mentioning Ohio in movies & TV

[Ohioguy]

Over the past decade or two, I've noticed that many, many movies seem
to mention Ohio in passing. If they ask where someone is from, it seems
to be Ohio. In Wolverine Origins, they had a subtitle mentioning a
setting in Springfield, Ohio. I think there was something similar in a
Friday the 13th movie. It has gotten to the point, it seems, that it is
almost some sort of inside joke to mention Ohio, if possible - almost
like the different directors have a bet going, or something. (whoever
mentions Ohio in the most movies gets some sort of secret statue?)

I'm curious about 3 things:

1) When did this start?

2) Why did they start doing it?

3) How many movies do it?

I can find quite a number of references to Ohio in the movies, though
I have no idea if anyone has ever compiled a definitive list. I'm
especially interested in the why & when, though.

Thanks! And yes, this is a bit of initial thinking on my part for a
possible article.

[William]

On Sep 21, 9:13 pm, Ohioguy <n...@none.net> wrote:
>
>    Thanks!  And yes, this is a bit of initial thinking on my part for a
> possible article.

Just curious, but how many different names do you use when you post to
various forums? I see something like 8 or so in your profile.

William

[Tom]

Ask calvin. He'll probably say it is a heinous conspiracy by "the
left" to embarrass John Boehner. Never mind the facts that Boehner has
only been Speaker of the House for about a year and your Ohio
observations have been occurring for decades.

Oh calvin...

Seriously, if you're that interested in this, get the names of some
writers of movies in which Ohio is referenced and write to them and
ask. WGA - West is probably the best place to start as far as where to
send your requests.

Good luck.

Tom

[Bill Steele]

In article <4e7a8cd4$0$21648$a826...@newsreader.readnews.com>,

What immediately comes to mind is "My Sister Eileen," about two girls
who move to New York from Columbus, where the older sister worked for
the Columbus Courier. I saw the movie in Columbus, where that got a big
laugh, since the two newspapers are (were?) the Columbus Dispatch and
the Columbus Citizen. (Maybe that will help you pitch your article.)

The book goes back to 1938, so this is nothing new.

Maybe Ohio is as far into the midwest as New York writers can see.

[Obveeus]

"Bill Steele" <ws...@cornell.edu> wrote:

> Maybe Ohio is as far into the midwest as New York writers can see.

Just from this premiere week of TV shows...

GLEE: (a TV show set in Lima, Ohio)
The question is 'what is the capital of Ohio?'
The answer is: 'O'.

HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER:
The cast went to a wedding in Ohio. There was discussion about picking up
hotties at weddings, then discussion about how the bar had to be lowered
because this was, after all, Ohio.

And, of course, TVLAND has a whole show about just that How I Met You Mother
joke called 'HOT IN CLEVELAND'.

[moviePig]

Conceptually, Ohio doesn't entail much baggage. Moreover, "Ohio" is
more sonorous than, e.g., "Minnesota" (which is hard to say without a
Swedish accent)...

--

- - - - - - - -
YOUR taste at work...
http://www.moviepig.com

[jeffre...@gmail.com]

I have noticed this pattern as well. And yes, decades old. The only thing I can say factually is, Ohio has more tv's per household than any other state. Columbus Ohio is considered the crossroad and test market of America. The national news base their dialect between Cleveland and Columbus dialects.

[art...@yahoo.com]

I'm not sure, but with the possible exception of "Cleveland Rocks" and one or 2 others, Ohio does not do well in song.
4 Dead in Ohio Neil Young
My City Was Gone The Pretenders
Cincinnati Jail Lonnie Mack
Saturday Night in Toledo John Denver
Bloodbuzz Ohio The National

I don't even recall Ohio bands like Devo or Pere Ubu praising there home state.

[luisb...@aol.com]

On Wednesday, July 12, 2017 at 7:40:10 PM UTC-4, jeffre...@gmail.com wrote:
> I have noticed this pattern as well. And yes, decades old. The only thing I can say factually is, Ohio has more tv's per household than any other state. Columbus Ohio is considered the crossroad and test market of America. The national news base their dialect between Cleveland and Columbus dialects.

I think of Texas as getting all the movie mentions and Boston as the town where far too many are set. Ohio hasn't stood out. I think people call Ohio the midwest or the near-midwest. It definitely isn't the former. In any case, at one time it was The West. People dreamed of getting way out there and making their fortunes. An astute George Washington found himself there quite a bit in his early military career and made sure to scoop up large swaths of land, a perq of being a Brit army officer. Later on, it represented the major Washington family asset that hadn't come by way of Martha's family.

Off the top of my head, I can't think of any movies set out there...Arrowsmith? Dodsworth? Lebron? In movies it tends to be a place you come from not go to.

[irishra...@gmail.com]

On Wednesday, September 21, 2011 at 11:59:31 PM UTC-4, Tom wrote:
> On Sep 21, 8:13 pm, Ohioguy <n...@none.net> wrote:
> >    Over the past decade or two, I've noticed that many, many movies seem
> > to mention Ohio in passing.  If they ask where someone is from, it seems
> > to be Ohio.  In Wolverine Origins, they had a subtitle mentioning a
> > setting in Springfield, Ohio.  I think there was something similar in a
> > Friday the 13th movie.  It has gotten to the point, it seems, that it is
> > almost some sort of inside joke to mention Ohio, if possible - almost
> > like the different directors have a bet going, or something. (whoever
> > mentions Ohio in the most movies gets some sort of secret statue?)
> >
> >    I'm curious about 3 things:
> >
> > 1) When did this start?
> >
> > 2) Why did they start doing it?
> >
> > 3) How many movies do it?
> >
> >    I can find quite a number of references to Ohio in the movies, though
> > I have no idea if anyone has ever compiled a definitive list.  I'm
> > especially interested in the why & when, though.
> >
> >    Thanks!  And yes, this is a bit of initial thinking on my part for a
> > possible article.
>
> Ask calvin. He'll probably say it is a heinous conspiracy by "the
> left" to embarrass John Boehner.

As a conservative Republican I can tell you that we were the ones
embarrassed by John Boehner. He was a weak, incompetent bozo
and Republicans were thrilled when he "retired".

Irish Mike

Obama's legacy is President Trump

[art...@yahoo.com]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Films_set_in_Ohio

Includes
Lolita
The Silence of the Lambs
Indignation

[luisb...@aol.com]

I haven't seen Indignation. I read and liked the book but forgot it was partly set in an Ohio college town. I loathe Silence, which is why I blotted that one out. I thought Lolita was supposed to Bard or Sarah Lawrence. Oh well.

[Michael OConnor]

> Includes
> Lolita
> The Silence of the Lambs
> Indignation

American Splendor

[Bill Steele]

In "My Sister Eileen" The sisters are from Ohio, where one of them

worked for the "Columbus Courier." I saw the movie in Columbus, where

that line drew laughs and hoots. We actually had the Columbus Dispatch
and the Columbus Citizen (The latter now defunct).

The premise was two "squares" from the midwest adapting to New York
City. That's the effect that mention of Ohio often provides in a movie.
They could say Akron or Chillicothe. but everybody has heard of
Columbus. It's like if you said "Buffalo" people would know it was in
New York.