Keep Portland Weird

History

The slogan was created with the intention of supporting local businesses and small business owners. It was based on the Keep Austin Weird organization and slogan in Austin, Texas, and was brought to Portland in 2003 by Music Millennium owner Terry Currier after he learned of the movement in Austin. Currier, whom The Oregonian called "the father of Portland's weird movement",

Weirdness

In 2014 an Austin blog put together an infographic that compared Austin and Portland in a series of categories to try to decide which city was "weirder". Twelve different categories were used, including "Most Tattooed US Cities" and "America's Craziest Cities". From this comparison, Portland was the clear winner taking first in nine of the twelve categories.

The Oregonian newspaper developed a weirdness 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 World Naked Bike Ride, the Zoobomb cycling events, artist Adam Kuby's (now removed) Portland Acupuncture Project, the popularity of yarn bombing, the Portland Urban Iditarod, and the now-defunct Velveteria Museum of Velvet Paintings and 24 Hour Church of Elvis. Another is the "Horse Project".

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.

Portland is the largest city in the U.S. which does not fluoridate its water. Residents have declined attempts to institute municipal fluoridation four times: First in 1956, then in 1962, 1980, and 2013. {{cite web | orig-date=First published May 22, 2013 | access-date = November 30, 2020 | access-date = November 29, 2020 File:The Peculiarium.jpg|The Peculiarium File:24 Hour Church of Elvis.jpg|24 Hour Church of Elvis File:The TARDIS Room.jpg|The TARDIS Room

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. 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.

References

References

1. "Keep Portland Weird".
2. (2011). "Craft Beers of the Pacific Northwest: A Beer Lover's Guide to Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia".
3. (2008). "Washington, Oregon & the Pacific Northwest".
4. (2019-01-28). "Where We Live: Portland slogan's 'weird' roots". Nexstar Media Inc: KOIN Channel 6 News.
5. Samson, Karl. (2011). "Frommer's Oregon". Frommer's.
6. (2020-11-15). "Bumper cars and zebras: How islanders have embraced 'Keep Portland Weird'".
7. Smith, Marty. (December 1, 2010). "Dr. Know: Whence the Weird?". [[Willamette Week]].
8. Griffin, Anna. (October 14, 2007). "'Keep Portland Weird'? That's the slogan — don't wear it out". [[The Oregonian.
9. Jeffries, Adrianne. (August 9, 2011). "The Portlandification of Brooklyn". [[Willamette Week]].
10. Korn, Peter. (June 11, 2009). "Keep Portland…quaint?". [[Portland Tribune]].
11. (March 14, 2014). "Portland vs. Austin - Which is the Weirdest?". [[SpareFoot]].
12. Frazier, Joseph B.. (May 12, 2008). "Portland, Ore., celebrates its quirky side". USA Today.
13. (April 28, 2010). "Portland Artist Adam Kuby Installs Giant Acupuncture Needles to Help Kick Off Phase II of the Portland Plan". City of Portland.
14. (February 5, 2011). "Oregon "yarn bombers" knit graffiti for lamp posts, trees". [[Reuters]] UK.
15. (March 20, 2009). "'Urban Iditarod' keeps Portland weird". [[KATU]].
16. Svara, James H.. (December 15, 2010). "More Than Mayor or Manager: Campaigns to Change Form of Government in America's Large Cities". [[Georgetown University Press]].
17. Cortright, Joe. (February 13, 2010). "'Keep Portland Weird' makes sense as a jobs strategy". [[The Oregonian]].
18. [http://portlandor.about.com/b/2006/10/04/keep-portland-weird.htm Keep Portland Weird] {{Webarchive. link. (2011-10-25 , by Nancy Levenson, About.com Guide, October 4, 2006.)
19. Public Voices Concerns About Joining Terrorism Task Force, April Baer, January 14, 2011, Portland, Oregon
20. [http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2011/03/jttf_debate_captures_portlands.html Joint Terrorism Task Force debate captures Portland's idiosyncratic attitude], March 11, 2011, Brad Schmidt, The Oregonian.
21. "Joint Terrorism Task Force Review".