<p>A couple UW students have done a song/video about the "Coasties" at UW. Many find it hilarious--others offensive. </p>
<p>What say you? It's on YouTube under What's a Coastie? (The Coastie Song)</p>
<p>It contains brief profanity and some other potentialy offensive words and images--or not.</p>
<p>Pretty innocuous, methinks. Always felt the Sconnie/Coastie divide was more about class and money than about geography (as the song alludes to… “I’m from Chicago!”). Wisconsin (the state) just doesn’t have much of that vibe - it’s more the sheltered suburban wannabe brats (not the food), the isolated Northwoods hicks, and the dimwitted farm kids (if you ask a Coastie). It’s probably more prevalent now, but while I was aware of Coasties at my school many moons ago, it didn’t seem to be that big of a deal unless they were flaunting Daddy’s money.</p>
<p>Kind of a catchy tune, I guess, for what passes for music these days (gotta play the fogey card!).</p>
<p>I think it’s mildly clever and mildly amusing and probably just as accurate now as decades ago in terms of Langdon Street. </p>
<p>BUT I also think the singling out of Jewish women and the use of the term Jewish American princess in a visual is offensive. Too many people think it’s okay to use that term, but it also has negative connotations with ethnic and sexist issues that are not far below the surface at all. And some of the anti-out-of-stater feeling probably does stem from anti-Semitism, as it did years ago–how often do folks in other regions say people are too New York when they mean they are in some way identifiably Jewish?</p>
<p>And surely kids from the affluent Chicago suburbs don’t talk like stereotypical Valley girls or Long Islanders–they generally have Chicago accents, and the ones from the other non-Cast suburbs also speak like people from their own region. So again, the stereotype here is that all affluent Jewish students are spoiled, insensitive, slutty, and have New York accents is offensive to my mind–stereotypical and inaccurate.</p>
<p>Bottom line, the video is not nearly as cool and charming as I wish it were. And it’s odd that in the opening scene one of the guys singing it is wearing a scarf in colors of (I think) another Big Ten school and (I know) a great northeastern LAC. UW’s colors, however, are red and white.</p>