t this delivery-boy have seen a robot before? Perhaps he is not wealthy enough to know the luxury of artificial intelligence. Indeed, as Elise and Colin both brought up below, Roll-Oh seems to be a tool of the elite.
I agree with Natalie’s view that this ad is targeted at upper middle class people at the time. These people for the most part could not afford butlers to do everything for them but, also had disposable income to spend on technology to make their lives easier. This made them the perfect target market for items like automobiles and kitchen appliances, that made everyday life, especially for the “suburban housewife”, much easier. It is clever how they use Roll-Oh to show upper middle class individuals how easy life is without having to perform the daily tasks of making a home. Then, General Motors makes these seem attainable by offering alternatives to Roll-Oh in the form of their products.
I also agree with Elsie’s view that General Motors wants robots to push the boundaries of what humans can do. Constantly throughout the video they make comparisons between human ability and robots, exclaiming that robots do not fatigue and are constantly working if need be. This is something that is physically impossible for humans. Since this idea may make people form a distrust in robots because they may eventually overpower humans, they end the ad by stating how robots can do the little things so humans can focus on their lives. This brings robots back into subservience in the eyes of the viewer and increases general motors chances of selling cars and appliances.
Like Will and Natalie said, many of the machines shown in the first half of the ad, including the imagined Roll-Oh, function for the sake of convenience of the user. I often associate convenience and leisure with people in the upper-class, as they can actually afford the appliances that relieve them from common house chores. Given that this ad was made in the ’40s, suburban housewives are an obvious target of ads like these, though housewives at this time were most often upper-middle class and white. So for the people rich enough to afford higher end “robots,” like cars and certain home appliances, they have more time to focus on other endeavors, while people without such funds interact with simpler robots that provide smaller services.
However, I don’t think that GM is just pushing the idea that robots make our lives easier, but also that robots are inherently capable of going beyond human limitations. The mechanized press can work all day long without sleep, cars that are faster than people rely on robots to run, etc. This potential of machines is not ominous in this ad, like it is in many dystopian storylines, since GM reminds us that these robots can’t actually function without our control. Cars and airplanes require us to steer, the press needs to sense a person to run, and even Roll-Oh needs a person to press its buttons. By presenting robots in such a way, GM is able to portray humans having steady control over the very things that surpass humanity.
I think that the ad addresses the common conception of robots as that which alleviates humans of their most mundane and basic responsibilities. The depiction of Roll-Oh as a butler-type figure means that the housewife does not have to fulfill the traditional domestic duties. She is able to sit and read magazines as the robot fulfills the domestic expectation of preparing dinner, feeding pets, answering doors, etc. Many of the tasks depicted are very minimal, but the completion of them by the robot means the elimination of minor interruptions to the housewife’s leisure. The ad’s portrayal of robotic functions outside the home (automatic lights, automatic water fountains) presents the elimination of even more basic functions. Pushing a button and flipping a switch are second nature, things that people might not even think about as they do them. Robots in the ad eliminate even the most minor inconvenience like standing up to turn on a light. The ad portrays robots as things that help rather than things that harm, perhaps countering the image of robots as dangerous invaders set on world domination. General Motors, then, applies this interpretation of robots as helpful rather than harmful to the technological components of their cars. Even if people do not fully understand what happens internally with car parts as they’re operating the vehicle, the functions of the mini “robots” in the car are intended to aid the operator. Like Chase said below, the message of the ad is that technology’s purpose is to make our lives easier.
I believe that this ad targets a general audience of people but more specifically, the upper-middle class. The housewife figure shown in the beginning is representative of this. She uses Roll Oh as her butler to make dinner, water the plants, and vacuum. The ad then transitions to her using the new robot technologies—the stove, toaster, tea kettle—and no longer has the need or use for Roll Oh. All of the apparent upper-class life fixings are now more accessible to everyone, including the new technology found in airplanes, cars, radio, etc. This new technology era brings ease to your life and more opportunity, but it also eliminates the need for more traditional fixtures like a butler or housekeeper. Therefore, different people co-exist with robots in different ways.
Additionally, this ad targets family and children, whether it is light sensors for the classroom—implying the technological advancement of a particular school and its impact on the children—or the water fountain and the marvel it posed to the little boy. There is a sense that this new technology and “robots” are everywhere, and they are part of this new life. Like Chase said below, it is interesting to compare what we would consider a “robot” now to the idea of a robot in the 1940s, but I don’t think the ideas are that far off. These exact technologies are continuously being reinvented and relabeled; just now, we see the words “Self-Driving Car” or the literal “Robot Vacuum.”
I think this ad was aimed at everyone, but it was interesting to compare what I consider a robot to the idea of robots in the the 1940s. This ad shows the vast range of how Robot technology is incorporated into everyday life from household duties, teaching, flying etc. It starts off with the technology of a toaster which might not be that terrifying but we trust that it works. They remind us that we all take advantage and trust in the small “robots” that we use everyday, and they compare their more advanced technology, the inside of the car, to Roll-oh which I think is used to reassure us their technology is safe and only there to make our lives much easier and more enjoyable.