“I have spotted the Fake Ad in the May edition in the Ann Arbor Observer: Concours de Médiocrité on page 65,” declares Dean Draayer. “The most obvious giveaway is the date of June 31—it ain’t happening. Much more interesting, though, are the (at least in some way self-contradictory) instances of wordplay. ‘Competition in Mediocrity’—chef kiss left! ‘Pedestrian automobiles’—chef kiss right! … The nod to the previous month’s winner (Merry Muilenberg) is the 1926 Muilenberg Model X.”
And the 1926 “Muilenberg” is a nod to the 1926 Duesenberg Model X, of which only thirteen were built and only five currently exist. The Duesenberg is a far cry from the other “mediocre” vehicles listed, and several correspondents suggested the 1999 Toyota Corolla is too. (It was included because of a Craigslist post for the car that became a meme. Look it up).
“In 2017 we bought my high school–aged son one,” Leonard Bass writes. “He kept that car all through college here at U of M, and upon graduating and landing a ‘big boy’ job out in Seattle, we drove that thing all 2,300 miles without a glitch—save for adding engine oil at every fill-up. He drives it to this very day. ‘Concours de Mediocrity?’ Quelle absurdité!”
Our winner, Diane Cupps, is donating her prize to the Humane Society of Huron Valley. To enter this month’s contest, find the Fake Ad and let us know at the address below. Hint: The ad always contains the last name of the previous month’s winner in some form.
