I just wanted to get people's thought on why OKC and Oklahoma for that matter has such a negatvie image nationally. This issue has been discussed on many threads on this site.

Watching the election coverage on Tuesday I heard one of the correspodents on NBC act as though Oklahoma was all low income religous conservatives. Also I keep hearing people say "There's nothing to do in Oklahoma." One of the correspodents on NBA TV covering the Dwight Howard trade made the comment "Better hope Dwight loves the rodeo, because there’s nothing else to do in OKC."

I just don't know what the other cities have that OKC doesn't. We have casinos, we have clubs, we have great restaurants, we have great bars, etc.

I'm not mad about the issue, just curious as to why and what OKC do to change the thinking. I think we are doing a great job now of changing the thinking. But what more can we do?

It's all about the quality of the amenities, not just having them.

I'm telling you too, until one truly lives several other places (outside of Texas), you can't realize how less visible the evangelical Christians really are in other places. Unfortunately, progressives in Oklahoma, be it religious, political, or cultural, are just too much of a minority to shed the image yet.

Also, it's the HIGH income religious conservatives that hold the state back... organized religion is just the largest social control ever devised.

Much of the image is just perception and I think a lot of that is starting to change.

But there are way too many objective measures that reflect very badly on the whole state and thus OKC. We are near the bottom in almost every health measure such as obesity and smoking rates, and a bunch of other areas like education spending and teenage pregnancy.

Also, there seems to be a steady stream of state legislation (both implemented and proposed) that sets us apart, and not in a good way.


OKC is very much linked to the image of Oklahoma and even though we've come a long way, in many ways the state is still among the least progressive.

It's all about the quality of the amenities, not just having them.

I'm telling you too, until one truly lives several other places (outside of Texas), you can't realize how less visible the evangelical Christians really are in other places. Unfortunately, progressives in Oklahoma, be it religious, political, or cultural, are just too much of a minority to shed the image yet.

Also, it's the HIGH income religious conservatives that hold the state back... organized religion is just the largest social control ever devised.

could not disagree more with this post

Oklahoma's image problem has been and will continue to ride on a double-edged sword. It is a subject I have been impassioned about for years, because how people see Oklahoma - inside and out - clearly illustrates what has gone wrong with America and the problem is only going to get worse. Our country's society is heavily fragmented. Unless you are the type that stays well-informed or knowing micro-culture is specific to your job, you will never know what Oklahoma truly has to offer.

We as a people have become so ingrained in politically framing every single solitairy situation that we quickly get caught up in stereotyping, name-calling, making back-handed remarks and resort to belittling a group of people based on their political or religious views.

Here we have a situation where an NBC correspondent behaves in a manner that minimizes his own fellow countrymen based on the outcome of an election. It is unprofessional, and it makes him look stupid. To propagate the sterotype that conservatives are all poor, white and religious, much less the entire population of a state, is pure ignorance.

It is just as ignorant to assume there is nothing to do in Oklahoma as it is for Sally Kern to say that gays are a threat to society. Neither of the two are better than the other.

As far as the TNT correspondent, again, is a demonstration of pure ignorance. I don't expect him to be some expert on Oklahoma, but if you're going to make a remark about the city, you'd better have some solid data to back up your subject matter. Otherwise, if you know nothing about Oklahoma City, don't say anything about Oklahoma City. It's a simple equation. We all know that the supermajority of events in Oklahoma City do NOT involve a rodeo, and I don't expect him to know that, but he made the remark anyway because it is a habit Americans have taken. We are a society if assumptions - and bad ones at that.

It frustrates me because if the TNT correspondent was REALLY, TRULY curious about what there is to do in Oklahoma City, it is a simple click on the Google page. All of the actual, tangible information about everything Oklahoma is out there on the internet.

So, I have no sympathy whatsoever for anyone who makes a smart ass remark about OKlahoma, especially TV personalities with a formal education because they DONT FREAKING CHECK THEIR WORK!!!

On the flip-side, there are Oklahomans that make Oklahoma look bad. We've hashed all of this out on the message board on many occasions. But, we pretend as though Oklahoma is the only state where embarassing legislation is passed, or where a church official or lawmaker makes an embarassing remark when we've seen this happen in pretty much every state. Even worse, we give people like Sally Kern WAY too much attention. We need to stop this.
Just food for thought.

The fact that Oklahoma is not a progressive/liberal state is nearly always why it gets hostile press. For many, there is nothing worse than a backwoods, conservative state with traditional values. The fact that many other states don't have their religion on their sleeve is nothing more than a fact until someone decides that is a good or a bad thing. Oklahoma is a wonderful state in many ways - low unemployment, great place to raise kids, etc. That's a good thing for many people, but if you are progressive/liberal/anti christian and in need of constant entertainment in an urban environment, it is not a particularly good place. Narrow minded people who see the whole picture only through a narrow filter of their own values have no trouble labeling the state as wretched, notwithstanding that it is a fantastic place for people to work and raise a family. They are entitled to their opinion, of course, but I wish they'd be fair about it. Just be honest and tell people to not go to Oklahoma if they are looking for nightclubs, smog, high unemployment, rain and mud, expensive health care, high cost of living, mountains, oceans and traffic. :)

Name a city/state that isn't stereotyped in ways that can be taken both positively and negatively.

