Keep Portland Weird
Encyclopedia
"Keep Portland Weird" is a slogan
that appears on bumper stickers in Portland, Oregon
, United States. It is based on the "Keep Austin Weird
" slogan, and is intended to promote local businesses
. The slogan has inspired a variety of articles that attempt to quantify whether or not Portland is "weird". The consensus is that Portland is one of the weirder major cities in the U.S. Aspects of the city and its residents singled out as weird include leisure activities and the local government.
. The slogan is similar to and is predated by the Keep Austin Weird
slogan and organization used in Austin
, Texas
. The slogan has been called the unofficial motto of Portland, as well as the informal mantra
of the city's residents.
The Oregonian
newspaper developed a "weird" scale in response to the slogan, and Portland ranked 11th, with high rates of hiking, hunting, and hybrid car ownership. The most "normal" cities in the U.S. were in the Midwest
, and Salt Lake City and San Francisco were among the "weirdest". In comparing Portland to New York City and San Francisco, Lonely Planet
writer Becky Ohlsen said "Something about how cheap and isolated [Portland] is allows oddballs to explore odd behavior without being squished by economics or the harsh judgment of fashion people."
Items mentioned as illustrating the residents' eccentricities include the Voodoo Doughnut
shop, the Velveteria Museum of Velvet Paintings, the 24 Hour Church of Elvis
, the World Naked Bike Ride
, the Zoobomb
cycling events, artist Adam Kuby’s Portland Acupuncture Project, the popularity of yarn bombing
, and the Portland Urban Iditarod
.
Portland's city commission government
—a type of municipal governance now rare in the U.S.—has been described as another aspect of its weirdness, compounded by the various peculiarities of its implementation.
In early 2011, the "Keep Portland Weird" slogan was used in a debate about Portland's refusal to join the federal government's Joint Terrorism Task Force
. Portland originally opted out of the task force in 2005 over concerns for civil liberties. Recent potential threats have prompted local officials to reconsider joining the task force. Those opposed to joining the task force adopted the "Keep Portland Weird" slogan to point out that Portland was different from other cities and should continue to opt out of the task force and not join with other government forces. Opposing citizens felt joining the task force could have potentially affected Portland's traditionally progressive stance on civil liberties.
Slogan
A slogan is a memorable motto or phrase used in a political, commercial, religious and other context as a repetitive expression of an idea or purpose. The word slogan is derived from slogorn which was an Anglicisation of the Scottish Gaelic sluagh-ghairm . Slogans vary from the written and the...
that appears on bumper stickers in Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, United States. It is based on the "Keep Austin Weird
Keep Austin Weird
Keep Austin Weird is the slogan adopted by the Austin Independent Business Alliance to promote small businesses in Austin, Texas. The phrase has long been believed to have been coined in 2000 by Red Wassenich, who says he made the comment after giving a pledge to an Austin radio station...
" slogan, and is intended to promote local businesses
Small business
A small business is a business that is privately owned and operated, with a small number of employees and relatively low volume of sales. Small businesses are normally privately owned corporations, partnerships, or sole proprietorships...
. The slogan has inspired a variety of articles that attempt to quantify whether or not Portland is "weird". The consensus is that Portland is one of the weirder major cities in the U.S. Aspects of the city and its residents singled out as weird include leisure activities and the local government.
Slogan
More than 18,000 bumper stickers with the slogan are said to exist, according to accounts from local media. It was created with the intention of supporting local businesses in Portland, Oregon. Businesses that participate in the Keep Portland Weird organization include Cinema 21 and Music MillenniumMusic Millennium
Music Millennium is an independent record store located in Portland, Oregon. Its founding in 1969 has led it to claim it is the oldest continually-existing record store in the Pacific Northwest...
. The slogan is similar to and is predated by the Keep Austin Weird
Keep Austin Weird
Keep Austin Weird is the slogan adopted by the Austin Independent Business Alliance to promote small businesses in Austin, Texas. The phrase has long been believed to have been coined in 2000 by Red Wassenich, who says he made the comment after giving a pledge to an Austin radio station...
slogan and organization used in Austin
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. The slogan has been called the unofficial motto of Portland, as well as the informal mantra
Mantra
A mantra is a sound, syllable, word, or group of words that is considered capable of "creating transformation"...
of the city's residents.
