No matter where I go, I still manage to come across well-intended Iowa insults/stereotypes. You know, the Iowa = Anyplace USA remarks. I've seen Des Moines mentioned in the Radio Times in England for just such a reason. It was an article on Chicken Run when it first came out - and began something along the lines of "People in London may know about this (can't remember what), but what would people in Des Moines, Iowa think?"
Today's was at First Thursday, made by someone who clearly had forgotten, if he ever knew, that I'm an Iowan. He was discussing a painful and amusing incident recounted to him by someone who used to work at the Deep Space Nine area somewhere in Vegas, and he made a remark about the obnoxious Klingons in the story coming from Iowa. He meant wherever, that much was clear from his story. But he chose his example as Iowa.
(Honestly, it's not that I'm hypersensitive about it, I'm just tuned in when the references are made!)
Today's was at First Thursday, made by someone who clearly had forgotten, if he ever knew, that I'm an Iowan. He was discussing a painful and amusing incident recounted to him by someone who used to work at the Deep Space Nine area somewhere in Vegas, and he made a remark about the obnoxious Klingons in the story coming from Iowa. He meant wherever, that much was clear from his story. But he chose his example as Iowa.
(Honestly, it's not that I'm hypersensitive about it, I'm just tuned in when the references are made!)
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owlfish- S. Worthen
- S. Worthen
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I'm sure it's nice though. It IS a state, right? (heh. heheh. *ducks as you throw sharp objects in her direction)
Nahh, it doesn't bother me. Lots of people have to ask, especially those ignorant Americans who come from one of the coastal states and believe there's nothing else to their country other than the the coasts.
South of Minnesota, north of Missouri, west of Illinois, east of Kansas and Nebraska, between the Mississippi (to the east) and Missouri (to the west) rivers. In other words, it's in the middle. A very average sized state with a very average sized population, with a high concentration of corn, soybeans, hogs, cows, and insurance companies.
And no, just in case you ask, I didn't grow up on a farm. And yes, there are cities there. Honest!
Let me disagree, please. There is a city in Iowa, not cities. I know because I live here too.
:))
Anyways, there are plenty of places called cities there, even if they aren't really. And Dubuque and Cedar Rapids take up enough space on the map that the unknowing could be convinced otherwise as long as they didn't go there.
But yes, you're right.
*sticks tongue out at you*
*joins in the display of tongues*
I think the middle states' locations are hard to remember because they border each other, and not a well-defined physical thinger whose shape is easy to imagine, like the oceans, the Great Lakes, and Mexico. Canada doesn't count because its border is a straight line, there's nothing memorable about that. Anyway, the point is that it's hard for me to picture the gooey cream filling of America, but the outline is easier. Maine to Florida to Texas to California to Washington to Canada and back again to Maine!
I sometimes have trouble with the whole messiness of Ohio/Indiana/Kentucky area of the US for where all the states are, but Minnesota to Louisiana I find really easy since the states all pile up nice and neatly along the Mississippi. Then again, I come from one of them.
Owait... are we talking about a state, here?
I've lost track of which posts are responding to which anymore - elsewhere somewhere in this thread I just wrote things about getting states confused and the messy bits. Deleware and Maryland also regularly confuse me, thinking about it.
Mmmm... gooey cream filling.
I don't get confused between Delaware and Maryland, but that's only because I live in a state bordering both of them. Delaware is the puny little thing to the east of me; Maryland is the weirdly-shaped thing to the south. Anything to the west of Ohio starts mushing together in the gooey cream filling, for me.
um, you may wish to stay away from good omens, as Des Moines is the generic american city of choice. and you thought gaiman and pratchett had such imagination... *giggling*
The best - or worst - example is actually MST3K, although for entirely different reasons, since they were made in Minnesota - Iowa's main rival. They very frequently include Iowa jokes.
At least you get to be the everyman of America according to stereotypes. A little bland and unjust a stereotype, but I'd rather be the everyman than the reactionary snob who gets offended at everything liberal or modern and writes a letter to the Times about it. Perhaps now isn't the time to admit that my husband and I do read the Times, but that is mostly because I read the paper my husband leaves lying around the home instead of buying a second paper. OK, being too lazy to buy a second paper and so reading what my husband chooses really isn't helping my case so I think I'll be quiet now.
Happily, I don't know the UK newspapers well enough to have strong opinions about their readership, so I won't pass judgement on you based on the newspaper you're reading right now... give me a few years!
Eve
I'm not quite sure about which Iowanic Stereotype I'm being accused of perpetuating here. However, if I had been thinking of "Nowheres-ville" or "people escaping from a horrible Mundane existence" I would have said "Peoria" ("Will it play in Peoria?") or "Saskatoon" ("Will the last person leaving Saskatchewan please turn out the lights?"). If that's the case then I apologize for giving that impression. As a Canadian I have some small experience with the "Bland" stereotype (Highway 61 - the movie: "What were you thinking?! You're a barber! You're FROM CANADA!").
Still, to remain above suspicion, I am now motivated to become a font of knowledge about Iowa: http://www.traveliowa.com; home state of Buffalo Bill, Herbert Hoover, John Wayne and the Maytag Repairman; state stone, the Geode!...
spectrum@ca.inter.net
I'm actually somewhat disappointed to hear that the characters in your story weren't actually from Iowa - it changes a perfectly good story and means I can't use it anymore as an example of an Iowa-stereotype-story! Although I did not feel at all suspicious of your opinions on Iowa really, I'm always pleased to know more people are educating themselves on the subject!
Thank you for the note - regardless of your intentions, posting on the subject has certainly created an enjoyable discussion - so it was well worth it.