I know many families that purposely moved to Oklahoma from places like California and Nevada because of the positive image here that was such a contrast to where they had been living.

Name a city/state that isn't stereotyped in ways that can be taken both positively and negatively.

I know many families that purposely moved to Oklahoma from places like California and Nevada because of the positive image here that was such a contrast to where they had been living.

Exactly. The bad press comes from people who go to seed because Oklahoma isn't what THEY want. That doesn't mean there is anything "wrong" with it, necessarily. It just means the ones complaining so bitterly would perhaps be happier elsewhere or they are just chronic complainers so it wouldn't matter where they lived. I personally think young people who hate Oklahoma should spend several years someplace else and not come back until and unless they decide it isn't as awful as they thought. If they continue to think this is the armpit of the world, I'm happy for them to have made the jump to a place that makes them happier. And I say that confident that we have plenty of grown ups happy to live in Oklahoma who are doing their part to make it better and better. Look under any rock and you'll find people striving to improve the state who are too busy talking it up and loving being here to waste time trashing it like it is hell on earth.

Oklahoma is not a progressive/liberal state

Progressiveness has absolutely nothing to do with liberal or conservative.

It's about being forward-thinking and innovative; about strong initiates to attract businesses and help them flourish and about a large commitment to improving the quality of life through education, recreation, transportation, etc.

And considering the abysmal ratings the state gets in just about every health and education category, more progressive thinking and action is sorely needed.

There are lots of states in the middle of the country that do a much better job in all these areas.

Progressiveness has absolutely nothing to do with liberal or conservative.

It's about being forward-thinking and innovative; about strong initiates to attract businesses and help them flourish and about a large commitment to improving the quality of life through education, recreation, transportation, etc.

And considering the abysmal ratings the state gets in just about every health and education category, more progressive thinking and action is sorely needed.

There are lots of states in the middle of the country that do a much better job in all these areas.

+1

could not disagree more with this post

2nd that

Progressiveness has absolutely nothing to do with liberal or conservative.

It's about being forward-thinking and innovative; about strong initiates to attract businesses and help them flourish and about a large commitment to improving the quality of life through education, recreation, transportation, etc.

And considering the abysmal ratings the state gets in just about every health and education category, more progressive thinking and action is sorely needed.

There are lots of states in the middle of the country that do a much better job in all these areas.

Agree 100%. Before we start crying about why everyone is picking on us, maybe we should look in the mirror first. We would find that it probably has very little to do with politics and more to do with poor to nonexistent approaches many in this state take to cure our ills. OKC and its revival can only carry the state so far.

In that light, in regards to the NBA announcers, I say with complete respect that some need to grow some thicker skin. Every time some announcer clowns on OKC, everyone rages on. Um, every place gets picked on, its part of being a "big league city." Outside of NY, LA, and Miami, most media types just lump everyone together as flyover county filled with hayseeds and dumb rednecks.

I agree, we do have an image problem. That image problem is not caused by what you think it is. I believe, in my opinion of which I am entitled to, that the image problem lies in the lack of education about Oklahoma from people who are outside this state.

Our current stereotypes off the top of my head are:
! Dust Bowl
! Flat Land Prairie
! Religious Nuts
! Cowboys who ride horses and live in teepees
! Slow speaking and hickish
! Imbred backwood crackers

This was actually kind of fun making this list.

Well, when you have a Oklahoma reality show like Mudcats being watched by millions of Americans, what can you say? lol...

MUDCATS: Its a Oklahoma reality show about a bunch of back wood rednecks, with missing teeth, who get a joy out of going in muddy, snake infested water to see who can catch the biggest catfish with their bare hands. Then after its all over, they have a good ol' fish fry with country music and beer. WOW....

There is an image problem partially based on misconceptions that are slowly changing.

There is also an image problem that is earned and deserved based on actual facts that I've already listed.

Work on the second one will largely take care of the first. At the same time, the first can only change so much until we take care of the second.


I'm not saying we should aim for Colorado or Connecticut; buy why can't we get to at least the middle ground occupied by states like Kansas and Iowa?

As long was we are continually keeping company with Mississippi and Louisiana when it comes to health and education, a good part of any bad rep will be completely self-inflicted.

Progressiveness has absolutely nothing to do with liberal or conservative.

It's about being forward-thinking and innovative; about strong initiates to attract businesses and help them flourish and about a large commitment to improving the quality of life through education, recreation, transportation, etc.

And considering the abysmal ratings the state gets in just about every health and education category, more progressive thinking and action is sorely needed.

There are lots of states in the middle of the country that do a much better job in all these areas.

This

I moved to Oklahoma from the East Coast 8 years ago, and I love it here. Sadly, most people who talk negatively about Oklahoma have never really seen what it has to offer.

There is also a political element at work, and Oklahoma is extremely conservative. I noticed these recent articles (links below) in my hometown paper that may be of interest.

Keep in mind, though, that there have also been a lot of very positive news stories about what's going on in Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, in particular over the past few years--in places like the Wall Street Journal, NY Times, Washington Post, and USA Today. I think it's unfair to say that all of the stories are negative.

