Wednesday, August 24, 2005
The other night I was reading an old copy of Portland Monthly while at a nanny job. I got pissed off because they had this fake little quiz called "Stumpkin or Bumpkin" (Fyi: portland is often called Stumptown). Portland Monthly is our major city-focused magazine, which is only a couple years old. I enjoy reading it. Well, I enjoyed it until I read this quiz. Basically it concluded that you were a "real" Portlander (and Stumpkin) if you adhered to certain criteria. This meant living in a couple of certain neighborhoods, driving an upscale SUV, and etc. I got pretty pissed.
Someone I know who recently moved to Portland from the midwest mentioned his intentions for living in Portland, meaning the only area he wanted to live in. He mentioned not venturing beyond the 70s, knowing that's not where he wants to be. While I actually want to live in the same area he does, the comment has begun to bother me, and maybe only because of its polar opposite culture when compared to those I mentioned in the first paragraph.
I don't know. I guess I'm just bitter.
Portland was cool before you left New York and wrote back to your family and friends about the glorious parks and scenery, and before you bought that million dollar home in the West Hills. Portland was awesome before we got Doug Fir and all the cool new bands from here were being lauded by indie rock journalists. Portland is a jewel of a city, a city of entrepeneurs, earth conscious individuals, and innovative people. It has a long history of inspiring ideas.
Not only that, but it's part of a state that is magnificent, and the city in itself is cool within its whole self, not just that special part where you shop at cool grocery stores and go to really awesome literary readings. Yeah. It's hip and cool. And it's normal as well. I mean, c'mon. Guys walk their dogs with the leash around their own waists. Now that is cool.
Someone I know who recently moved to Portland from the midwest mentioned his intentions for living in Portland, meaning the only area he wanted to live in. He mentioned not venturing beyond the 70s, knowing that's not where he wants to be. While I actually want to live in the same area he does, the comment has begun to bother me, and maybe only because of its polar opposite culture when compared to those I mentioned in the first paragraph.
I don't know. I guess I'm just bitter.
Portland was cool before you left New York and wrote back to your family and friends about the glorious parks and scenery, and before you bought that million dollar home in the West Hills. Portland was awesome before we got Doug Fir and all the cool new bands from here were being lauded by indie rock journalists. Portland is a jewel of a city, a city of entrepeneurs, earth conscious individuals, and innovative people. It has a long history of inspiring ideas.
Not only that, but it's part of a state that is magnificent, and the city in itself is cool within its whole self, not just that special part where you shop at cool grocery stores and go to really awesome literary readings. Yeah. It's hip and cool. And it's normal as well. I mean, c'mon. Guys walk their dogs with the leash around their own waists. Now that is cool.
Comments:
Post a Comment
Must really suck to live in such an underappreciated place, where only CERTAIN parts are world-famous, hip, and loved by all the cool people. ;-)
Nah, I know how you feel. For instance: when outsiders come to Iowa from...well, nowhere...it's frustrating to hear them write home about the farm smells. They don't really understand the richness of the smells that aren't farm-related. The river smells, for instance. Or the smells in old gas station bathrooms. Or the smells from the Quaker Oats plant. There are OTHER smells, besides the farm smells. But no, they only notice the ONE THING.
It just sounds like you don't like outside perspectives of something you know intimately, because outsiders don't have the same experiences and perspectives that insiders do. Native New Yorkers feel that way about non-native New Yorkers, Bostonians feel that way about non-native Bostonians, Chicago folk feel that way about the suburbians, Parisians probably feel that way about non-Parisians, and everyone native to anywhere feels that way about anyone not native to their native place. Meanwhile, publications like Portland Monthly need to maintain a particular image of Portland, because it keeps its publication's circulation high.
I'm sure the people who are moving to Portland from the Midwest or New York have a more intimate view of their homes than you would, and if you went to those places, they'd consider your opinions slightly skewed one way or another, too stereotyped, if not offensive, embittering, or maybe just irritating. I'm not saying what you're feeling isn't legitimate...I'm just saying that I think everyone who is a native to anywhere feels that way about their home.
Unless you're from the Midwest, in which case nobody comes to your home, and you're the one who goes other places to irritate the natives.
|
Nah, I know how you feel. For instance: when outsiders come to Iowa from...well, nowhere...it's frustrating to hear them write home about the farm smells. They don't really understand the richness of the smells that aren't farm-related. The river smells, for instance. Or the smells in old gas station bathrooms. Or the smells from the Quaker Oats plant. There are OTHER smells, besides the farm smells. But no, they only notice the ONE THING.
It just sounds like you don't like outside perspectives of something you know intimately, because outsiders don't have the same experiences and perspectives that insiders do. Native New Yorkers feel that way about non-native New Yorkers, Bostonians feel that way about non-native Bostonians, Chicago folk feel that way about the suburbians, Parisians probably feel that way about non-Parisians, and everyone native to anywhere feels that way about anyone not native to their native place. Meanwhile, publications like Portland Monthly need to maintain a particular image of Portland, because it keeps its publication's circulation high.
I'm sure the people who are moving to Portland from the Midwest or New York have a more intimate view of their homes than you would, and if you went to those places, they'd consider your opinions slightly skewed one way or another, too stereotyped, if not offensive, embittering, or maybe just irritating. I'm not saying what you're feeling isn't legitimate...I'm just saying that I think everyone who is a native to anywhere feels that way about their home.
Unless you're from the Midwest, in which case nobody comes to your home, and you're the one who goes other places to irritate the natives.
|
<< Home
