Boosterism: Difference between revisions
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{{Globalize|article|USA|2name=the United States|date=July 2018}} | {{Globalize|article|USA|2name=the United States|date=July 2018}} | ||
{{For|an organization that contributes money to an associated club or sports team|Booster club}} | {{For|an organization that contributes money to an associated club or sports team|Booster club}} | ||
[[File:Paddock Fort-Worth, Tex., and Rail-Roads 1888 UTA.jpg|thumb|''Map – showing – the Geographical location of Fort-Worth, Tex., and Rail-Roads'', 1888]] | {{For|the essay on the neutral point of view policy on Wikipedia|Wikipedia:Avoid academic boosterism}} | ||
'''Boosterism''' is the act of promoting ("boosting") a town, city, or organization, with the goal of improving public perception of it. Boosting can be as simple as talking up the entity at a party or as elaborate as establishing a [[visitors' bureau]]. | [[File:Paddock Fort-Worth, Tex., and Rail-Roads 1888 UTA.jpg|thumb|''Map – showing – the Geographical location of Fort-Worth, Tex., and Rail-Roads'', 1888]] | ||
'''Boosterism''' is the act of promoting ("boosting") a town, city, or organization, with the goal of improving public perception of it. Particularly in a geographic context, boosterism is meant to encourage outsiders to invest or settle in the area.<ref name=Sage>https://sk.sagepub.com/ency/edvol/urbanhistory/chpt/boosterism</ref> Boosting can be as simple as talking up the entity at a party or as elaborate as establishing a [[visitors' bureau]]. | |||
==History== | ==History== | ||
[[Greenland]] is claimed to owe its name to an act of boosterism. The ''[[Saga of Erik the Red]]'' states that [[Erik the Red]] named the island "Greenland" because "men will desire much the more to go there if the land has a good name."<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Project Gutenberg eBook of Eirik The Red's Saga:, by The Rev. J. Sephton. |url=https://www.gutenberg.org/files/17946/17946-h/17946-h.htm |access-date=2024-10-13 |website=www.gutenberg.org}}</ref> | [[Greenland]] is claimed to owe its name to an act of boosterism. The ''[[Saga of Erik the Red]]'' states that [[Erik the Red]] named the island "Greenland" because "men will desire much the more to go there if the land has a good name."<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Project Gutenberg eBook of Eirik The Red's Saga:, by The Rev. J. Sephton. |url=https://www.gutenberg.org/files/17946/17946-h/17946-h.htm |access-date=2024-10-13 |website=www.gutenberg.org}}</ref> | ||
During the expansion of the American and [[Canada|Canadian]] West, boosterism became epidemic as the leaders and owners of small towns made extravagant predictions for their settlement, in the hope of attracting more residents and, not coincidentally, inflating the prices of local [[real estate]]. During the nineteenth century, competition for economic success among newly founded cities led to overflow of booster literature that listed the visible signs of growth, cited statistics on population and trade and looked to local geography for town success reasons.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Encyclopedia of the City|last=Caves|first=R. W.|publisher=Routledge|year=2004|pages=46}}</ref> | During the expansion of the [[United States of America|American]] and [[Canada|Canadian]] West, boosterism became epidemic as the leaders and owners of small towns made extravagant predictions for their settlement, in the hope of attracting more residents and, not coincidentally, inflating the prices of local [[real estate]]. During the nineteenth century, competition for economic success among newly founded cities led to overflow of booster literature that listed the visible signs of growth, cited statistics on population and trade and looked to local geography for town success reasons.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Encyclopedia of the City|last=Caves|first=R. W.|publisher=Routledge|year=2004|pages=46}}</ref> | ||
The 1871 humorous speech ''[[The Untold Delights of Duluth]]'', delivered by Democratic U.S. Representative [[J. Proctor Knott]], lampooned boosterism. Boosterism is also a major theme of two [[novel]]s by [[Sinclair Lewis]]—''[[Main Street (novel)|Main Street]]'' (published 1920) and ''[[Babbitt (novel)|Babbitt]]'' (1922). As indicated by an editorial that Lewis wrote in 1908 entitled "The Needful Knocker", boosting was the opposite of knocking. The editorial explained: | The 1871 humorous speech ''[[The Untold Delights of Duluth]]'', delivered by Democratic U.S. Representative [[J. Proctor Knott]], lampooned boosterism. Boosterism is also a major theme of two [[novel]]s by [[Sinclair Lewis]]—''[[Main Street (novel)|Main Street]]'' (published 1920) and ''[[Babbitt (novel)|Babbitt]]'' (1922). As indicated by an editorial that Lewis wrote in 1908 entitled "The Needful Knocker", boosting was the opposite of knocking. The editorial explained: | ||