By the way, I had never heard of Washington, Oklahoma, and I live less than 30 minutes away.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/post/why-oklahoma-is-so-anti-obama/2012/03/07/gIQA4z6UxR_blog.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/in-washington-okla-residents-see-their-values-under-assault/2012/03/01/gIQAlfEulR_gallery.html

I'm not saying we should aim for Colorado or Connecticut; buy why can't we get to at least the middle ground occupied by states like Kansas and Iowa?

As long was we are continually keeping company with Mississippi and Louisiana when it comes to health and education, a good part of any bad rep will be completely self-inflicted.

I had a friend who used to joke that the state legislature should send a proclamation to Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, West Virginia, and Arkansas thanking them for their "service" in assuring that Oklahoma will never rank lower than 45th in any health or educational metric.

The frightening thing is that I actually think this is the strategy of some in the state house.

Oh, c'mon guys. Quit dogging on Mississippi! That's my native state right there. LOL

Do you realize we have actually fallen BEHIND some of those states now?

This is a very highly respected ranking system of key health indicators and not only is Oklahoma 48th (thanks only to MS and LA) overall, we have fallen from around 30th in 1990:

http://www.americashealthrankings.org/OK

Not only is the obesity rate trending up at an alarming rate, but the smoking rate (again, we're 48th) hasn't dropped at all in the last 15 years! When you see something like that you have to recognize there are serious problems tied to education as much as anything.

Despite whether OKC's image is improving in the nation's eyes, our quality of life has certainly changed. Compared to just 13 years ago, there are better restaurants, better museums, a better zoo, better shopping, better health care...

All the same, people in the media are too quick to assume there is nothing to do in "quiet, quaint" Oklahoma City. So, lets turn this discussion in another angle. What do NBA players do for fun in most cities outside of LA, NYC and Miami? Cam anyone answer the question?

I think the media assumes the Thunder's only option are honky tonks (those are sparce), rodeos and farms to get their kicks. Most people in other parts of the country don't know we even have lakes in the city.

What do NBA players do for fun in most cities outside of LA, NYC and Miami? Cam anyone answer the question?

This is what I want to know also. Because I know for a fact that Russell Westbrook has been spotted at Riverwind on occasion playing Black Jack. Maybe the sports media/commentators said negative things about Memphis or San Antonio at one point and I wasn't around or didn't pay attention enough to hear it.

It's the price of being among the smallest pro franchise markets, especially when the players are largely from big urban areas.

All these same things were said about Sacramento and Salt Lake City when they were new to the NBA.


There was a whole other thread where we listed tons of late-night options in OKC for anyone interested in finding them:

http://www.okctalk.com/showthread.php?t=28870&highlight=

The comment regarding nothing to do was made by an African American and relates to the fact that the NBA consists of 70% African American players maybe 10-15%euro/hisp and 10% or so white. OKC does not have 1. A large African American population 2. Other options that appeal to MOST of that demographic. for example urban radio (OKC has one or two) hear in DC there are six or seven. Entertainment options for wealthy, young African American men are almost non existent as well as the number of eligible Black Females. OKC is one of maybe 4 NBA teams with small black populatons (UT, Phoenix, Portland, San Antonio) All others have very large African American populations. Oklahoma is conservative to a fault, and is to some not African American friendly. Remember the KKK comment somewhere in SW Oklahoma a fews months back? Sure other places have natural advantages like oceans, mountains, but OKC does not have the upscale retail options, upscale party options (most African Americans) are not going to Coyote Ugly or the other western themed bars. OKC does not have one single place for an educated, financially well to do and single African American to meet and greet young, hip, urban males or females. I give great credit to KD and the other players on our team for choosing a team with a rabid fan base, great ownership, and a growing winning culture, but, the facts are in comparison to other NBA cities a African American NBA player is on an island in OKC. Native Black Oklahomans leave the State in far greater numbers than you might expect, you might find them in Dallas or Houston or even here in DC where 5 of my hometown friends and at least 10 other native black Oklahomans that I know of live as I do.

Do you realize we have actually fallen BEHIND some of those states now?

This is a very highly respected ranking system of key health indicators and not only is Oklahoma 48th (thanks only to MS and LA) overall, we have fallen from around 30th in 1990:

http://www.americashealthrankings.org/OK

Not only is the obesity rate trending up at an alarming rate, but the smoking rate (again, we're 48th) hasn't dropped at all in the last 15 years! When you see something like that you have to recognize there are serious problems tied to education as much as anything.

I don't see OK doing anything to change that... it seems the state legislature spends it's time on things like making a fetus not for human consumption. That's part of the reason people have the impression of OK they do. Doesn't seem there's a lot of focus on education or health care.

I don't see OK doing anything to change that... it seems the state legislature spends it's time on things like making a fetus not for human consumption. That's part of the reason people have the impression of OK they do. Doesn't seem there's a lot of focus on education or health care.

Wrong. There is a lot of focus on education and health care. It's just not getting the media attention it deserves. The mayor of OKC and Chamber of Commerce have put a strong focus on health. The city has invested a lot of time and money improving the school system.

