A blog for members of PS460 and PS308, Wartburg College, 2013 and 2014 (and specially designated associates who are deemed worthy of membership in this exclusive club by members themselves). The aim is to facilitate conversation between class members between classes.
Friday, September 14, 2012
Is Bloom's Portrait of Iowa and Iowans out of Bounds?
The infamous article in Atlantic Monthly's online edition from the journalism professor at Iowa, Stephen Bloom, continues to elicit critical reactions from those who know the state best. How fair was the Professor's Portrayal?
I read Bloom's article, and I disagree with most everything he says. Honestly, I found it hard to discern whether he was trying to be humorous or whether he actually seriously believes all of the accusations he put out. They were just so ridiculous! First of all, I grew up on a farm, and during the summer as the corn is growing, it most certainly does not crackle like popcorn. That kind of story is in the same league as Paul Bunyan and his blue ox Babe, and no one thinks that stuff ever happened. We don't have Combine Demolition Derbies. I've only heard of monster truck rallies, and my roommate says she's heard of buses being used for such. Combines are way too expensive to be demolishing---minimum for new is about $80,000. I would know because my dad had to purchase a new one after one of his caught fire a few years ago. Bloom says he's visited all 99 counties and interviewed real Iowans. I wonder who he interviewed and what questions he asked. His findings seem to describe a very early time in Iowa that no longer exists in most places. For instance, my grandmother has a mudroom in her house, but no one in my parents' or any other generation after them leave a room for that kind of thing anymore.
That's all I can think of at the moment, but I found some good comments from other native Iowans that express what I felt when I read it. This one is rather lengthy but well worth the read:
"Perhaps it is my pride that makes me take such offense to this article, but as a young rural Iowan currently studying to become a doctor with every intention of settling in the state I was born, I cannot help but wonder how thoroughly Professor Bloom researched his facts before stating them in such a bold and flagrant manner. I truly wanted to laugh off what was written here as the biased opinions of an obviously misinformed man, but then I realized that if someone other than a native Iowan read this, they might accept Professor Bloom's perceptions as fact, having no personal experience to counter his claims. To clarify, the rural Iowa I know is one of beauty. Do we have our problems and issues that need addressed? Of course we do, but then I've never heard of a place where this is not true. Professor Bloom stated in effect that rural Iowans cannot see beyond the boundaries of their own communities and have no desire to do so. Ironic, considering he later claimed that young Iowans are our largest export. He also said that farmers often do not know anyone in the next county. This is humorous, as I'm pretty sure people who live in apartments in large cities often do not know the people living two floors below them. Does that make them close-minded as well? I think not. Professor Bloom was also quick to point out that we Iowans are xenophobic and that our lack of minorities is indicative of such. Strange, then, that he would later claim the rapid influx of Latinos and Chinese to be such a problem. But all of these are moot points. I can't help but wonder why he chose to write about how we say sucker instead of lollipop and pop instead of soda. The question at the forefront of my mind while reading this article was, "What does this have to do with our Caucuses?""
I read Bloom's article, and I disagree with most everything he says. Honestly, I found it hard to discern whether he was trying to be humorous or whether he actually seriously believes all of the accusations he put out. They were just so ridiculous! First of all, I grew up on a farm, and during the summer as the corn is growing, it most certainly does not crackle like popcorn. That kind of story is in the same league as Paul Bunyan and his blue ox Babe, and no one thinks that stuff ever happened. We don't have Combine Demolition Derbies. I've only heard of monster truck rallies, and my roommate says she's heard of buses being used for such. Combines are way too expensive to be demolishing---minimum for new is about $80,000. I would know because my dad had to purchase a new one after one of his caught fire a few years ago. Bloom says he's visited all 99 counties and interviewed real Iowans. I wonder who he interviewed and what questions he asked. His findings seem to describe a very early time in Iowa that no longer exists in most places. For instance, my grandmother has a mudroom in her house, but no one in my parents' or any other generation after them leave a room for that kind of thing anymore.
ReplyDeleteThat's all I can think of at the moment, but I found some good comments from other native Iowans that express what I felt when I read it. This one is rather lengthy but well worth the read:
"Perhaps it is my pride that makes me take such offense to this article, but as a young rural Iowan currently studying to become a doctor with every intention of settling in the state I was born, I cannot help but wonder how thoroughly Professor Bloom researched his facts before stating them in such a bold and flagrant manner.
I truly wanted to laugh off what was written here as the biased opinions of an obviously misinformed man, but then I realized that if someone other than a native Iowan read this, they might accept Professor Bloom's perceptions as fact, having no personal experience to counter his claims.
To clarify, the rural Iowa I know is one of beauty. Do we have our problems and issues that need addressed? Of course we do, but then I've never heard of a place where this is not true.
Professor Bloom stated in effect that rural Iowans cannot see beyond the boundaries of their own communities and have no desire to do so. Ironic, considering he later claimed that young Iowans are our largest export. He also said that farmers often do not know anyone in the next county. This is humorous, as I'm pretty sure people who live in apartments in large cities often do not know the people living two floors below them. Does that make them close-minded as well? I think not. Professor Bloom was also quick to point out that we Iowans are xenophobic and that our lack of minorities is indicative of such. Strange, then, that he would later claim the rapid influx of Latinos and Chinese to be such a problem.
But all of these are moot points. I can't help but wonder why he chose to write about how we say sucker instead of lollipop and pop instead of soda. The question at the forefront of my mind while reading this article was, "What does this have to do with our Caucuses?""