Why the hatred of Chicagoans? (Milwaukee, Madison: transplants, sales, 2009)

[IcemanJB]

This topic has always interested me. There's always been a tension between WI and Chicagoland (I'll try to refrain from grouping it as Illinois, since downstate is MUCH different than Chicagoland).

Everyone probably knows the typical reasons one would give: "they're rude, they clog up our roads in the summer, and act like they own the place." I think that's just a side effect of being in a semi-touristy area. People are on vacation, they don't give a rip, and it shows. Locals get pissy about this. Now I'm not saying that it's OK to act like a total jackass, but grouping the entire state of IL as such isn't really accurate.

I've lived my entire life in the Madison area (minus a few months in Texas), so I hear the term "FIB" pretty much daily in the summer, less so in the winter. Only when someone has earned it will I use it (like if someone drives me off the road...). I HATE it when my friends will see IL plates and immediately label them as FIB.

I went to college here, and there are quite a few people from Chicagoland that go here as well. I dated a girl who was raised in Chicago. Yeah, there are slight differences in culture; they're faster paced, we're more laid back. So what? Didn't mean we couldn't get along and have fun. I also have family there that I visit frequently. I do take a ribbing for being a cheesehead, but it's all in fun. I poke fun back as well; it's when people take it too far and too seriously (either direction) that it turns into this stupid "i'm better than you" battle.

[dcisive]

I'll give you my perspective on it, but it will most certainly be skewed. I was born and raised in Chicago. I moved to the North Shore at age 13. If there is one thing I paid a lot of attention to it was observance of human behavior. In that consider that my father grew up in a small town in Western Upstate New York. Very tight knit with a country attitude all the way. I grew up with that influence and frankly NEVER liked the big city and it's trappings. I felt more alive when I was outside of it and during vacations and such, felt much more myself when in the company of non city folks and they always responded to me in kind.

When I got a drivers license I began exploring more on my own. At that time (late 60's early 70's) I enjoyed jaunts to Lake Geneva/Walworth as a friend of mine took up residence there. What I noted was that it seemed the general attitudes of most of the Illinois visitors was one of arrogance. They came there with the attitude the Wisconsin residents were there to serve them, leaving their refuse behind. I suppose if I stretched it a bit it was a bit akin to a "rape" attitude. So I became familiar with seeing this viewpoint. I could see and hear it in the residents of the various places I visited and had a chance to talk with "townies" in Wisconsin.

Indeed they felt a bit put out by this prevailing attitude, and quite frankly I noticed the attitude from the Illinois visitors so it's not their imagination. I honestly never really related to being a "Chicagoan" as my heart was always in the country. I made friends in Wisconsin easily as they could sense this and held no animosity towards me as a result. Years later I traveled for a living covering 17 States for a living in sales. Wisconsin was not only my favorite State to do business, but my sales numbers reflected this as it was my #1 producer. I even lived outside of Milwaukee for a few years before resettling out West.

I am quite certain there will be some Illinois folks come to this thread and defend Illinois and the residents to the end. AFAIAC it is pretty indefensible. I'll just say I"m a outside party viewing this from the sidelines having witnessed it first hand. Will it ever change? I doubt it. It's just an "attitude" which is pervasive. I don't see it evaporating. Some from Illinois would say "well what would Wisconsin do without our money in the summer"? While that is somewhat of a compelling question as Wisconsin does reap some monetary benefit from the influx of vacationers especially during the summers, it does come with it's own price. Just the way it is I guess. But I don't see it changing.........

[Milwaukee City]

ONE WORD: Jealously!

Let me explain, if Milwaukee was the biggest city in the Midwest don't you think we would be the big ego in the Midwest? we would. Chicago people have an immense amount of pride and rightly so, Chicago is a world class city. It's almost like being born into royalty to say you're from one of the big 3 NYC LA CHI. Believe people from Milwaukee have an "I'm better than you" attitude towards madison and other smaller cities. I think it's a natural big city attitude, just like being super friendly is a natural small city attitude or a hatered for big cities is a natural attitude for people living in a small town.

Having a lot of people from Chicago come up here for vacation adds to it as you mentioned locals no matter where they are tend to dislike any tourist especially when they come from one state. Now let's not forget sports, Packer v Bears, Brewers V Cubs, and so on. I know this isn't Europe but people here do take their sports really really serious and getting beat by your neighbor to the south often leads to disdain for that state or city.

Where I live Walker's Point/Third Ward there are a lot of transient people and a lot from Chicago. My last apartment building I lived in everyone in the 10 unit building was from Chicago and had moved there in the last 5 years. Now currently where I live a 5 unit building 3 of the 5 units are Chicago transplants. I don't mind people from Chicago and they never bothered me and since I love Chicago and I go down there a lot driving in Chicago doesn't bother me at all. I love the fact that I can get anywhere in the Milwaukee area in 45min door to door.