Granted, the legislature needs stop passing goofy laws based on things they have read on the internet.

OKC is one of maybe 4 NBA teams with small black populatons (UT, Phoenix, Portland, San Antonio) All others have very large African American populations. Oklahoma is conservative to a fault, and is to some not African American friendly.

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2014859409_censusrace24m.html

The very city that slammed OKC for having a large percentage of whites, has the 5th highest percentage of whites. As for the rest of your post, I understand where you are coming from. But Oklahoma City really doesn't have THAT many western themed bars. Our upscale options don't compare to larger markets, but then again, it's really a numbers game. Oklahoma City's potential to sell itself as a city gets pigeon-holed based on the mentality behind the remark made by the TNT correspondent.

Honestly, how many events held in OKC are rodeos? Other than the International Finals Rodeo (i think that moved out of OKC) and the PBR event, held in other cities, there aren't many to speak of. Oklahoma City's most popular and most attended annual event is an art festival for crying out loud. All of the other major events aren't even country themed. The Fourth of July Festival downtown, Opening Night OKC, deadCenter Film Festival. Our upscale clubs are limited, but this is a changing dynamic. The larger OKC gets, the more options are manifested.

What OKC DOES have a lot of that is horse related are equestrian shows - a completely different animal from rodeos. People with a lot of money that come from all over the country (i.e., your not-so-rodeo-centric cities and states) to ride English style, dressage, and of course Western-style. That and horse races. Getting up on a bull for 8 seconds is not something that happens in OKC as much people on the coast would believe. On the other hand, Houston's largest, most popular civic event is... a rodeo.

On a side note...

One thing that irks me about how people view cowboys or anyone with a drawl as being unfriendly towards African Americans is the assumption they are all prejudice. My dad is a good example. He has a strong accent, used to train horses for equestrian shows, so people see him as a narrow-minded redneck. What they don't know about my dad is that he and my uncle were among the few white kids at Millwood High School in OKC in the late 1970s. They had a lot of good friends, and there was never any issue. My dad doesn't have a prejudice bone in his body, and he is in fact an Obama supporter. This coming from a man in his 50s with a southern drawl. Just wanted to throw that in.

I, on the other hand, grew up in Edmond. My mom and her family are from the Pacific Northwest (mostly). I have no accent whatsoever, not a fan of country music at all, and I have a college education. No one would ever guess I am from Oklahoma. Some people think I am from the west coast (don't know why). It's a stark contrast from my father. My point is this... here are two people for you that defy stereotypes. Like I said, this has to end if we as a country really, truly want to start moving forward as a whole, not in parts.

The comment regarding nothing to do was made by an African American and relates to the fact that the NBA consists of 70% African American players maybe 10-15%euro/hisp and 10% or so white. OKC does not have 1. A large African American population 2. Other options that appeal to MOST of that demographic. for example urban radio (OKC has one or two) hear in DC there are six or seven. Entertainment options for wealthy, young African American men are almost non existent as well as the number of eligible Black Females. OKC is one of maybe 4 NBA teams with small black populatons (UT, Phoenix, Portland, San Antonio) All others have very large African American populations. Oklahoma is conservative to a fault, and is to some not African American friendly. Remember the KKK comment somewhere in SW Oklahoma a fews months back? Sure other places have natural advantages like oceans, mountains, but OKC does not have the upscale retail options, upscale party options (most African Americans) are not going to Coyote Ugly or the other western themed bars. OKC does not have one single place for an educated, financially well to do and single African American to meet and greet young, hip, urban males or females. I give great credit to KD and the other players on our team for choosing a team with a rabid fan base, great ownership, and a growing winning culture, but, the facts are in comparison to other NBA cities a African American NBA player is on an island in OKC. Native Black Oklahomans leave the State in far greater numbers than you might expect, you might find them in Dallas or Houston or even here in DC where 5 of my hometown friends and at least 10 other native black Oklahomans that I know of live as I do.

As a young black male who lives here...most of your statements are wrong. For one, there are young, urban night clubs for African-Americans. Purple Martini, Bourban Street Cafe (at night, on weekends), The XO Lounge just to name a few. 103.5 does a good job keeping up with urban music. Blacks/Mexicans make up 30% of population, that's pretty diverse if you ask me...

As a young black male who lives here...most of your statements are wrong. For one, there are young, urban night clubs for African-Americans. Purple Martini, Bourban Street Cafe (at night, on weekends), The XO Lounge just to name a few. 103.5 does a good job keeping up with urban music. Blacks/Mexicans make up 30% of population, that's pretty diverse if you ask me...

I've heard some good things about Purple Martini and the XO Lounge.

103.5 does a good job keeping up with urban music. Blacks/Mexicans make up 30% of population, that's pretty diverse if you ask me...

103.5 is what I listen to mainly and you are right about it keeping up with urban music, which is why I listen to it most of the time. The only time I don't listen to it is when I'm in an area with a bad signal.

There also pockets of young, urban hip areas, in the N. May, NW Expresway Area. Norman/OU used to have a progressive black fraternity/sorority scene with great parties and events, but that was 10 years ago, don't know about now...

