What is the biggest Mis-Conception/stereotype of Wisconsin? (La Crosse, Minocqua: real estate, living)

[Central Illinois 1]

Stereotypes about WI that I have often heard:
Everyone drinks 24/7
Everyone roots for the Packers (this one is ALMOST true from what I can see)
People are pasty and overweight
Everyone talks like Jerry Lundergarten (e.g., Fargo)
Everyone eats alot of sausage and cheese


Having said all of this, I have had many of the best times of my life in WI. The Fargo accent is very prevalent in WI and there's nothing wrong with eating cheese, drinking beer and rooting for the Pack - love it all. Fat, pasty people are everywhere across America. So I think that WI gets kind of a bad rap there.

[notmuch69]

My New York City friends seem to think of Wisconsin as Green Acres. One likes to make fun of Wisconsin being the dairy state--you know, the cow jokes, the cheese jokes, etc.

They were right on the money!

[foilgirl]

Hi,

I think every state has its own stereotypes. My now ex-husband's grandparents were scandalized when we moved out here. They were sure he would be killed in one of those huge 8.0 earthquakes that happens, you know, every week. And my Republican sister hates that CA is seen as a haven for liberal hippies, as that's really only true in the San Francisco and LA areas.

Everything you've heard about crazy CA drivers is true, though. And our Oakland Raiders' fans are... very comparable to Packers' fans. They tend to be crazier, though. IMHO.

As far as WI goes, I'd have to say the "flat" stereotype holds true for me. Not as flat as Nebraska, but definitely flat compared to the Sierra Nevada. That's not a value judgement, though. I think much of the area around Milwaukee (esp Delafield, Waukesha, and Wales) is really lovely. And flat.

Originally Posted by wigirl920

Found a nifty little article that shows the ratings of drivers in all states. WI ranked #11, while MI ranked #17. Just sayin'

Hey, I see CA is worse than WI (14). I hope that means my car insurance premium will go down!

-Meghan

[catfeathers]

well...my future son-in-law (in Texas) loves to tease me about our accent...he says we say Wisconsin like.....'WA' SCAAN SIN'...he claims we have a real 'nasal' sound...I wanted to disagree, but then I really started listening...and whoa...we really DO have an accent!


He also 'thought' it would be like the movie FARGO...cold, cold, flat, windy...did I mention cold?
He was actually surprised by the hills and valleys and all the green trees.

[Tunky]

I don't live in WI anymore and I'm actually trying to keep my midwestern accent. I hope I don't start giving 3 letter words 4 syllables when I speak! (pen = peh-eh-eh-en)

However, I have a buddy from the east coast who makes fun of how "we" say "WisCAHNsin". WTH? It's our state, if that's how we pronounce it, that's how it's pronounced!

[catfeathers]

Originally Posted by Tunky

I don't live in WI anymore and I'm actually trying to keep my midwestern accent. I hope I don't start giving 3 letter words 4 syllables when I speak! (pen = peh-eh-eh-en)

However, I have a buddy from the east coast who makes fun of how "we" say "WisCAHNsin". WTH? It's our state, if that's how we pronounce it, that's how it's pronounced!

(pen = peh-eh-eh-en)

yep...sounds like it's a fact then.......we do say our state's name a 'little bit different' than outlanders! But the way we say it is correct!

I always enjoy hearing (or making) people say our town names...
like most 'outlanders' say "PA walk ee" instead of PE waukee..
and I can't even get into how they butcher Oconomowoc!

[TAB1452]

why for the life of me and I going to stick up for other "flat" states is beyond me...but living in Omaha for a few months now and driving through SD, Minn, Neb and Iowa...none of these states are "flat" as people believe...I will not argue that Nebraskas landscape differs GREATLY from Wisconsins in the sense that northern Wisconsin is just full of forests and Nebraska is mainly a "plains" type state...with few trees compared to Wisconsin but the reason people assume Nebraska is flat is because I-80 which runs from east of Des Moines Iowa all the way through the state of Nebraska is built in quite possibly the flattest land Nebraska has to offer and I-80 is as straight as a friggin arrow with little or no turns involved...Iowa is nothing but rolling hills from one side to the other...IMO Kansas and parts of Nebraska are flat as hell but IDK if any state is worse then Illinois in terms of driving from tip to tip on how flat and boring it is...just my opinion

also a few stereotypes I hear about Wisconsin out here is the typical ones especially drinking since bar time in Omaha is 1 A.M. also they ask if we all drive trucks in winter and have chains on our tires...

but Nebraska people for the most part are nice and I think they realize that any stereotype they throw out at me I can throw 100 out about them...states like Michigan and Minnesota that surround Wisconsin always make me scratch my head when they come up with or try to use stereotypes about us...for the most part we are all pretty much the same...I know a ton of Minnesota people who drink as much if not more then we do and most love brats...outside of Chicago I would say Illinois is pretty close to being just like Wisco as well

[jjacobeclark]

Originally Posted by TAB1452

outside of Chicago I would say Illinois is pretty close to being just like Wisco as well

I would say the exact opposite. Illinois is more like Indiana or Missouri than it is like Wisconsin. Chicago is more like Wisconsin than it is like Downstate Illinois.

[Milwaukee City]

Gee I wonder where people get WI stereotypes from, hmmmm

[IMG]http://media.jsonline.com/images/600*400/mjs-lambeau_-nws_-sieu_-2-lambeau.jpg[/IMG]





This is the reason I say I'm from Milwaukee and not Wisconsin, also another reason I'm glad I am a Bears Fan!

[ccjarider]

the accent thing is pretty funny. We only moved 90 miles down the road to Chicago area but my wife (who hails from the Fox Valley) has been asked 3 times in the last year if she is from Canada. We think that is pretty funny