Ruminations of a "provincial rube"

I've read a number of diaries that defend the South or attack it, and as a Minnesotan, I had always identified myself as a Northerner. However, upon seeing this letter, I began to rethink my position:

Don't you realize that the endless gushing over Lindsay Lohan et al. makes Minnesotans look like a bunch of provincial rubes?

You see, the arrival of various film stars in Minneapolis to film the "Prairie Home Companion" movie has created quite the stir in the community, particularly within the pages of the Star Tribune.

The identity crisis of a Midwesterner is not quite as obvious as the conflict demonstrated in the diaries about how the South isn't as bad as it's stereotyped. However, in our effort to demonstrate that we're not "provincial rubes," we pretty much always end up excacerbating the problem. My typical defense:

Hey, Thomas Friedman, the Coen Brothers and Al Franken are from my suburb. Prince, Bob Dylan, Walter Mondale and Hubert Humphrey are all from Minnesota. Plus, Minnesota is one of the best places to live, if you can deal with the winter. Great public schools, low unemployment, some of the best urban parks in the world...

Unfortunately, in our attempts to make people on the Coasts understand the wonder of the great Midwest, the problem just gets worse. Who actually knows all the famous people from their state? It's a distinctly Minnesota thing, designed to combat the inferiority complex we have toward the Coasts. The irony is that having a strong sense of place almost relegates one to being a provincial rube. Once you have to get defensive, you're already a rube.

If all Minnesotans had to do was demonstrate that they were as "fabulous" as those liberal east and West Coasters, the proposition would be easy. Unfortunately, it's a lot more complicated than that. We take pride in that reputation for provincialness we pretend to despise. Ever hear of Minnesota nice? Well, it's true, people here are pretty nice. It's like a club, with 5 million people. Yes, the 14th largest media market in America is filled with 2.5 million country bumpkins. I hear people talk all the time about how they moved to New York, but it just wasn't the same as Minneapolis. The people just weren't as open, or friendly or whatever. Minnesotans don't really want to be like the East Coast. We want to demonstrate that we could be that cool if we wanted to.

We can never be like the East Coast, though, because our sense of place will make sure we're provincial rubes forever. And I don't really mind it.

Hopefully this provides a little glimpse into those mysterious blue states between the liberal coasts.