Believe it or not, there is a young, Black, and urban scene here it's just outweighed by other scenes. I remember when Club Spyce was the place to go in Bricktown if you were young, Black, and had some class. And if you want to see some wealthy Back neighborhoods, yes I said wealthy Black neighborhoods, take a stroll through the neighborhood north of NE 50th between Kelley & Lincoln.

There also pockets of young, urban hip areas, in the N. May, NW Expresway Area. Norman/OU used to have a progressive black fraternity/sorority scene with great parties and events, but that was 10 years ago, don't know about now...

The Dave & Busters has definately brought in more of the younger crowd (like it wasn't already young in that area). I haven't been myself but almost every single one of my friends on Facebook that are ages 18-26 have posted about going to Dave & Busters and how cool it is, etc. I live in the Quail Creek subdivision (NW 122nd & May) so I'm not sure why I haven't been since it's only about a 5-7 minute drive from my house.

As an educated, single, AA male who would like to think he's doing decent for himself financially, I echo the sentiments that there's actually a lot to do in OKC. It is a mid sized city though, so it will simply not compete with the Atlanta's of the world. Personally I'm okay with that. I really don't believe that a) most B-Ball players care about such things, as there are only 3 or 4 legit "party towns" with NBA teams (especially considering that most have the wealth to hop on a jet and go to South Beach/West LA/Manhattan, etc.) and b) that the NBA announcer who made the "rodeo" comment was thinking about black ball players having places to party.

Going to steer the conversation back to the OP's general point. Maybe this thread should be changed to Oklahoma's Image Issue. I've never met anyone who hated OKC, while I have met people who detested other cities. I think OKC's image is actually improving drastically with all of the positive press, but I don't see the same positive press for the state in general. Politically this area is still pretty red but has mellowed out tremendously even since I moved to this areas 7 years ago. OK County was the only county in the state to vote for Romney in the primary (every other county went for Santorum of Gingrich).

So are we getting to the point where the biggest disadvantage OKC has is that it is Oklahoma?

OKC has made many strides in becoming a more liveable place. The investment in downtown OKC alone is phenomenal! The city has much potential if it would capitalize on it. From a logistical standpoint, it has 3 major interstates that run through the city and is located nearly in the middle from both coasts. OKC needs to quit putting all of its eggs in one basket. OKC relies on the Oil and Gas industry too much? It really needs to diversify and include financial, logistical, insurance, accounting to name a few. It desperately needs new wealth, new ideas and new residents from more progressive communities willing to live work and play and to invest in the community. OKC needs to clean up the city it is way to blighted and dirty outside of downtown. I would estimate that nearly 50 percent of OKC is blight. You all can do much better and develop more pride in your city.

Total B.S. comments...weird...

Total B.S. comments...weird...

Meh, some are off-base, some more so than others, but I wouldn't call all of them total BS.

It's funny that Kansas doesn't have the negative stereotype OK does, but since I've moved to Kansas it's exactly the same except without a big city.

It's funny that Kansas doesn't have the negative stereotype OK does, but since I've moved to Kansas it's exactly the same except without a big city.

Half of a big city. LOL

I hate to say it but I think a big part of the problem is we have some really goofy, shall we say non-worldly people here. I view the criticism as being similar to how easterners pummel on Jersey... It's really quite a lovely place with many things to do, and there are lots of talented smart people there. But everyone knows the "Jersey" stereotype that lives there... There is that element there. It's sort of the same thing with Oklahoma. You can have nine very metropolitan people working the national scene but the moment that tenth person who happens to like pickups, noodlin' and nutty laws opens his mouth it goes viral.

Basically, I think everyone needs to suck it up. This is what happens when your home town finally becomes significant... People talk trash. Oh well, so what. People criticize New York and Texas all the time. You know how New Yorkers and Texans respond to that? Well they certainly don't turn to an Internet message board for their daily affirmation....

Total B.S. comments...weird...

Not sure what this ^ comment is all about, because I really enjoyed reading this conversation and took away good points from all sides. I understand how people get offended by ignorant comments from the coasts about Oklahoma, I often get upset too, but I am trying to work on that! I just think it is unfair to bash a place you really don't know well.

Anywhere you are, you can find the hidden gems. You just have to look. We have a ton.

The bottom line though is... this city is on the up and up. Period. And I love the spirit of togetherness evident in this forward momentum. It really is inspiring. That is what I love so much about living here. I have been here for 2 1/2 years, moved here from Orlando, FL, and the difference between the spirit of the people here and in Orlando is NIGHT AND DAY. People here actually care about making the community a better place and desire to work hard to change the national perception. I found Orlando to be full of selfish people all simply living there in body only...their hearts and minds are forever "up north, back home". It was depressing, actually. I was inspired to see that it was not the case here, as I started to read this board months before I even set foot in the 405.

Just this board alone is a great asset to this city, and gives me hope that there are people in this town that are thoughtful, insightful, and are genuine boosters of OKC. OKC Talk truly forms part of my perception that people here are not apathetic when it comes to civic pride and progress. I love it. There are so many cities nationwide that would kill to have even the small group that participates on this board who are fired up to see their community thrive.

