I mean seriously? So capricious and whimsical! I can't believe how loud I was laughing. I can't imagine watching that hilarity in a less somber mood without suffering injury.
Who else thought the Stanford band was hilarious?
- Thread starter UncleChesterton
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I have a hard time finding the antics of overpriviledged, condescending children funny, but I suppose we have our own opinions on what constitutes humor.
BTW - To all the people who think that some Iowa fans need to "lighten up" regarding this needs to realize that almost all of us have a really good sense of humor (Iowa for quite some time has been a top party school in the country for a reason); however, growing up in Iowa it gets really old having people from more populated parts of the country consistently "make jokes" about Iowa and for people to consistently tell us to "lighten up" when we are tired of the jokes. A part of me wonders how would Stanford fans feel if Iowa's halftime show consisted of the Iowa Marching Band dressed as babies with golden pacifiers and stanford colored diapers, playing Barrett Strong's "Money", with a monocled Robber Baron running around consoling several of the crying band members? I think that would be hilarious, but completely uncalled for as Iowans aren't asshats.
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I thought it was a little funny at first, but then I realized it wasn't very creative, and sort of felt bad for the rest of their fans because it was kind of embarrassing for them. Choosing a dating website and cow tipping? c'mon man. They could have gone after us for cows spreading too much methane gas in the air, trying to power the world with Corn, I don't know, but it would have been nice to see them at least do some research and be clever. They are..after all..Harvard of the West.
I was disappointed in our fans for booing, since that's what they wanted.
I was disappointed in our fans for booing, since that's what they wanted.
The Rice Owl Band(MOB) does the same nonsense. Except no one is watching or paying attention. When Rice was in the SWC the MOB did some parody up at A+M. They had to be escorted out by the police.
They went after the low-hanging fruit. I think it was pretty funny though. I mean their band is known for doing things like that so it shouldn't really be a surprise. Aren't they banned from going on road games? I find it kind of refreshing when everything in the world has to be so pc.
I don't have a problem with them doing it, what I think a lot of us are saying is that Iowa jokes have gotten old.
Speaking of PC - I guarantee you that a good portion of that band is part of the PC police and would be the first to scream in outrage over other things. Just like many people today....complete hypocrites.
If Iowa was up 35-0 at half Iowa fans would have laughed and thought it was a good joke.
Who else is sick of talking about the Stanford sorta band?
You realize that close to 30% of the University of Iowa's undergraduate enrollment are students from Chicago/Suburban Chicago, right? There are PLENTY of overpriviledged children in our fan base too.
Urr..I wasn't aware. Of course I know that since I went to Iowa, but you do realize that not everyone from Illinois isn't rich, right? Have you been to Stanford? I've visited there. The level of privilege at Stanford is out of this world. There are some kids who could be deemed as such at Iowa, but it doesn't come close to the level of the Stanford student base. Like the poster responding to your post alluded, there are a lot more students at Iowa from blue collar communities (including from Illinois) than you would ever find at Stanford. Completely different student bases.
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I finished my BS from 92-94' at Iowa. While there are certainly plenty of that demographic whom hold midwestern values, I'm going to have to disagree that the majority are "blue collar" or anything remotely close to it.
Although the data is a few years out of date, a quick google search revealed that the median family income of a Stanford student was over double of that of the median U.S. family income. I couldn't find that statistic for the U of I, but I highly doubt it comes anywhere near that considering my experience at Iowa. Anyways, I get your point that there are SOME privileged kids at Iowa, but the amount is FAR MORE at Stanford.
At the end of the day I'm positive my depiction of a Stanford student is more accurate then their band's depiction of Iowa, but at least I would admit that I shouldn't paint with a broad brush (not all Stanford students come from money) and, more to the point, I wouldn't agree with making a spectacle out of my generalization like the Stanford band did with Iowa. Call it condescending privilege, call it academic snobbery, call it idiocy, but one thing I won't do is call what they did funny.
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Here's my thing: it was the wrong venue. Football bowl games, especially the Rose Bowl, are nationally viewed displays of what is supposed to be the best of football, and that includes SPORTSMANSHIP, which should extend to everything on the field and in the stands. Would you have chuckled if Stanford fans around you in the stands had called you a dumb farmer and a cow tipper... if they had called your kids that? That's what the Stanford band was doing. There's quite enough meanness in the world already.
I sense a bit if sarcasm in OP's post. That said, I wasn't offended by what the band did, but it was effective in changing my perception of Stanford, and the Rose Bowl, as a whole. I thought there was a lot more class between those two institutions. I was wrong.
One would figure the rose might have something better planned for their own halftime then just leaving it up to whatever Stanford's band wanted to do.
To me, they weren't trying to make fun of Iowa per se, they were trying to make fun of the pageantry of the Rose Bowl. Personally I thought they just looked and sounded bad.
I don't wanna stereotype a whole student body from a marching band. And, admittedly, I don't have all the facts.
But, I can sympathize with being tired of being characterized as a bunch of "know nothing hicks", etc, etc. I grew up in a border state(my whole family is from Iowa). Although I know these attacks to be flat out incorrect from personal experience, I do like to present this inconvenient statistic to people who I run into that say these things.
I don't know how many years Iowa City was number 1, I haven't checked in a while, but per capita, Iowa City has been the most educated city in the country(based at least in part by percentage of residents with advanced degrees of learning). I realize this is just one city, but it usually helps quiet down the nonsense. The running narrative when I was a student at UI, was people would take jobs they were overqualified for, just to stay in Iowa City. And, I don't blame them, it's a bloody wonderful place.
And, to be clear, I am not degrading any profession. If someone is an honest, hardworking individual, whether they are a farmer(my folks grew up on farms), or a physician, or anything else, it's all equally valid and respectable.
But, I can sympathize with being tired of being characterized as a bunch of "know nothing hicks", etc, etc. I grew up in a border state(my whole family is from Iowa). Although I know these attacks to be flat out incorrect from personal experience, I do like to present this inconvenient statistic to people who I run into that say these things.
I don't know how many years Iowa City was number 1, I haven't checked in a while, but per capita, Iowa City has been the most educated city in the country(based at least in part by percentage of residents with advanced degrees of learning). I realize this is just one city, but it usually helps quiet down the nonsense. The running narrative when I was a student at UI, was people would take jobs they were overqualified for, just to stay in Iowa City. And, I don't blame them, it's a bloody wonderful place.
And, to be clear, I am not degrading any profession. If someone is an honest, hardworking individual, whether they are a farmer(my folks grew up on farms), or a physician, or anything else, it's all equally valid and respectable.
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