Minnesota nice

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Minnesota nice is a cultural stereotype applied to the behavior of people from

passive-aggression.[2]

Social norms

social norms to the literary work of Danish-Norwegian novelist Aksel Sandemose, the fictional Law of Jante, and more generally, Scandinavian culture.[3] Garrison Keillor's A Prairie Home Companion discusses "Wobegonics", the supposed language of Minnesotans, which includes "no confrontational verbs or statements of strong personal preference".[4]

Examples

The generosity of state citizens has been commented on; the heavily reported

extraverted state in the nation, traits associated with "nice".[6]

The tradition of

Minnesota politics has been linked to the Minnesota Nice culture.[7]

Since the 1960s and 1970s and continuing into the present, Minnesota has been a leading state in refugee resettlement, which can be linked to the traditions of progressivism and generosity associated with Minnesota nice. Various groups, especially

Somalis, as well as large numbers of Vietnamese, Burmese, Ethiopians, Laotians, Tibetans, and Liberians, have found homes in the state, particularly in the Twin Cities. Since 2002, Minnesota has harbored the largest population of Somalis in North America.[8]

Minnesota nice was an influence on the Coen brothers movie Fargo, set in both Minnesota and neighboring North Dakota.[9][10] A 2003 documentary about the making of the movie was entitled Minnesota Nice.[11][12]

Criticism

History professor Annette Atkins suggests that the concept is a marketing myth, emerging from the work of

Howard Mohr and Garrison Keillor in the 1980s. Atkins notes that prior to the popularity of such works, Minnesotans differentiated themselves from the people of Iowa with corny "Idiots Out Walking Around" jokes at their neighbors' expense.[2]

Journalist and Minnesota native Michele Norris argued the phrase had acquired "undertones of irony and despair" following the 2020 murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis.[13]

See also

Look up Minnesota nice in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

References

  1. ISBN 978-0-87351-633-4
    .
  2. ^ a b Hutton, Rachel (April 23, 2019). "Is Minnesota Nice even nice? Where did the term originate?". Star Tribune. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  3. ^ Jones, Syl (December 14, 2009). "The unwritten rules that tell Minnesotans how to be nice". Saint Paul, Minnesota: Minnesota Public Radio. Retrieved December 14, 2009.
  4. ^ "Wobegonics" on A Prairie Home Companion, Saturday, April 19, 1997. Retrieved December 14, 2009.
  5. New York Times. "In Minnesota, Flu Vaccines Go Waiting
    ". November 12, 2004.
  6. S2CID 17059908
    .
  7. ^ Eichenlaub, Christian (2008). "'Minnesota Nice': A Comparative Analysis of Minnesota's Treatment of Adoption by Gay Couples". University of St. Thomas Law Journal. 5 (1): 312–34.
  8. ^ "Wayback Machine" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on November 4, 2009. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
  9. ^ Fuller, Graham (March 17, 1996). "How Frances McDormand Got Into 'Minnesota Nice'". The New York Times. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  10. ^ Meslow, Scott (October 12, 2015). "Minnesota Nice vs. Evil: The moral universe of FX's remarkable Fargo". theweek.com. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  11. ^ Jacobson, Colin (September 16, 2003). "Fargo: Special Edition (1996)". www.dvdmg.com. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  12. ^ "New 'Fargo' truly a special edition, you betcha". TODAY.com. November 7, 2003. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  13. ^ Norris, Michele (June 4, 2020). "Opinion: It's hard to hear 'Minnesota Nice' without undertones of irony and despair". The Washington Post. Retrieved June 6, 2021.
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