So, we have a lot to be grateful for and are making great strides. If people across the country want to overlook it and perpetuate stereotypes, that is their loss and shows a lack of awareness. As for me, I will just keep enjoying life here and look forward to the city getting better and better as time goes on. It's exciting to be a part of it.

You know how New Yorkers and Texans respond to that? Well they certainly don't turn to an Internet message board for their daily affirmation....

lol, yes they do. go check out city-data sometime.

Wrong. There is a lot of focus on education and health care. It's just not getting the media attention it deserves. The mayor of OKC and Chamber of Commerce have put a strong focus on health. The city has invested a lot of time and money improving the school system.

Granted, the legislature needs stop passing goofy laws based on things they have read on the internet.

You're talking about OKC and I was talking about Oklahoma. What OKC does doesn't always get out past state lines, or city limits, but the stupid stuff the politicians do goes nation wide and Oklahoma is ridiculed.

There also pockets of young, urban hip areas, in the N. May, NW Expresway Area. Norman/OU used to have a progressive black fraternity/sorority scene with great parties and events, but that was 10 years ago, don't know about now...

Actually glad to hear that things (entertainment options)are improving in OKC for young to middle aged african americans. I myself am over 50 so my focus has shifted. Hopefully, this will encourage more African American Oklahomans to remain home in Tulsa or OKC instead of fleeing to Dallas, Houston or someplace else which in my experience has been the historical case

I think we have the dust bowl and Rogers and Hammerstein to thank for the yokel image.

Reinforcement comes from our politics as well. We rarely make the national news unless there's a horrible disaster, or the crew up at the capitol does something stupid. We're moving ahead as a city, but we're not doing anything innovative enough to catch much media attention. Mind you, I don't think the lack of innovation is bad. It just doesn't make for interesting copy if you're not a local.

You want the image to change? Well,get medical marijuana legalized in Ok. and BAM!

Back in the 70s I worked for a man that had stomach cancer. You know the only thing that helped him through the day? Yep,marijuana. He smoked it in a regular pipe throughout the day whenever he needed it. He told me that his doctor had told him to try it because it was helping other cancer patients. He was no druggie just a hard working guy that put in sprinkler systems all over the north side of OKC. He smoked it till the day he died. Great guy.

BTW,no agenda here as I don't smoke it.
But it would never pass in Ok. The Churchers would go nuts and kill it.

As someone else mentioned, most of the national media is too lazy to do any real research. This is compounded by the fact that our legilature has a penchant for proposing stupid, dumb, foolish, inane, moronic legislation that often dies in committee, but not before being picked up by lazy media types. Our image takes another hit after any kind of disaster when the press invariably chooses to interview people who are missing teeth and good grammar. I think that happens because most intelligent people run the other way when they see the TV crew approaching them.

It's not all bad, though. Since 4/19/95, we have been famous for world class hospitality. There have been many national stories about the transformation of downtown OKC since that date. Hosting events like the Big XII Tournament and NBA playoffs brings people to OKC who have never been here before and they go away a little better informed.

Unfortunately, it takes a lot of time for the image to change, but I believe it is changing, slowly but surely. It would help if we sent legislators like Sally Kern back where they came from and they weren't replaced by someone just as neanderthal.

Here's a small sampling of OKC happenings. From Steve Lackmeyer's blog, these are events just in downtown OKC in the next few days: http://blog.newsok.com/okccentral/2012/03/08/whats-up-downtown/

Included: 10th anniversary of the OKCMOA; a seminar on living downtown hosted by the OKC Downtown College; Canterbury Choral Society's "multi-sensory" concert at Civic Center; art show & sale at IAO Saturday night; Baron hockey home game schedule; Thunder basketball home game schedule; Red Earth Run Saturday morning; showing of turn-of-the-century photographs as [Artspace] at Untitled; sports headliner awards tonight at Cox benefitting the March of Dimes.

Perhaps there's a goat roping contest or tractor pull, but they didn't make Steve's list.

103.5 is what I listen to mainly and you are right about it keeping up with urban music, which is why I listen to it most of the time. The only time I don't listen to it is when I'm in an area with a bad signal.

I love listening to Power Jams. I just can't do it when R&B and the soul jams come on. If you notice, most of the songs they play are playing a month or two before KJ and Wild (don't care about the spelling) pick them up.

You want the image to change? Well,get medical marijuana legalized in Ok. and BAM!

BTW,no agenda here as I don't smoke it.
But it would never pass in Ok. The Churchers would go nuts and kill it.

That would do the trick!

You want the image to change? Well,get medical marijuana legalized in Ok. and BAM!

Back in the 70s I worked for a man that had stomach cancer. You know the only thing that helped him through the day? Yep,marijuana. He smoked it in a regular pipe throughout the day whenever he needed it. He told me that his doctor had told him to try it because it was helping other cancer patients. He was no druggie just a hard working guy that put in sprinkler systems all over the north side of OKC. He smoked it till the day he died. Great guy.

