Anaheim Ducks Gameday: Flyover States

In honor of the game tonight against Columbus, let's talk about the Midwest.

Because I'm not a savage, I've lived in California all of my life. Living in a coastal state, I've heard the phrase "flyover states" often enough, and I never thought much of it. It was no different than saying "the Midwest." It made sense; these states have much less dense population, they're not exactly attractive to tourists, and unless you live there there's no reason you wouldn't just pass over them on your way to the places people actually want to be.

The people in these states don't agree with my thoughts on the phrase. And instead of moving to a state that isn't a boring, shithole of a wasteland, they like to complain about those who acknowledge that they live in a boring, shithole of a wasteland. They say the phrase is an example of the contempt "the elites" have for the simple folk. I guess it's nice being considered as part of "the elite," even if it's just because I'm smart enough to not move to some place awful.

I found this out due to a comic comparing the shitty attitudes people have about same-sex marriage in the Midwest to the shitty attitudes people had (have) against black folk in the south. The response to the comic was outrage that the illustrator/author would dare use the phrase "flyover states." Apparently, people in the flyover states care much more about how no one gives a fuck about their states than they do about how everyone views them as backwards yokels. "Sure, we thinks the gays should be burned at the stake... But Kansas is a great place!"

To find out if all Midwesterners were dumb, I asked the one person from Ohio that I know (who conveniently is also a Blue Jackets fan), what he thought of the phrase. Here's Brandon from the punk rock themed hockey podcast Up The Pucks:

@jermeanswell haha, i get that's what elitist coastal folk call us, but no, doesn't bother me.

— Brandon Gee (@UTPbrandon) March 30, 2013

Well I'm glad it doesn't bother him, but that familiar elitist jab makes me suspicious of his genuineness.

And so, since Brandon is okay with it, here's some responses to the comic and the phrase that I've gathered from the twitterverse for educational purposes...

Fuck people who use the term 'flyover states' as an actual term.

— bunny knuckles (@bibliogrrl) March 30, 2013

@oatmeal Hey Dipshit.... they're not flyover states.

— Big Bass (@bigbassfan) March 30, 2013

Can we please stop calling states in the middle of the country "flyover states"? #ohiopride #getoveryourself

— michellemeister (@mklmsays) March 30, 2013

If anyone ever uses the term "flyover states" in my presence I will punch you right in the mouth.

— Orie House (@owozifa) March 30, 2013

Jim Carrey's recent unfunny parody video is just one glaring example of the utter contempt that elites have for people from Flyover States

— Hawk Hogan (@HawkHogan2012) March 29, 2013

(So Jim Carrey is also part of the ruling elite? They let anyone in. I'm assuming he's referring to this Jim Carrey video, which I hadn't seen prior to reading this tweet because Carrey is irrelevant in 2013).

@inthefade: Also "flyover states" is itself a form of bigotry.

— Matthew Baldwin (@matthewbaldwin) March 29, 2013

I hate the term Flyover states. It's awfully self important of coastals who'll be underwater in 20 years.

— Brett Jensen (@NO_IRONY) March 29, 2013

@oatmeal "Flyover states" way to antagonize and generalize at the same time. Way to be a hypocrite.

— I dunno, Buttstuff (@PazaakPlayer) March 29, 2013

Ah, the flyover states. What would America be without them?

(Spoiler: Better.)

Gameday Prediction: Ducks 3-2 in overtime (Etem with the game winner), and someone says something snarky about this article on twitter.