# Top states whose denizens are way too proud of themselves. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 20, 2013, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-states-whose-denizens-are-way-too-proud-of-themselves/661508 "2013-06-20T21:18:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2013, 3:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-states-whose-denizens-are-way-too-proud-of-themselves/661508/61 "2013-06-21T15:18:20Z")
> [@pravnik](#): > > Mine’s funnier. maybe by Texas standards. ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2013, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-states-whose-denizens-are-way-too-proud-of-themselves/661508/62 "2013-06-21T15:31:35Z")
> [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#): > > Yes, really. They put their state flag (palmetto logo) on every. damn. thing. Cups, cars, hats, belts, pants, tee shirts, dress shirts, polo shirts, dog collars, key chains and a whole shit load of cars. They have them in blue, like the flag. They have them in orange for Clemson. They have them in garnet for the University of South Carolina. They have them in pink. Pick a color and an item. It’s available. I’m glad it’s not just Texas then! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2013, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-states-whose-denizens-are-way-too-proud-of-themselves/661508/63 "2013-06-21T16:57:34Z")
> [@NoClueBoy](#): > > So, I guess it changed then. I wonder when that started. > > I was in Texas schools (as a student) from 1972 to 1981. Moved back to Texas (from L.A., CA to Rusk County) in 3rd grade. Ended up PISD, graduated from South Houston High, sister went to Dobie. I graduated from good old South Houston a few years before you did; would have been Dobie, but that was far in the future. Throughout my years in the PISD, we _never_ said the Texas Pledge of Allegiance–just the US one. (And no prayer, except for “invocations” before graduation & the occasional football game.) Wikipedia says that “under God” was [added in 2007](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Texas); was Ricky Perry behind the wider use of the state pledge? At least Lone Star Chauvinism has kept any Confederate symbols off the flag. Ray Wiley Hubbard finally got over the infamy of writing “Up Against The Wall, Redneck Mother”–then he wrote “[Screw You, We’re From Texas](http://www.cbs.com/shows/late_show/video/pkuYzrQ44bzXhBTZTnru_OIqty_vLCnG/live-on-letterman-web-exclusive-ray-wylie-hubbard).” (He was born in Oklahoma.)\* The problem with irony is, not everybody gets it…\* Texas shapes for tanning beds really freak me out. We have\* no\* shortage of natural sunshine here… ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2013, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-states-whose-denizens-are-way-too-proud-of-themselves/661508/64 "2013-06-21T17:06:15Z")
> [@Wesley\_Clark](#): > > maybe by Texas standards. Hey, we can’t all aspire to _Bio-Dome_ levels of hilarity. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Rodgers01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b19c9b/32.png) [@Rodgers01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodgers01)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2013, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-states-whose-denizens-are-way-too-proud-of-themselves/661508/65 "2013-06-21T17:11:23Z")
Texas, yes. Hawaiians I haven’t had too much experience with, but I’ve heard second-hand from enough people that they are annoyingly smug that I believe it. New York City may be the world’s epicenter for absurd levels of self-regard, and as someone above said it’s enough to taint the whole state. I’ve heard that Mainers (“Mainiacs”??) have a little bit of the smug thing going on, but haven’t experienced it much myself. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2013, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-states-whose-denizens-are-way-too-proud-of-themselves/661508/66 "2013-06-21T17:11:29Z")
I vote for New South Wales. What? > [@astorian](#): > > Really, I can’t think of any Iowans or Michiganders or Floridians who are inordinately proud of their state. I’m proud of Florida. I identify as British just as much as I do American, but I’ll take Florida over all other political subdivisions. I am fucking embarrssed by Florida a lot, though. ETA: Totally agreed on NYC/NYS. There’s a line in Keeping the Faith about how “New Yorkers think people who live elsewhere are just fooling themselves” that almost made me puke. Much as Samuel Johnson’s declaration that “when a man is tired of London he is tired of life” would have if I’d been around to hear it. Fuck New York City. ---
**Author:** ![stoplight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@stoplight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stoplight)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2013, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-states-whose-denizens-are-way-too-proud-of-themselves/661508/67 "2013-06-21T17:20:54Z")
We also have Yosemite, Mammoth Mountain, Sequoia and Kings Canyon and the Colorado River…oh wait, we diverted that from Colorado for drinking water. ---
**Author:** ![jrbor76](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9e8a1a/32.png) [@jrbor76](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jrbor76)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2013, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-states-whose-denizens-are-way-too-proud-of-themselves/661508/68 "2013-06-21T17:21:09Z")
Quote: Originally Posted by Ambivalid What about the ‘Yoopers’? Eh? “And dat’s when I seen him, da thurdy point buck!” Slight nitpick: Da Yoopers are indeed from the UP, but _Turdy Point Buck_ was done by Bananas at Large, who are from Wisconsin. From a town that’s practically my backyard in fact. And I’ll even admit that some WI natives are too full of themselves, but we tend to brag about our own humility. Ironic, I know. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2013, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-states-whose-denizens-are-way-too-proud-of-themselves/661508/69 "2013-06-21T17:40:26Z")
> [@Labrador\_Deceiver](#): > > Yes, really. They put their state flag (palmetto logo) on every. damn. thing. Cups, cars, hats, belts, pants, tee shirts, dress shirts, polo shirts, dog collars, key chains and a whole shit load of cars. They have them in blue, like the flag. They have them in orange for Clemson. They have them in garnet for the University of South Carolina. They have them in pink. Pick a color and an item. It’s available. +1. It’s really a passive aggressive pride. They don’t say anything about it, but post it everywhere. > [@derewtwo99](#): > > I never once saw in my life any tv or radio ad that appealed to me as a proud Oregonian. That’s because no one can say “Oregonian” without laughing. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2013, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-states-whose-denizens-are-way-too-proud-of-themselves/661508/70 "2013-06-21T18:47:52Z")
