Why do so many people hate the Midwest? (employment, universities)

[strawberryfield]

ps--I forgot to include the post to which I was responding so this looks pretty random...sorry!

[M TYPE X]

Ice storms can hit when you are at work or shopping at the big box store.

"really only major city"

Chicago is the Midwest's one 'world-class' city, but you can count the number of these on your one hand. Are you implying that Cleveland and Detroit are less major than Austin and Nashville?

[ajf131]

Originally Posted by miamiman

I have absolutely no desire to live in the Midwest, as well. Chicago is really the only major city in the Midwest. The city, however, gets WAY too cold in the winter for my tastes, as does much of the Midwest.

The Midwest is entirely too far from an ocean for my tastes. I have never lived more than 6 or 7 hours from the ocean, so the Midwest would likely be quite a shock. I also like extremely varied landscapes, which the Midwest cannot offer.

Additionally, many Midwestern states are full of very traditional types of people. I could never live in a place where I would be judged for not going to church on Sunday, not saying hello and making eye contact with everyone I passed, or not agreeing with the majority on gay marriage or abortion.

LMAO Chicago the only major city in the Midwest? Aren't you forgetting Detroit, Indy, St. Louis, Kansas City, Milwaukee, Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, and the Twin Cities? How are these cities not major cities?

[Nafster]

Originally Posted by miamiman

Additionally, many Midwestern states are full of very traditional types of people. I could never live in a place where I would be judged for not going to church on Sunday, not saying hello and making eye contact with everyone I passed, or not agreeing with the majority on gay marriage or abortion.

Looks like you're the one doing the judging here. I don't know where you get the idea that people in the Midwest judge people for their differences more than other places.

In fact, your statement proves your theory wrong. People in the Midwest are very accepting of other people's differences. You're going to find people who you described everywhere, not in one particular region.

And about the eye contact and hello thing... if you don't want to be around friendly people, I don't know where to suggest you go, but I suggest you stay far away from here

[ogre]

And thanks for the neg rep point, I told no lies nor attacked anybody. You just gave me the neg-rep point because I called out something you loved. What you just did, sir, was wrong by C-D standards. Thanks alot.[quote, Steve-o]

This thread is getting ugly. That said, I've only recently run across, for the first time, at another thread, mention of negative rep. How do you give those? I'd hate to have to give out many, but some users may deserve them, depending on what really are considered acceptable reasons for negative-repping someone. Which leads to the question: What are the C-D standards on reasons to give negative rep?

And can someone also tell me how you add a comment when giving rep? Thanks for any help on this.

[miamiman]

Originally Posted by Steve-o

Interesting.

While we're not near oceans, weve got the great lakes. Thats gotta count for something.

As for extremely varied landscapes, you chose AZ? The only area of the state that varies is up near Sedona/Flagstaff, once you get outside of those areas, its desert and hills/mountains as far as you can see in all directions. Oklahoma has the most varied terrain (TravelOK.com:* The All-Terrain Vacation), so it sounds like what youre looking for is in the midwest region.

And if you seriously think that people are going to judge you for not going to church, or get mad if you dont say hi or smile at them, then that just reaffirms you have no idea what youre talking about and have never indeed even been to the midwest. Do you think its Mr. Roger's Neighnorhood out here?

Wow. Sorry for having an opinion.

I'm sure the Great Lakes are a sufficient substitution for some, but not for me. The waves, the beaches, and the whole experience of going to the beach are all factors that are very different about the Great Lakes than the East or West Coasts. I love the experience of driving toward an ocean and having the small of salt in the air intensify as I drive closer. That's something you can't experience with the Great Lakes.

Arizona has extremely varied landscapes. The largest stand of Ponderosa Pines in the country, the Grand Canyon, alpine forests, cactus forests, citrus groves, lakes, rivers, oak forests, ski resorts, etc. All in one state. I think the landscape here is much more varied here than in the Midwest, and I'm sure many people who are actually familiar with both the Midwest and Arizona would agree.

I have been to Chicago more time than I care to count. It seems that a large number of people who live "traditional" lifestyles live in the Midwest. Many Midwestern states have some of the highest church attendance rates outside of the South. Whenever you here the term "middle America" on television it usually refers to the rural Midwest. I don't agree with many of those same values and traditions that those people maintain, so therefore I would never live there.

[quijote]

Originally Posted by CTownNative

Why do so many people hate the Midwest and Rustbelt?I mean the Midwest/Rustbelt region is one of the huge regions why are country has been so prosperous.Yeah i know theres crime and poverty in cities in the Midwest but there is crime and poverty in cities in all of the regions.I also know the economy is not that good right now in the Midwest,but can you really expect that to last forever.I mean if the economy in the West was to go bad would people hate that region?Than in the Midwest you have cities like Cleveland,Chicago,STL,Milwaukee,Indianapolis,and Detroit,cities which all have world class attractions.The Midwest has the great lakes,the cities also have nice architecture.Im posting this question because I wanted to see what people have to say on this topic.I mean Im suprised and kind of mad to see that so many people dislike the region I like so much.I mean I know not everyone is going to like the Midwest,but compared to the other regions,the Midwest seems to be the one that is the most disliked.

As others here have said, it seems to me that the South is probably the least liked region in the U.S.

