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Oh, New York media. We've gone over this before: Chicago is a pretty happenin' town. Just because we've been in the spotlight in recent weeks (for reasons both good and bad) doesn't mean you have to get all riled up. Letting the inferiority complex shine through once more, New York Magazine has released its Reasons To Love New York 2008 issue and their number one reason is a doozy: "Because Obama Is One of Us, Despite All That Business About Chicago."
Oh HELL no.
First off, we get the argument. Obama lived in New York for four years and graduated from Columbia University. Fine. But, see, that's where the argument ends. Obama has lived here - with the exception of his time at Harvard Law School - for over 23 years. Obama has served as an elected official in Illinois for 11 years and is now prepping himself to lead the nation. There's his HQ in the Loop, the many press conferences from the downtown hotel, the whole Obamapalooza thing, and those are White Sox pinstripes, not Yankee pinstripes. So you'll forgive us for scratching our heads at such a claim. And, really, are you so concerned about losing your status at the "center of the world" that you had to give us the backhanded "All That Business About Chicago"?
Of course, it's silly for anyone to "claim" Obama anyway. That's part of the wonder of his backstory. Obama is a man of multiple races and multiple places. Part of his pragmatism that appeals to so many people is as a result of his background that saw him live in different parts of the world and exposed to a variety of ideas and religions. After all, as his birthplace, doesn't Honolulu have the best claim on him to begin with? To claim Obama is "one of us" would be to undermine the fact that he's not just Chicago's President or New York's President, but the United States President. Sure, maybe we're being a bit over-protective - if not a little hypocritical - here, but we thought New York already had it's Presidential Candidate. We're just sayin'...
But we'll stop there; we're not going to allow ourselves to get all worked up over this. After all, this is coming from the same magazine that got all up in arms over Fred Armisen's portrayal of New York Gov. Paterson on SNL this weekend...even after they had made the same jokes. Still, we're willing to share Obama, despite all this business about New York.
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Apparently getting a writing gig in the center of the world isn't too tough.
They're trolling.
"After all, as his birthplace, doesn't Honolulu have the best claim on him to begin with?"
Thank you! You have given Prairie State credence to an argument I've maintained most of my life. Now my old Kentucky homeland finally can put "Land of Lincoln" on the license plates.
And New York can shove it.
He's as much a Bostonian as a New Yorker by the reasoning of the article.
Any claims from Kenya? johnadams are you still reading this website?
I hear Fredonia is clamining him as a native son.
I think Andrew Dice Clay put it best.
"Where are you from?"
"I'm from my Dad's penis! Where you from?"
Navin: don't think Boston's not trying, out here...
It's funny -- when I first moved to Chicago in 2002, one thing I was surprised by was the amount of New York envy. Now with the president-elect hailing from here and possibly the Olympics coming here, it's funny to see New York exhibit a little Chicago envy.
@Irishman
Thanks for the timely laugh. I dug out an old Dice tape just last night while cleaning the kitchen.
Hmmm..... I wonder if Chicago magazine would have pulled the same thing had Hillary won the election?
New York often gets into fights with other cities. I remember in the early 90s in was san francisco (the tech hub) and before that L.A vs. NY.
That city does not like to share the spotlight.
Unfortunately in this economy it's going to have to.
*facepalm*
I'd say New York magazine has about as much of a feel for the pulse of NYC as Chicago magazine has here. Both magazines are full of fluffy crap about who's who and where to get the latest trendy drink ($14 here, $22 in NYC).
The best Chicagoist response to this kind of nonsense would be nothing at all. This isn't the collectibe "New York" saying it's better than Chicago ... it's a stupid magazine article. The same magazine that lists "Affordable fur ... no longer a myth" as its third most popular article.
I didn't even realize people still lusted after fur until the last time I was in New York. I figured it was sort of like gold and pearls...a bit "over."
Fur = best way to look like an old bag before your time