> [@The\_Hamster\_King](#): > > But are we annoyingly proud about _California_? I’ve met some people who are annoyingly smug about the Bay Area, but California in general? It’s not so much bragging on California. It’s a perception that we think we’re cooler than anyone else because we’re Califormians. > [@Alice\_The\_Goon](#): > > . . . Californians for sure. Especially if they move to a different state, then it’s all, “We didn’t do that in\* California\*” and “It’s not like this in _California_”. Blech. That sounds pretty close. And even if we don’t say it, it’s obvious that we assume it. Although, to be fair, when I was living in Ohio, there were a lot of trends that came through that were lagged. That is, they hit California first and came through Ohio three to five years later. So it’s really easy to assume “it’s not the way you do things . . . yet.” I never could have a dress for success discussion and take it seriously. That might just be me, though. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2013, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-states-whose-denizens-are-way-too-proud-of-themselves/661508/71 "2013-06-21T19:42:43Z")
> [@Alice\_The\_Goon](#): > > Coloradans seem to be pretty damn smug. Yeah, that’s been my experience too. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2013, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-states-whose-denizens-are-way-too-proud-of-themselves/661508/72 "2013-06-21T19:49:50Z")
Well, I come from Idaho and I…I…I’ve obviously no reason to post anything in this thread. Sorry. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2013, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-states-whose-denizens-are-way-too-proud-of-themselves/661508/73 "2013-06-21T20:19:18Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > Absolutely. Have you seen our tourist ads? We have everything - movie stars, high-tech billionaires, um, other people. How can you beat that? > Roddy 2 shots from that annoying-ass commercial are in _ **NEVADA!** _ ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2013, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-states-whose-denizens-are-way-too-proud-of-themselves/661508/74 "2013-06-21T20:31:19Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Well, I come from Idaho and I…I…I’ve obviously no reason to post anything in this thread. Sorry. Frankly, we’re getting a little tired of you Idahoans lording your potatoes over us like y’all are the damn potato kings or something. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2013, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-states-whose-denizens-are-way-too-proud-of-themselves/661508/75 "2013-06-21T20:47:05Z")
> [@leftfield6](#): > > I’m proud of my home state (Virginia) and have a “Virginia Native” decal on my vehicle, but I cant recall seeing another one. > > Texas, yeah, that’s the only reason for this thread to exist. How many Virginians does it take to screw in a light bulb? Three, one to change the bulb and two to remember how great the old bulb was. MM28, FFV (First Families of Virginia), but the answer to the OP is Texas. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2013, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-states-whose-denizens-are-way-too-proud-of-themselves/661508/76 "2013-06-21T20:59:22Z")
Clearly Texas is the winner. Here in Rhode Island the only thing we’re proud of is being a unit of measurement. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2013, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-states-whose-denizens-are-way-too-proud-of-themselves/661508/77 "2013-06-21T21:04:18Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Clearly Texas is the winner. > > Here in Rhode Island the only thing we’re proud of is being a unit of measurement. Q. How many Rhodies does it take to screw in a lightbulb? A. Both of them. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [June 21, 2013, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-states-whose-denizens-are-way-too-proud-of-themselves/661508/78 "2013-06-21T21:06:43Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Q. How many Rhodies does it take to screw in a lightbulb? > A. Both of them. But, how did they get inside a light bulb? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2013, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-states-whose-denizens-are-way-too-proud-of-themselves/661508/79 "2013-06-22T02:09:54Z")
> [@Harmonious\_Discord](#): > > I think it’s just Texas. > [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](#): > > Yeah, I think this is correct. Otherwise, localist inflation of the ego seems to be based on living in any of a handful of major cities around the country. > [@drewtwo99](#): > > Speaking as a person who grew up in Oregon and moved to Texas, this perception is absolutely 100% accurate. Texans are excessively proud of their state. I can’t imagine anyone walking around with a tattoo of Oregon on their arms, but I would bet there are probably 1000’s upon 1000’s of Texas tattoos out there. Hell, you can get little texas tanning stickers to wear a the tanning booth. > [@Sicks\_Ate](#): > > Without looking… > Texas. > Allow me to say that again: > Texas. Followed closely by Northern Texas, Southern Texas, Western Texas, and Eastern Texas. > [@TriPolar](#): > > Clearly Texas is the winner. Preach it, Brothers! As for a Texas Pledge of Allegiance, that’s a new one on me too. I never encountered that in my West Texas schools of the 1960s and 1970s. This is the first I’ve heard of such a thing, but I’m not surprised. While living in New Mexico, I didn’t get the sense of arrogance you get with Texas. Everyone enjoyed New Mexico but were pretty laid back about it too. In Hawaii, the locals may be a bit provincial, many never having been anywhere else even – I knew some who had not even been off the island they were born on – and it’s such a great place that they could be much more obnoxious about it if they wanted to. But I think they know if they played it up _too_ much, then even more mainlanders would be moving there. ---
**Author:** ![Svejk\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea666f/32.png) [@Svejk\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Svejk_1)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2013, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-states-whose-denizens-are-way-too-proud-of-themselves/661508/80 "2013-06-22T02:20:44Z")
> [@NoClueBoy](#): > > I wonder if some of the Texas proud stuff stems from who became Texans. > > In my case, my Great-great grandfather was an immigrant from Europe. Possibly son of an immigrant (1880s). He was Prussian. Lots of pride issues. Yeah, that’s gotta be it - no European immigrants elsewhere in the States, let alone Germans/Prussians :smack: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-states-whose-denizens-are-way-too-proud-of-themselves/661508.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-states-whose-denizens-are-way-too-proud-of-themselves/661508.md?page=5)