Stupid 2000 article about KC from the UK (Kansas City: wedding, metro)

[MidWestCityNative]

I know this article is 14 years old and I know it's from England, but as soon as I stumbled upon it I wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry by how ridiculous it is:

Kansas City: Bush country where guns and God hold sway - Telegraph

Even for 14 years ago, this had to be the most ignorant, inaccurate, and untrue description about KC (metro or proper) that has ever made it to print.

I realize KC in 2000 wasn't exactly an urban paradise (it has drastically improved since then), but it wasn't exactly Arkansas either. This UK article suggests that KC is the "buckle" of America's bible belt; most people aren't educated about politics and are all self-proclaimed, gun-toting, bible-thumping rednecks.

Kind of makes me wonder, is THIS what foreigners perceive KC to be like? ...or at least those that are aware of KC's existence?

[Moboy32]

I imagine foreigners are completely ignorant of Kansas City. So ignorant in fact that their opinions aren't even worth being bothered by. I mean, some Americans probably think that outside of Moscow Russia is a bunch of cavemen in igloos. Or that all the British are soft and drink too much tea.

[MidWestCityNative]

Originally Posted by Moboy32

I imagine foreigners are completely ignorant of Kansas City. So ignorant in fact that their opinions aren't even worth being bothered by. I mean, some Americans probably think that outside of Moscow Russia is a bunch of cavemen in igloos. Or that all the British are soft and drink too much tea.

Random "KC" residents are quoted in the article above, so I assume the person behind this article actually travelled overseas to KC. Did he just skip downtown and only visited in the rural outskirts?

Whoever labels KC "redneck", "country", and "bible belt" (whether they be foreign or not) should be dragged into the street and...well, you know.

[denverian]

Yeah, that's one of the stupidest articles I've ever read lol!

[Moboy32]

Originally Posted by MidWestCityNative

Random "KC" residents are quoted in the article above, so I assume the person behind this article actually travelled overseas to KC. Did he just skip downtown and only visited in the rural outskirts?

Whoever labels KC "redneck", "country", and "bible belt" (whether they be foreign or not) should be dragged into the street and...well, you know.

I don't understand what your trying to say. I was just answering the OP in stating that I don't even think most foreigners know KC exists, and their opinions of it would be so uninformed that they wouldn't even be worth listening to. The article is apparently referring to KCK, since Missouri was not mentioned once.

[MLSFan]

I could kind of see this being the view of people outside of KC... I mean the westboro church in kansas doesn't do the area any favors... and KC does have kansas in it's name... they might confuse the state with the city in this case?

[TabulaRasa]

Hah, I'll run it by my lovely sister-in-law, a KC native who expatriated to London twenty years ago, when I go visit her in a couple of weeks. But I do know that she and her Scottish husband come back for visits, they always bring a bunch of Brit friends with, because they all love their time in KC so much. When we had our wedding in KC in January, the British contingent that came with them was fairly big.

[kcmo]

I wouldn't really call that an article, more like some made up dribble catering to whomever they are catering to.

Two thoughts though.

1. This is not too far from what many people out here on the east coast think of Kansas City. KC takes on the political and stereotypical images of rural conservative America and whatever Kansas stereotypes. It is what it is.

2. It has always seemed to me like many in the UK don't think too highly of most of America, not just KC. In many ways, all of the US is sort of "redneck" compared to the UK, or that's kind of how I see it.

[MOKAN]

Originally Posted by MidWestCityNative

Kansas City: Bush country where guns and God hold sway - Telegraph

Nice.

I like this because it pisses off the self-loathing types and people who worry too much about what others think. It's interesting to think that places like Texas and Nashville are so successful despite these things being much truer and well known about them. That makes me wonder why people in Kansas City are so worried about what others think in terms of this type of stuff. It makes me wonder what's really holding Kansas City back and why anybody would think such an image/perception would be the culprit when it clearly doesn't have that effect in so many other places, even where it's much truer. Could the very attitude of insecurity and inferiority complex that is displayed about the perception of Kansas City be related to what is holding it back?

[CrownVic95]

Originally Posted by MOKAN

Nice.

I like this because it pisses off the self-loathing types and people who worry too much about what others think. It's interesting to think that places like Texas and Nashville are so successful despite these things being much truer and well known about them. That makes me wonder why people in Kansas City are so worried about what others think in terms of this type of stuff. It makes me wonder what's really holding Kansas City back and why anybody would think such an image/perception would be the culprit when it clearly doesn't have that effect in so many other places, even where it's much truer. Could the very attitude of insecurity and inferiority complex that is displayed about the perception of Kansas City be related to what is holding it back?

The real question is where did this notion that there is something "holding Kansas City back" come from?