Weirdness
The Oregonian
The Oregonian is the major daily newspaper in Portland, Oregon, owned by Advance Publications. It is the oldest continuously published newspaper on the U.S. west coast, founded as a weekly by Thomas J. Dryer on December 4, 1850...
newspaper developed a "weird" scale in response to the slogan, and Portland ranked 11th, with high rates of hiking, hunting, and hybrid car ownership. The most "normal" cities in the U.S. were in the Midwest
Midwestern United States
The Midwestern United States is one of the four U.S. geographic regions defined by the United States Census Bureau, providing an official definition of the American Midwest....
, and Salt Lake City and San Francisco were among the "weirdest". In comparing Portland to New York City and San Francisco, Lonely Planet
Lonely Planet
Lonely Planet is the largest travel guide book and digital media publisher in the world. The company is owned by BBC Worldwide, which bought a 75% share from the founders Maureen and Tony Wheeler in 2007 and the final 25% in February 2011...
writer Becky Ohlsen said "Something about how cheap and isolated [Portland] is allows oddballs to explore odd behavior without being squished by economics or the harsh judgment of fashion people."
Items mentioned as illustrating the residents' eccentricities include the Voodoo Doughnut
Voodoo Doughnut
Voodoo Doughnut is an independent doughnut shop based in Portland, Oregon USA. The original location, opened in 2003, is at 22 SW 3rd Avenue, "just south of the Burnside Bridge" and around the corner from Dan and Louis Oyster Bar...
shop, the Velveteria Museum of Velvet Paintings, the 24 Hour Church of Elvis
24 Hour Church of Elvis
The 24 Hour Church of Elvis is an exhibit at a museum and gallery called "Where's The Art?" in Portland, Oregon, USA, run by artist Stephanie "Stevie" G...
, the World Naked Bike Ride
World Naked Bike Ride
World Naked Bike Ride is an international clothing-optional bike ride in which participants plan, meet and ride together en masse on human-powered transport , to "deliver a vision of a cleaner, safer, body-positive world."The dress code motto is "Bare as you dare"...
, the Zoobomb
Zoobomb
Zoobomb is a weekly bicycling activity in Portland, Oregon, United States during which participants ride bicycles rapidly downhill in the city's West Hills. Zoobomb began in 2002....
cycling events, artist Adam Kuby’s Portland Acupuncture Project, the popularity of yarn bombing
Yarn bombing
Yarn bombing, yarnbombing, yarnstorming, guerrilla knitting, or graffiti knitting is a type of graffiti or street art that employs colorful displays of knitted or crocheted cloth rather than paint or chalk.-Method and motivation:...
, and the Portland Urban Iditarod
Portland Urban Iditarod
The Portland Urban Iditarod is a race in which teams of people pull shopping carts through a course over four miles through downtown Portland, Oregon. This race occurs on the first Saturday of March—the same date as the actual Alaskan Iditarod—and has also taken place in Los Angeles, San...
.
Portland's city commission government
City commission government
City commission government is a form of municipal government which once was common in the United States, but many cities which were formerly governed by commission have since switched to the council-manager form of government...
—a type of municipal governance now rare in the U.S.—has been described as another aspect of its weirdness, compounded by the various peculiarities of its implementation.
Controversies
The slogan "Keep Portland Weird" has created controversy and been imitated with slogans such as "Keep Portland Beered" and others. Also suggested is that Portland might not have been originally weird, but the campaign leads to a new weirdness among some Portlanders. Not all citizens view the campaign in a positive light. Some have advanced the idea that Portland's weirdness is an excuse for the younger generation to be underachievers. Also some citizens claim that the intended effect of the campaign—economic stimulation for local businesses—has not achieved the desired results.In early 2011, the "Keep Portland Weird" slogan was used in a debate about Portland's refusal to join the federal government's Joint Terrorism Task Force
Joint Terrorism Task Force
A Joint Terrorism Task Force is a partnership between various U.S. law enforcement agencies that is charged with taking action against terrorism, which includes the investigation of crimes such as wire fraud and identity theft...
. Portland originally opted out of the task force in 2005 over concerns for civil liberties. Recent potential threats have prompted local officials to reconsider joining the task force. Those opposed to joining the task force adopted the "Keep Portland Weird" slogan to point out that Portland was different from other cities and should continue to opt out of the task force and not join with other government forces. Opposing citizens felt joining the task force could have potentially affected Portland's traditionally progressive stance on civil liberties.
External links
- Keep Portland Weird! organization (official website)
- Weird in P-Town Web Series! Web SeriesCategory:Slogans