Maybe the desired effect was to keep visitors out…if so…success!!
But damn, that water looks good!
Are you complaining about the video, or the town?
Yes, the VIDEO is lame, and pathetic, and I’d be embarrassed if I were in any way responsible for its creation, but the town looks fine.
Maybe I’m just not a NYC hipster. I LIKE a lot of the things they tout in the video.
Was Corky St. Clair involved in the production?
Not really complaining, the video is embarrassing. There are a hundred better ways to promote the City of Ames than that.
Are they using “potable tap water” as a reason to move there?
OK. I’m with you there.
Big city people already think the midwest is full of hicks. Folk there shouldn’t help them in thinking that by making videos like this!
My favorite (supposedly true) Iowa story - the legislature wanted to try to change Iowa’s image. Get people to associate Iowa with something other than pork. They thought giving the state a new motto might help. Something that would let the country know that Iowa was more than hog farms. That there were educated, smart people living there. So the new motto for the license plate was proposed : A State of Minds.
This was rejected. Turned out in polls, people didn’t “get” it. So an alternate was proposed: Hogs are Beautiful.
As someone who brought a metropolitan sensibility to a small town and has spent several years working with civic committees… these things always start out as one good, bright idea and are then beaten to death, slowly, by committee. Until something is left that pleases one or two members who have had no real contribution except to list everything they didn’t like about each iteration, and thus neither pleases nor offends any of them.
Iowa is probably progressive compared to “Well… we’ve never *done *it that way” Nwingland.
This video (which is over a year old BTW) was done by a group that promotes conservation of water resources. See here. The video itself was a new corny way to promote recruiting for Iowa State. They were very aware of what they were doing.
As a former Iowan with generally fond memories:
I’ve never been to Ames, though with Iowa State located there and Des Moines not far away, there should be reasonable cultural/entertainment/sports options and probably OK neighborhoods to live in. If you’re actually trying to recruit faculty who don’t know about the city, the video (mostly the song, which is horribly obnoxious) is an atrocious way to do it.
The only thing they didn’t mention is how many flights out are available daily (something I’ve seen highlighted in job listings for far less attractive and accessible locales).
Big city people? They were probably laughing their asses off in Davenport and Sioux City.
Looked it up. Total of 0. Given they are only 30 miles from Des Moines, which does have a large airport, I guess it is understandable.
They have a great Thai restaurant.
Its a really nice Midwestern small city or large town.
I’ve been there twice–once for a vet student convention in 2001, and once for my board exam in 2006. The exam committee decided that Ames is a great place to hold the exam every year. Thankfully I passed on my first try, and now I have no need to return to Ames ever again.
The overwhelming point I took away: Hey! At least our KIDS aren’t fat!
Every adult I noticed was overweight by CA sensibilities. I was raised in the Midwest. I DO get to talk.
I’m afraid the “supposedly” is the key word here. It (State of Minds) was removed in 1983 because some thought it could be misunderstood. Hogs are Beautiful is a phrase used by the National Hog Farmer organization so it is not unique to Iowa. I suppose it could have been proposed for a plate… just like “Got Milk” could be used somewhere like Wisconsin.
I simplified the story, and I really shouldn’t.
The “alternate” motto came from the public, not the government agency. The story implied that the “stupid farmers” weren’t smart enough to get the motto, so they were the ones that proposed the hogs one.
I believed the story when I heard it, but it was a loooong time ago, before I was aware of how urban legends and outright jokes can get retold as true.
And I like Iowa. Never been to Ames, though.
You did hear about how Arkansas wanted to use “Hogs are Sexy” though didn’t you. That one is true… tell all your friends.
Through sheer willpower, I managed to get through several seconds of that video before bailing out.
Once upon a time, Iowa had a great state motto/slogan - “A Place To Grow”.
I’m not sure why they felt the need to change it.
Holy fuck guys, did you see that magic guitar!?
B+, I’d watch it again.
Hooray!