BTW,no agenda here as I don't smoke it.
But it would never pass in Ok. The Churchers would go nuts and kill it.


never a great idea to pass things that are against federal law

Whatever problems OKC has image wise stems from the limited exposure our city and state have with the "outside" world. There are not that many reasons for people to visit Oklahoma. We have solid but unspectacular universities, compared to the NE and west coast. We don't have many fortune 500 companies located in state. We have no mountains to ski or beaches to surf. Our airports are irrelevant in the transportation of people across the country. Whatever tourism exists in our state, really is not that unique. In other words, what we have to offer, just about every other state has to offer--casinos, lakes, native American history...pretty standard across the board. There are only a handful of traits/objects/locations that we can present to the outside world and say, "Come to Oklahoma to see this, cause you can't see it anywhere else"...and some of those are rather tragic, such as the Bombing Memorial, or bland, like the Prairie Grass reserve near Pawnee (takes a rare tourist who will pass up using travel funds to go to a beach and instead use it to see endangered prairie grass).

People don't see Oklahoma for themselves, thus they are comfortable relying on heresy or bias to judge our state. And we have a bad expat population of disaffected Okies who badmouth our state to anyone who can hear, usually making the same gripes that we are sick of hearing about--too religious, too conservative, too fat, too boring, too flat, nothing to do, too spread out, ect. Of course the main reason people leave OK is due to lack of quality jobs--bring more businesses here, more middle-to-high income businesses, improve the diversity of industry here, and people won't leave to badmouth the state. And in doing so, the city and state have more tax revenue for MAPS 4 through 10 to build things worth building.

Barring a miracle revelation that suddenly makes Oklahoma an obvious tourist destination--like the Heavener runestones validated, or the so called Anubis cave revealed to be actual Egyptian hieroglyphics, or Cibola the city of Gold uncovered in some cave or cavern, or the discovery of a huge underground cavern network that trumps the Monster Cave in Kentucky, or actual documentation of Bigfoot in SE Oklahoma, or the discovery of the largest and best preserved collection of dinosaur prints in the world, or these earthquakes create some volcanos ala Paricutin in Mexico that just emerge from nowhere (with no one getting hurt, hopefully) and create natural phenomena worth seeing, or all of the above--barring such miracles, everything our city and state has to offer will be manmade. It will have to result from creativity, planning, money, audaciousness, boldness...and these offerings must surpass what anyone can get in Dallas, or San Antonio, or Memphis, or Kansas City, or Indianapolis, ect.

Then, our city can draw people here to see something that can't see anywhere else, do something that can't really do anywhere else, and then they go home and praise what they experienced, and make plans to return. But we tend to get into a "keeping up with the Joneses" mindset instead of "surpassing the Joneses." It's not good enough to just build an urban canal, when its 65% as attractive as the one in San Antonio. People interested in seeing a canal would just go to San Antonio--they have the Alamo, a famous cave with bats, and their own space needle there. We need to build a canal that is 130% as attractive as San Antonio's canal. Our mindset needs to be surpassing, not just catching up. We are the so called "Pioneer" state, that should be a motto that we are proud to embrace.

:congrats:

Whatever problems OKC has image wise stems from the limited exposure our city and state have with the "outside" world. There are not that many reasons for people to visit Oklahoma. We have solid but unspectacular universities, compared to the NE and west coast. We don't have many fortune 500 companies located in state. We have no mountains to ski or beaches to surf. Our airports are irrelevant in the transportation of people across the country. Whatever tourism exists in our state, really is not that unique. In other words, what we have to offer, just about every other state has to offer--casinos, lakes, native American history...pretty standard across the board. There are only a handful of traits/objects/locations that we can present to the outside world and say, "Come to Oklahoma to see this, cause you can't see it anywhere else"...and some of those are rather tragic, such as the Bombing Memorial, or bland, like the Prairie Grass reserve near Pawnee (takes a rare tourist who will pass up using travel funds to go to a beach and instead use it to see endangered prairie grass).

People don't see Oklahoma for themselves, thus they are comfortable relying on heresy or bias to judge our state. And we have a bad expat population of disaffected Okies who badmouth our state to anyone who can hear, usually making the same gripes that we are sick of hearing about--too religious, too conservative, too fat, too boring, too flat, nothing to do, too spread out, ect. Of course the main reason people leave OK is due to lack of quality jobs--bring more businesses here, more middle-to-high income businesses, improve the diversity of industry here, and people won't leave to badmouth the state. And in doing so, the city and state have more tax revenue for MAPS 4 through 10 to build things worth building.

Barring a miracle revelation that suddenly makes Oklahoma an obvious tourist destination--like the Heavener runestones validated, or the so called Anubis cave revealed to be actual Egyptian hieroglyphics, or Cibola the city of Gold uncovered in some cave or cavern, or the discovery of a huge underground cavern network that trumps the Monster Cave in Kentucky, or actual documentation of Bigfoot in SE Oklahoma, or the discovery of the largest and best preserved collection of dinosaur prints in the world, or these earthquakes create some volcanos ala Paricutin in Mexico that just emerge from nowhere (with no one getting hurt, hopefully) and create natural phenomena worth seeing, or all of the above--barring such miracles, everything our city and state has to offer will be manmade. It will have to result from creativity, planning, money, audaciousness, boldness...and these offerings must surpass what anyone can get in Dallas, or San Antonio, or Memphis, or Kansas City, or Indianapolis, ect.

