Quote:
Originally Posted by MusicMan84
Jabs like this did not originate with Comcast acquisition and are based on broader stereotypes of cities. SNL often makes jabs at NYC and Boston as well... Among other cities. Have a sense of humor! I don't want executives interfering with the comedy writers... They aren't as funny.
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Agreed. But I DO think that jokes like this are symptomatic of a deeper issue regarding the visceral national image of Philly as--in effect--a burnt-out old city full of little more than abandoned buildings with broken windows (similar to Detroit's image). Humor like this works because there's an element of perceived truth in it that resonates with the audience, and I just can't imagine a similarly themed joke being made about, e.g., NYC, Boston, Chicago, etc. In most people's minds, those cities aren't DEFINED by the urban blight that they each contain, as much as Philly is so defined in its national public image. This is something that needs to be acknowledged and actively changed if Philly is to continue its current momentum to becoming a true national and international destination city, in my opinion. And when you think about it, SNL's predominant audience demo is most likely younger urban types, with a generally favorable image of big cities and urban living, so the fact that Philly is the butt of this kind of joke is telling. I remember another Philly joke on Weekend Update a year or two ago, when Seth Meyers was still there, with a punch line questioning why anyone would possibly want to visit Philadelphia--again, resonating because of an overall national image problem that needs to be fixed.
Not to blow this out of proportion (too late for that, right?
), but it IS indicative of a larger image problem that Philly still needs to overcome, it seems to me.
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). But nobody jokes about NYC, Boston, Chicago, etc. as consisting mainly of decaying and abandoned old buildings full of broken windows. Those jokes are reserved for the likes of Philly, Detroit, etc., as are the jokes about being a boring or undesirable place to visit or live (which, as I said, was the theme of a joke about Philly on Weekend Update a year or two ago). 
). Besides, they're urban pioneers by definition--or at least they used to be before living in Brooklyn became so hip (i.e., back in my time there). 
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