Wednesday, September 20, 2006
The New York State of Mind
New York is an interesting place. The very fact that I am writing an entry about it is ironic. I detest its arrogance, but at the same time, New York speaks so loudly in our culture, it can be impossible to ignore. I have two vignettes on this:
-I have never been disappointed in a Woody Allen film. Some are much better than others, but all of them are at least interesting. Annie Hall is a fine film. One of the quintessential lines in the film speaks to the New York state of mind. The quote speaks of Los Angeles: "I could never live in a city where the only cultural advantage is the ability to make a right turn at a red light." My own critique of the LA life being put aside, the presence of this mindset is bothersome. Since I grew up on the west coast, and have spent a lot of time in the Midwest, the NY attitude is like an annoying insect which cannot be easily terminated. Steph and I just watched Melinda and Melinda, one of Woody Allen's latest films. In it, the story of a woman named Melinda is told two different ways, once as a tragedy, and once as a comedy. In the tragedy, the fact that the Melinda character had left New York, married a man and moved to (get ready for this) St. Louis was part of the depth of the tragedy. (To be fair, in the comedy portion of the film the Midwest is seen with more levity, as one of the principal characters had attended Northwestern). The disdain with which New Yorkers see the rest of the country, however cultured and enriched it might be, is puzzling, and ironically, completely closed minded.
-Alex Rodriguez should never have gone to New York. Only in the pompous caldron of the five boroughs could such a man be seen as a failure. I'm sure his paycheck is a big part of it, but the Yankee mindset is obsessive. Here in Minneapolis, folks are speaking of anything after entrance into the playoffs as icing on the cake. This is called contentment, something foreign to New Yorkers. If New Yorkers were content, 26 titles would be enough. Nothing ever is. Right now, A-Rod's ability is being called into question yet again. He should depart while he still can. Nothing can be said to satisfy New Yorkers. Nothing can penetrate the forcefield along the Hudson. Anything West of the Hudson is seen as insignificant.
New York is a special place. My hope is to go there once again, this time with my wife. My four trips there have been memorable to say the least. But I so love the middle of this country. A vast region untouched by oceans, welcoming in nature, and almost free of the New York State of Mind.
-I have never been disappointed in a Woody Allen film. Some are much better than others, but all of them are at least interesting. Annie Hall is a fine film. One of the quintessential lines in the film speaks to the New York state of mind. The quote speaks of Los Angeles: "I could never live in a city where the only cultural advantage is the ability to make a right turn at a red light." My own critique of the LA life being put aside, the presence of this mindset is bothersome. Since I grew up on the west coast, and have spent a lot of time in the Midwest, the NY attitude is like an annoying insect which cannot be easily terminated. Steph and I just watched Melinda and Melinda, one of Woody Allen's latest films. In it, the story of a woman named Melinda is told two different ways, once as a tragedy, and once as a comedy. In the tragedy, the fact that the Melinda character had left New York, married a man and moved to (get ready for this) St. Louis was part of the depth of the tragedy. (To be fair, in the comedy portion of the film the Midwest is seen with more levity, as one of the principal characters had attended Northwestern). The disdain with which New Yorkers see the rest of the country, however cultured and enriched it might be, is puzzling, and ironically, completely closed minded.
-Alex Rodriguez should never have gone to New York. Only in the pompous caldron of the five boroughs could such a man be seen as a failure. I'm sure his paycheck is a big part of it, but the Yankee mindset is obsessive. Here in Minneapolis, folks are speaking of anything after entrance into the playoffs as icing on the cake. This is called contentment, something foreign to New Yorkers. If New Yorkers were content, 26 titles would be enough. Nothing ever is. Right now, A-Rod's ability is being called into question yet again. He should depart while he still can. Nothing can be said to satisfy New Yorkers. Nothing can penetrate the forcefield along the Hudson. Anything West of the Hudson is seen as insignificant.
New York is a special place. My hope is to go there once again, this time with my wife. My four trips there have been memorable to say the least. But I so love the middle of this country. A vast region untouched by oceans, welcoming in nature, and almost free of the New York State of Mind.
# posted by Unknown @ 11:24 PM 
