That "awful" Chevy ad: it's not just me, everybody thinks it's anti-American. Even the Washington Post is blasting it.

it's unclear what association the Silverado or pickup trucks generally have with the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War, Nixon's presidency, natural disasters or terrorist attacks.

Historians might also find a somewhat muddled message in the syncing of Mellencamp's lyrics with the ad's images. As the pop singer (who appears briefly in the ad) croons, "I can stand beside ideals I think are right," pictures of Parks and scenes of happy families flash by. But the next line -- "I can stand beside the idea to stand and fight" -- is accompanied by shots of Vietnam combat and Ali, suggesting approval for both the war and for the boxer who resisted being drafted into it.

Maybe the 60s radical retreads are the latest demographic.