It’s beginning to look a lot like a Stephen Bloom reprise.
Not even a month after Bloom, a New Jersey native-cum-University of Iowa journalism professor went into hiding(!) after riling Iowans with a brave?/satiric?/not-so-nice essay on The Atlantic’s website (Bloom emerged from hiding only to land in the scary-eyed grip of NBC’s Rock Center with Brian Williams’s Willie Geist), another east-coast media transplant has raised the hackles of the meat-eating, gun-toting Midwestern lot he’s reporting on.
Yesterday, The New York Times’s Kansas City correspondent A.G. Sulzberger had a piece “Meatless in the Midwest: A Tale of Survival” in which he shares his personal travails as a vegetarian living in the country’s bread meat basket. The story is run alongside a photo of big men in line for brisket—fresh off the industrial meat carver—for breakfast.
Despite having some nice things to say about his current home and talking about his “struggle for sustenance” with a lightish touch, Sulzberger has ticked off, at the very least, the region’s vegetarians and food snobs (we’re a Top Chef nation, now):
It should be stated right up front that the Midwest, with its rich culture, stark natural beauty and superlative decency, quickly defies stereotypes. Living in the middle of the country is very different from living in the middle of nowhere.
But make no mistake: meat-loving is one stereotype that the region wears with pride. Lard still plays a starring role in many kitchens, bacon comes standard in salads, and perhaps the most important event on Kansas City social calendars is a barbecue contest.
It didn’t take long before word had gotten around to Midwestern folk (funny how that happens in the Internet era) and they were fighting back on their blogs. Poynter’s Steve Myers has started a round-up here (plus some bonus east-coast criticism).
Maybe we should call it a ground round-up?
Sheesh! What is with the hypersensitivity from Midwesterners? Such hate and anger! What the hell are they feeding these oversensitive grumps?
You ought to read what people write about my state! We Californians are secure in our wonderfulness, so when Cali academics write a negative article about California -- which happens a lot! -- there is nary a ripple; we certainly don't launch investigations and hold statewide televised panels and shower them with so much abuse that they are forced into hiding!
And someone bemoans the lack of restaurants with the exact kind of fare that we crave? This creates a loud belligerent firestorm? Sheesh! You know what California would do if Mr. Sulzberger wrote an article about how he couldn't get a good bagel in Los Angeles? I don't know, but I'm pretty sure we wouldn't shower him with a rain of angry abuse. It would be true, at any rate.
Midwesterners must be insecure in their wonderfulness. I kind of like it though! Great barbecue, good, hearty fare, lots of good schools, magnificent architecture. Gorgeous country. The weather kinda sucks, though.
#1 Posted by James, CJR on Fri 13 Jan 2012 at 03:14 PM
'Meat-eating, gun-toting'. Good god, your stereotypes are even worse than AG's - do KC a favor and ignore these stories, since you seem to chew up and spit out stereoypes. How pedestrian. Next time, try engaging in some critical thinking.
#2 Posted by Jenniferwriter, CJR on Sat 14 Jan 2012 at 10:19 PM