Then, our city can draw people here to see something that can't see anywhere else, do something that can't really do anywhere else, and then they go home and praise what they experienced, and make plans to return. But we tend to get into a "keeping up with the Joneses" mindset instead of "surpassing the Joneses." It's not good enough to just build an urban canal, when its 65% as attractive as the one in San Antonio. People interested in seeing a canal would just go to San Antonio--they have the Alamo, a famous cave with bats, and their own space needle there. We need to build a canal that is 130% as attractive as San Antonio's canal. Our mindset needs to be surpassing, not just catching up. We are the so called "Pioneer" state, that should be a motto that we are proud to embrace.

Excellent points, very well written. You have provided a clear, honest appraisal of this city.

You want the image to change? Well,get medical marijuana legalized in Ok. and BAM!

Here are some interesting facts about medical marijuana:
-Current opinion polls show 70% of Americans are in favor of it, this is a rapid increase. Just ten years ago, less than half of people polled were in favor of it, if memory serves.
-This doesn't mean that 70% of voters are in favor of it. The average voter is much older than the average person capable of voting. This is because old people vote at much higher rates.

My personal view is that medical marijuana will become law in Oklahoma when the baby boomers start thinning out and Generation X ers are the new old people. This would be about year 2030.

I think JAW JABBER summed it up. Close the thread.

I think just in the past 5-10 years OKC's image has done a total 180 and is just now busting out Nationaly!The Thunder and the sheer amounts of $ that the coc have Nationally invested into ad spots DO grab SOME peoples attention!I say in 20 years if OKC keeps up this momentum,We will have a far less negative vibe or feeback from people,but it will take decades of progress to make this happen,but the stereo types will always be there for our great State and city!

In todays DOK editorials, a little blurb about OKC, Tampa and Indianapolis gaining big league status in the latest issue of World magazine.

Whatever problems OKC has image wise stems from the limited exposure our city and state have with the "outside" world. There are not that many reasons for people to visit Oklahoma. We have solid but unspectacular universities, compared to the NE and west coast. We don't have many fortune 500 companies located in state. We have no mountains to ski or beaches to surf. Our airports are irrelevant in the transportation of people across the country. Whatever tourism exists in our state, really is not that unique. In other words, what we have to offer, just about every other state has to offer--casinos, lakes, native American history...pretty standard across the board. There are only a handful of traits/objects/locations that we can present to the outside world and say, "Come to Oklahoma to see this, cause you can't see it anywhere else"...and some of those are rather tragic, such as the Bombing Memorial, or bland, like the Prairie Grass reserve near Pawnee (takes a rare tourist who will pass up using travel funds to go to a beach and instead use it to see endangered prairie grass).

People don't see Oklahoma for themselves, thus they are comfortable relying on heresy or bias to judge our state. And we have a bad expat population of disaffected Okies who badmouth our state to anyone who can hear, usually making the same gripes that we are sick of hearing about--too religious, too conservative, too fat, too boring, too flat, nothing to do, too spread out, ect. Of course the main reason people leave OK is due to lack of quality jobs--bring more businesses here, more middle-to-high income businesses, improve the diversity of industry here, and people won't leave to badmouth the state. And in doing so, the city and state have more tax revenue for MAPS 4 through 10 to build things worth building.

Barring a miracle revelation that suddenly makes Oklahoma an obvious tourist destination--like the Heavener runestones validated, or the so called Anubis cave revealed to be actual Egyptian hieroglyphics, or Cibola the city of Gold uncovered in some cave or cavern, or the discovery of a huge underground cavern network that trumps the Monster Cave in Kentucky, or actual documentation of Bigfoot in SE Oklahoma, or the discovery of the largest and best preserved collection of dinosaur prints in the world, or these earthquakes create some volcanos ala Paricutin in Mexico that just emerge from nowhere (with no one getting hurt, hopefully) and create natural phenomena worth seeing, or all of the above--barring such miracles, everything our city and state has to offer will be manmade. It will have to result from creativity, planning, money, audaciousness, boldness...and these offerings must surpass what anyone can get in Dallas, or San Antonio, or Memphis, or Kansas City, or Indianapolis, ect.

Then, our city can draw people here to see something that can't see anywhere else, do something that can't really do anywhere else, and then they go home and praise what they experienced, and make plans to return. But we tend to get into a "keeping up with the Joneses" mindset instead of "surpassing the Joneses." It's not good enough to just build an urban canal, when its 65% as attractive as the one in San Antonio. People interested in seeing a canal would just go to San Antonio--they have the Alamo, a famous cave with bats, and their own space needle there. We need to build a canal that is 130% as attractive as San Antonio's canal. Our mindset needs to be surpassing, not just catching up. We are the so called "Pioneer" state, that should be a motto that we are proud to embrace.

:congrats:

On a side note, we DID have people coming from all over the country and in some cases the world to go on storm chasing tours, but once they found out that tornadoes don't touch down on a daily basis and with every single thunderstorm, the demand fizzled quickly.