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In Travel & Visitors Guide Blogs
Thumbs up to the Bronze Fonz
Personally, I love this town and its diverse culture as much as the Fonz loves punchin' jukeboxes.  
By Michael Stodola RSS Feed
Special to OnMilwaukee.com

E-mail author | Author bio
More articles by Michael Stodola

What is a blog?  For us it is a short blurb that we write when the mood strikes us.  It can be first person, funny or informative. In short, a blog is whatever we want it to be. Published June 17, 2008 at 8:35 a.m.
Tags: bronze fonz, diversity, public art

On Easter Sunday, 1975, I came downstairs to find a large basket filled with eggs, a hollow chocolate bunny and a rolled up blue T-shirt adorned with the smiling portrait of Arthur Fonzarelli. I had to wear it the next day to school, and, yes, I got mad props for the coolest shirt in school (if my hyperbolic memory serves).

Later, I would move to Milwaukee. Well, 22 years later.

Now, what I don't understand is this: What the hell is the big deal about the Fonzie statue? We've got people leaving town, people bitching about the betrayal of art as well as a collective eye roll by many residents. Come on, folks. This is Milwaukee. This is a town built on blue-collar pride, beer and motorcycles. We work, we party, we make fertilizer out of what's left.

And not to downplay our finer points either; we're up to here with culture. The Calatrava-designed art museum addition, our film community, David Sedaris visiting The Pabst on a regular basis, wonderful restaurants, not to mention a healthy music scene -- all add to our mosaic of refinement. But seriously, it's our complete spectrum ranging from the "tasteless" to the "tasty" that makes us great. I'm a creative fella, Janet's a photographer and we love that balance.

I been talking a lot about the Wisconsin brand at work, and I can sum it up in one word: Context. For whatever reason, Wisconsin, and more specifically Brew Town, gives folks context. When I moved here 11 years ago, I felt it in the air. I felt possibilities cover me the second I hopped out of my Penske rental truck. The shear enthusiasm of Milwaukeeans gives others inspiration to not only find themselves, but to celebrate that fact with a few dozen brewskis.

It's an act of self-actualization to live here. "What do you want to do?" would be a wonderful slogan for this town. (Hint: there's no wrong answer.) And if a bronze statue of a fictitious childhood hero is what you're about, I am for you, sir. So, while some refer to us as the next Detroit, I prefer to say we're the next ... whatever the hell we want to be.

That's the power of what I get to do every day. Finding the soul of an organization and celebrating its originality is like unlocking a child's mind. The possibilities are endless and the rules are few. It's our brand -- like it or not.

Personally, I love this town and its diverse culture as much as the Fonz loves punchin' jukeboxes. Ehhhhhhhhh.

9 comments about this article.
Post a comment / write a review.

Recent Talkbacks ...

Posted by grborden on June 18, 2008 at 10:33 a.m. (report)

amen brother, you're preaching to the choir. If only we knew how large this choir was...

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Posted by hardgeminiguy on June 17, 2008 at 5:53 p.m. (report)

the bronze will be wonderful--really, too much fuzz--we have great art but fun art is needed, too--bring on the fonze!

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Posted by mitchgat on June 17, 2008 at 1:39 p.m. (report)

Rimesparse: What is the essence of Milwaukee to you ?

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Posted by rimesparse on June 17, 2008 at 11:54 a.m. (report)

If you like your cities decorated in the manner of a TGI Friday's, then by all means enjoy your bronze Fonz. I guess I'm not convinced that that's really the essence of Milwaukee. Though if I'm in the minority on that, then I will just grin and bear it.

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Posted by CrustyJoe on June 17, 2008 at 11:12 a.m. (report)

Gotta agree with you. Milwaukee's brand is so diverse, while it's great to embrace the technology and fancy new architecture, Milwaukee should never forget it's roots. But Milwaukee the next Detroit??? Have those people BEEN to Detroit? Not sure what that means. I grew up near, visited and have fond memories of Detroit, and comparing the two cities doesn't really work.

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Show me the other 4 Talkbacks
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