Iowa One of the Most Ridiculed States (and Why We Don’t Care)

Have you had anyone give you a hard time because you're an Iowan? Of course you have. That goes with the territory here. But, there's a ranking being passed around again claiming that Iowa is one of the most ridiculed states in America. That might be true, but there are some very good reasons why we don't care.

Full disclosure: this isn't new. The ranking goes back to an article over 4 years ago shared by Orbitz. Yes, the travel site thinks they know us. They claim that Iowa is the #5 most ridiculed state in America. I don't know if that's true, but it feels like it's true.

I've seen this shared a bazillion times on Facebook, but I have to wonder if anyone is really reading what they say about us. Here's a short quote:

Ever hear naysayers make the claim that Iowa stands for, “I owe the world an apology?” Actually, it’s the rest of us who should apologize.

Interesting. The truth is they praise us especially in eastern Iowa where they refer to Iowa City as "lively". Orbitz story also loves the Iowa State Fair (especially the food) and the outdoor stuff you can do with our lakes, yada, yada...yada.

If their story is accurate, the only other states that get made fun of more than Iowa are Kansas, Florida, Arizona and New Jersey. OK, so Florida probably deserves it.

I predict that most Iowans would be like me and not give a flying hoot about what someone who probably has never been here thinks of Iowa. If you want to think we all walk around with corn sticking out of our pockets, fine. My cousin does, but that's a different subject for a different day.

One thing the naysayers should know is we also appreciate our space here, so the less crowds that come piling in the better. They should also be aware that we protect our own, so beware of giving us too hard a time.