Nevertheless, the question posed is still an interesting one: Why do people (presumably from outside the Midwest) hate the Midwest? Why do people (presumably from outside the South) hate the South? In other words, why do people from some regions hate (or have hateful perceptions of) another region?

Some answers have already been offered: the Midwest and the South is "flyover country"; the Midwest and the South are associated with agricultural workers perceived to be "hicks"; and so on.

As someone who grew up in California and then spent several years on the East Coast, I would say that the above perceptions do prevail. In addition, the Midwest and South are seen as being more religious, more conservative, and less interested in social change.

Also, the prominence of certain institutions in the Midwest and South, compared to the West and the East, has a decisive influence on perceptions. Most of the top research universities and liberal arts colleges are on the coasts-the Ivies, Stanford, Cal, UCLA, the seven sisters, etc. And the major universities that aren't on the coasts tend to have big-time football, party-school, and ag-school reputations--Ohio State, Michigan State, Wisconsin, etc.

Of course, all of this is utterly stupid--there are exceptions to all of these perceptions. So, to understand this apparent region-to-region animosity, it's probably important to dig deeper.

In the West, for example, not all people appreciate each other equally. Many people from SF look down on San Jose; many people from San Jose look down on Sacramento; many people from Sac look down on Fresno; and so on. The reverse also happens: many people from Fresno hold San Franciscans in contempt. Again, there's a trace of the "urbane cosmopolis versus agricultural community" syndrome, though it's much more complex than that. Similar intraregional perceptions exist elsewhere.

Ultimately, I think such perceptions exist because of lack of experience visiting and appreciating other places. In other words, it's a matter of provincialism. Many hipster San Franciscans look down on other places, but don't know (or care) where their food really comes from. Many traditional Fresno dwellers look down on SF, yet don't realize the bedrock importance of its banking and finance economy.

In other words, most people have a view of what their "flyover country" is. For many westerners, it's not just the Midwest and South--also most of the rest of the west. The same for many easterners--a lot of people from New Canaan, CT just don't like Bridgeport or New London, even if they've never visited. Many people from Princeton, NJ and Georgetown, DC probably see the Newark area and the Delmarva peninsula as "flyover" territory. And likewise, many people from Bridgeport or New London or Newark or Delmarva--or other places such as inner Pennsylvania, industrial Massachusetts, etc.--see other places within their midst as being despicable.

If people have such a hard time appreciating the areas that surround them, how will they develop an appreciation for other states that lie hundreds of miles away? In my current state, Wisconsin, there are people from the cities and suburbs and exurbs and small towns who, for some reason or another, disdain each other and see each others' territory as frivolous or unworthy of attention. So what are these people going to say about places farther afield?

[Colts]

Originally Posted by ogre

And thanks for the neg rep point, I told no lies nor attacked anybody. You just gave me the neg-rep point because I called out something you loved. What you just did, sir, was wrong by C-D standards. Thanks alot.[quote, Steve-o]

This thread is getting ugly. That said, I've only recently run across, for the first time, at another thread, mention of negative rep. How do you give those? I'd hate to have to give out many, but some users may deserve them, depending on what really are considered acceptable reasons for negative-repping someone. Which leads to the question: What are the C-D standards on reasons to give negative rep?

And can someone also tell me how you add a comment when giving rep? Thanks for any help on this.

Click on the libra scales icon in the top right corner of a post to give positive or negative rep points. It's located adjacent to the post's reply number.

I usually give a negative rep for trolls, and posts that are blatantly false or misleading. Pretty much the opposite for what you'd give to a positive post.

[miamiman]

Originally Posted by Nafster

Looks like you're the one doing the judging here. I don't know where you get the idea that people in the Midwest judge people for their differences more than other places.

In fact, your statement proves your theory wrong. People in the Midwest are very accepting of other people's differences. You're going to find people who you described everywhere, not in one particular region.

And about the eye contact and hello thing... if you don't want to be around friendly people, I don't know where to suggest you go, but I suggest you stay far away from here

I am. I'm saying that I could never live in an environment where I am judged for not going to church. People judge others all the time. That's no lie.

Some Midwestern states are generally the most conservative in the country. I am a liberal. That in itself tells me that the values and ideals cherished by the majority of the voting population is something I do not agree with. I would never want to live in an area an "impose my value system" on anyone.

Lastly, you can be friendly without saying hello and making eye contact with everyone you pass on the street. I spent the majority of my life in Miami and New York. Those are environments where you don't look everyone in the eye as you pass them, or say hello. Does that indicate that we're mean? No. It's just what we're used to.

[ajf131]

Originally Posted by Nafster

They've never been there before and they assume

1. It's flat
2. People are hicks
3. It's boring
4. The weather

Here are the myths debunked:

1. It's not all flat. There are plenty of high hills and bluffs. There are even mountains in Michigan.
2. Not everyone is a country hick - There are cities here you know!!!
3. It's not boring! Tons of stuff goes on here!!!
4. Grow some balls and put on a coat! If your that afraid of cold, then you don't know what you're missing with the 4 seasons.

Got that right that the Midwest isn't flat! Much of Ohio is mountainous, particularly in pretty much the southeastern quarter of the whole state. In Southern Missouri and extreme Southern Illinois, you of course have the Ozarks, and you also have many river bluffs present in much of the Midwest as well. And there's the Porcupine Mountains in Michigan. And Iowa is quite hilly as well. Believe it or not folks, not all of the Midwest looks like Indiana and Illinois!