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I shudder to think of how many of my hipster, microbrewery-frequenting, bespectacled Portland brethren are going to go out and ironically buy this new book they’ve got cooking up. You see, folks, the good people behind the IFC’s Portlandia are not content to lovingly (and accurately) spoof my city week-in and week-out. Continue reading
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I moved to Portland this past August, and naturally more than one person has asked me whether I’ve heard of Portlandia. Continue reading
image: pastemagazine.com
Well it should! “Portlandia” has proven to be a treasured find hidden amongst a slew of predictable progams, and as such, has originally only been viewable on the IFC network. As co-creator Fred Armisen (who is also known for his work on SNL) sings during the opening scene in episode one, “The dream of the 90′s is alive in Portland” he marvels at a city that seems to stand still during a decade when, “…people were content to be unambitious, sleep til 11, and just hang out with friends…no occupations whatsoever, maybe working a couple hours a week at a coffee shop…”
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For anyone who has personally experienced the 90′s, Portland, or particularly both, this satire rings true to many as Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein portray a host of colorful characters. Among such characters include ultra feminist bookstore owners who sell books on the plight of womanhood along with stickers stating, “In Goddess We Trust”, overly entitled bicycle carriers who are eager to remind you of their bike rights, and animal rights enthusiasts who defend the rights of dogs while absent mindedly keeping their own baby on a leash, all in a city where everyone is an aspiring musician at heart. The mayor himself is the cool, chill type, who tucks his business-casual shirt into a pair of smart looking jeans and sits on a yoga ball in his office. Bird decals abound and all the hot girls wear glasses, favorite bars include a gang of chin-beard wearers and homes aligned with proper feng-shui implementation is of utmost importance.
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It seems as though Portland itself has endorsed the show with pride and even those who don’t have a personal acquaintance with the city are looking forward to January 2012 when the show will return to the IFC network. Guest stars in the past have included Sarah McLachlan, Selma Blair, Heather Graham and Steve Buscemi to name a few. “Portlandia” has cult-classic written all over it with endless quotable one-liners and characters formed after the most astute observations of the culture and people of Portland. Watching it brings many laughs and surprise that there are so many genuinely funny and spot-on observations of the city of the Northwest. Season 2 is soon to begin and hopefully “Portlandia” will not go the way of the ever-missed “Arrested Development” which came to full appreciation too late in the game to keep it around. So watch it while you can and treasure it like those who know.