I think people from rural Wisconsin hate Chicago more than city people partly b/c we are cut from the same tree. It doesn't help matters when you are tailgated by a 2009 Range Rover 3 inches from your bumper and then when he passes you he is driving 90mph with IL plates. It's just a differences in cultures and attitudes and an unknowing from one about the other.

[WildWestDude]

Well, recently the two metro areas are counted as one! The MSA, metro statistical area, now is comprised of the greater Milwaukee, Chicago and NW Indiana areas for a total of 10 mil +
The cities are merging and becoming more homogeneous.............

[IcemanJB]

I didn't even mention the sports things because I will never budge on the Pack. But we can all agree that we all hate the Vikings more lol.

As for MKE, in the past 5 or 10 years I've noticed it really shaping up its image. My work's main office is in the 3rd Ward (near corner of Milwaukee and Chicago streets), and it's great when I make the hour trip there. That area has changed drastically recently, but I digress.

I really like Chicago, and like visiting my family there. You just have to take it for what it is. Some do hold this preconceived notion that I'm a simple-minded country bumpkin since I'm from Madison, but that's their opinion. It seems 3/4 of these people have never even been to WI. Madison isn't a big city, but it certainly isn't a small country town, not that there's anything wrong with that.

[43north87west]

I've lived in a number of large metropolitan areas around the country. Based strictly on my own observations, it appears to me that more transient populations are less likely to participate in this type of regional rivalry.
Wisconsin and Illinois seem to have a lot of natives who have never lived (read: officially established residence) anywhere but in their hometown, or within a very short distance.

This isn't limited to regional rivalries. It extends to accents, behaviors, or anything that can be identified as belonging to a geographic location. It also isn't unique to Wisconsin, Illinois, or any other state.

[nanannie]

Hatred? Thats a pretty strong word isnt it?
I so agree with the other poster who said JEALOUSY !
I married a man from Wisconsin,we had a home there for 18 yrs,have family there still. I live in Illinois now. It seems that some could care less about Illinois , and some have their knickers in a bunch because of the hands that feed them-inferiority complex perhaps?
I would say a majority of the nice Wisconsin folks could care less where you are from as long as you are respectful, obey traffic laws () and treat others as.....you know the rest.

And 43 north is spot on-it is not a unique situation. I used to live in Oregon. California was the devil.

And as far as FIBs,,Chicago is such a huge,major city and melting pot.And has all the pitfalls,crime,and dazzle of any other. All of us dont live in a city. An awful lot of Illinois is farmland,rolling countryside, and countryfolk, just like Wisconsin. So dont condemn the entire (very large) state

[43north87west]

Originally Posted by IcemanJB

Some do hold this preconceived notion that I'm a simple-minded country bumpkin since I'm from Madison, but that's their opinion.

This is more likely to be your perception, than it is reality.

You can't know what notions people hold unless they express those notions to you in words or in writing. Mannerisms, language, attitudes, and appearance contribute to others' impression of you, more than a mere geographic reference. It's probably just that you are different in one or many ways, not that they think you're a country bumpkin. Anyway, Madison is hardly a country town, although it's not a sprawling metropolis either. It's more likely to be associated with government and education.

[dcisive]

I think some of you are completely missing the point. It has NOTHING to do with jealousy that's for sure. It has to do with a group of people flagrantly illustrating their lack of RESPECT. Pure and simple. One thing is for sure, I NEVER met a person from Wisconsin that wished they lived in Illinois EVER. I don't know who you're hanging out with but that hasn't been my experience. I do think it has to do very much with the population density of a given place. Indeed the guy from Milwaukee that commented a bit ago, even Milwaukee folks will have more attitude than say someone from a smaller town in Wisconsin.

Ironically even the folks from downstate Illinois don't care much for the folks with their attitudes from Chicago either. So nothing new there. When I went to college in Southern Illinois I most certainly never walked around with my nose in the air to those that lived down there either. Nor did I exhibit any big city attitude. I continued to show respect for anyone around the entire country no matter where I was or who I was interacting with. I can't say for sure but I do believe it has something to do with the younger generations displaying less and less respect for others. In my day growing up (I'm 56) If I showed disrespect to anyone I'd either get my a$$ kicked by them or my parent. Rightfully so, but those days are gone.

I guess what I"m saying is the Wisconsinites disdain for Illinois folks isn't unique as you might think. It prevails all over. The Oregonians hate Californians for Californicating their State. Southern Utahans hate the folks from Las Vegas for wanting to steal their water and on and on. It's always something. Stems from Greed and lack of Respect. 2 harbingers of hatred for sure.

[Milwaukee City]

I NEVER met a person from Wisconsin that wished they lived in Illinois EVER.

Well you just met me!!!

I wish I lived in Portage Park, Chicago!