# If you live in Ames, Iowa, you have my condolences **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 24, 2015, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-live-in-ames-iowa-you-have-my-condolences/723391 "2015-06-24T20:13:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2015, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-live-in-ames-iowa-you-have-my-condolences/723391/1 "2015-06-24T20:13:16Z")
Maybe the desired effect was to keep visitors out…if so…success!! > **[Tourism promo gone wrong](https://www.ebaumsworld.com/videos/tourism-promo-gone-wrong/84108618/)** > > Promo video for the city of Ames. Makes me wanna avoid that town like the plague. But damn, that water looks good! ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2015, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-live-in-ames-iowa-you-have-my-condolences/723391/2 "2015-06-24T20:58:22Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2015, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-live-in-ames-iowa-you-have-my-condolences/723391/3 "2015-06-24T21:11:36Z")
Was Corky St. Clair involved in the production? ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2015, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-live-in-ames-iowa-you-have-my-condolences/723391/4 "2015-06-24T21:23:56Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > complaining about the video Not really complaining, the video is embarrassing. There are a hundred better ways to promote the City of Ames than that. ---
**Author:** ![NinjaChick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@NinjaChick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinjaChick)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2015, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-live-in-ames-iowa-you-have-my-condolences/723391/5 "2015-06-24T21:31:12Z")
Are they using “potable tap water” as a reason to move there? ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2015, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-live-in-ames-iowa-you-have-my-condolences/723391/6 "2015-06-24T21:40:05Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > Not really complaining, the video is embarrassing. There are a hundred better ways to promote the City of Ames than that. 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. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2015, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-live-in-ames-iowa-you-have-my-condolences/723391/7 "2015-06-24T21:48:07Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Morbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morbo/32/389_2.png) [@Morbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morbo)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2015, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-live-in-ames-iowa-you-have-my-condolences/723391/8 "2015-06-24T23:06:43Z")
This video (which is over a year old BTW) was done by a group that promotes conservation of water resources. See [here](http://amestrib.com/news/ames-national-spotlight-after-hooray-ames-video-goes-viral). The video itself was a new corny way to promote recruiting for Iowa State. They were very aware of what they were doing. > [@](#): > > “Faculty wanted to help do something that wanted to showcase the community to prospective faculty and to take a more tongue-in-cheek approach and have more fun with facts that would have just been bullet points on our website,” Schweers said. “Part of it is obviously working because we’ve got a whole bunch of new faculty that are going to start in August.” ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2015, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-live-in-ames-iowa-you-have-my-condolences/723391/9 "2015-06-24T23:32:35Z")
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). > [@Just Asking Questions](#): > > 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! Big city people? They were probably laughing their asses off in Davenport and Sioux City. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stainless_steel_rat/32/5727_2.png) [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stainless_Steel_Rat)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2015, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-live-in-ames-iowa-you-have-my-condolences/723391/10 "2015-06-25T00:07:14Z")
> [@Jackmannii](#): > > 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) 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. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2015, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-live-in-ames-iowa-you-have-my-condolences/723391/11 "2015-06-25T00:44:06Z")
They have a great Thai restaurant. Its a really nice Midwestern small city or large town. ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2015, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-live-in-ames-iowa-you-have-my-condolences/723391/12 "2015-06-25T02:34:59Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![usedtobe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ec9cab/32.png) [@usedtobe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usedtobe)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2015, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-live-in-ames-iowa-you-have-my-condolences/723391/13 "2015-06-25T02:50:13Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Spud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spud/32/347_2.png) [@Spud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spud)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2015, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-live-in-ames-iowa-you-have-my-condolences/723391/14 "2015-06-25T03:10:46Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > 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. 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. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2015, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-live-in-ames-iowa-you-have-my-condolences/723391/15 "2015-06-25T15:13:53Z")
> [@Spud](#): > > 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. ---
**Author:** ![Spud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spud/32/347_2.png) [@Spud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spud)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2015, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-live-in-ames-iowa-you-have-my-condolences/723391/16 "2015-06-25T15:59:50Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > 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. You did hear about how Arkansas wanted to use “Hogs are Sexy” though didn’t you. That one is true… tell all your friends. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2015, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-live-in-ames-iowa-you-have-my-condolences/723391/17 "2015-06-30T04:20:18Z")
Through sheer willpower, I managed to get through several seconds of that video before bailing out. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2015, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-live-in-ames-iowa-you-have-my-condolences/723391/18 "2015-06-30T13:09:44Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2015, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-live-in-ames-iowa-you-have-my-condolences/723391/19 "2015-06-30T13:24:43Z")
Holy fuck guys, did you see that magic guitar!? B+, I’d watch it again. ---
**Author:** ![Octarine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/22d042/32.png) [@Octarine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Octarine)\ **Post date:** [June 30, 2015, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-live-in-ames-iowa-you-have-my-condolences/723391/20 "2015-06-30T13:59:34Z")
Hooray! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-live-in-ames-iowa-you-have-my-condolences/723391.md?page=2)