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"Boost for Birdsburg!" said the other chappies reverently.}}Boosting is also done in political settings, especially in regard to disputed policies or controversial events. The former [[prime minister of the United Kingdom|UK prime minister]] [[Boris Johnson]] is strongly associated with such behaviour.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Crace|first1=John|date=5 January 2021|title=Boris's boosterism means he never learns|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/05/boriss-boosterism-means-he-never-learns|access-date=22 February 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Wilson |first1=Eliot |title=Is the long-suffering public beginning to tire of jocular 'boosterism'? |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/10/07/long-suffering-public-beginning-tire-jocular-boosterism/ |publisher=The Telegraph |date=7 October 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Druty |first1=Colin |title=Boris the booster: Worksop ponders PM speech long on laughs but short on reality |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/boris-johnson-conference-speech-reaction-worksop-b1933582.html |work=The Independent |date=6 October 2021}}</ref> | "Boost for Birdsburg!" said the other chappies reverently.}}Boosting is also done in political settings, especially in regard to disputed policies or controversial events. The former [[prime minister of the United Kingdom|UK prime minister]] [[Boris Johnson]] is strongly associated with such behaviour.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Crace|first1=John|date=5 January 2021|title=Boris's boosterism means he never learns|work=The Guardian|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/05/boriss-boosterism-means-he-never-learns|access-date=22 February 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Wilson |first1=Eliot |title=Is the long-suffering public beginning to tire of jocular 'boosterism'? |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/10/07/long-suffering-public-beginning-tire-jocular-boosterism/ |publisher=The Telegraph |date=7 October 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Druty |first1=Colin |title=Boris the booster: Worksop ponders PM speech long on laughs but short on reality |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/boris-johnson-conference-speech-reaction-worksop-b1933582.html |work=The Independent |date=6 October 2021}}</ref> | ||
After the [[2025 New York City mayoral election]] Governors and mayors in states like [[New Hampshire]], [[Tennessee]], or [[Florida]] have [[Boosterism|boosted]] the idea of businesses in New York City relocating to their states.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Wade |first=Chris |date=November 5, 2025 |title=Ayotte to NYC businesses: Move to New Hampshire |url=https://www.thecentersquare.com/new_hampshire/article_27b8fca1-ff11-4f45-9b92-ab3bb961379e.html |access-date=November 5, 2025 |work=The Center Square}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Griffin |first=Ashley |date=November 5, 2025 |title=Tennessee Gov. Lee invites New York businesses to relocate following Mamdani's mayoral win |url=https://newschannel9.com/news/local/tennessee-gov-lee-invites-new-york-businesses-to-relocate-following-mamdanis-mayoral-win |access-date=November 5, 2025 |work=[[WTVC]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Pefley |first=Al |date=November 5, 2025 |title=Boca Raton Mayor feels Mamdani win is a big opportunity for the city |url=https://cbs12.com/news/local/mayor-singer-feels-mamdani-win-is-a-big-opportunity-for-boca-raton |access-date=November 5, 2025 |work=[[WPEC]]}}</ref> President Donald Trump told businesses in New York that [[Miami]] is a refuge if those businesses were considering to relocate.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Brugal |first=Sommer |date=November 5, 2025 |title=Trump says Miami will be "refuge" for New Yorkers after Mamdani win |url=https://www.axios.com/local/miami/2025/11/05/trump-griffen-criticize-mamdani-win-miami |access-date=November 5, 2025 |work=[[Axios (website)|Axios]]}}</ref> | |||
==See also== | ==See also== | ||
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*[[Promotion (marketing)]] | *[[Promotion (marketing)]] | ||
*[[Puffery]] | *[[Puffery]] | ||
*[[Red states and blue states]] | |||
==References== | ==References== | ||
Latest revision as of 18:37, 6 November 2025
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Boosterism is the act of promoting ("boosting") a town, city, or organization, with the goal of improving public perception of it. Particularly in a geographic context, boosterism is meant to encourage outsiders to invest or settle in the area.[1] Boosting can be as simple as talking up the entity at a party or as elaborate as establishing a visitors' bureau.
History
Greenland is claimed to owe its name to an act of boosterism. The Saga of Erik the Red states that Erik the Red named the island "Greenland" because "men will desire much the more to go there if the land has a good name."[2]
During the expansion of the American and Canadian West, boosterism became epidemic as the leaders and owners of small towns made extravagant predictions for their settlement, in the hope of attracting more residents and, not coincidentally, inflating the prices of local real estate. During the nineteenth century, competition for economic success among newly founded cities led to overflow of booster literature that listed the visible signs of growth, cited statistics on population and trade and looked to local geography for town success reasons.[3]
The 1871 humorous speech The Untold Delights of Duluth, delivered by Democratic U.S. Representative J. Proctor Knott, lampooned boosterism. Boosterism is also a major theme of two novels by Sinclair Lewis—Main Street (published 1920) and Babbitt (1922). As indicated by an editorial that Lewis wrote in 1908 entitled "The Needful Knocker", boosting was the opposite of knocking. The editorial explained:
The short story "Jeeves and the Hard-boiled Egg" (1917) by P.G. Wodehouse includes an encounter with a convention visiting from the fictional town of Birdsburg, Missouri who talk up their town:
Template:QuoteBoosting is also done in political settings, especially in regard to disputed policies or controversial events. The former UK prime minister Boris Johnson is strongly associated with such behaviour.[4][5][6]
After the 2025 New York City mayoral election Governors and mayors in states like New Hampshire, Tennessee, or Florida have boosted the idea of businesses in New York City relocating to their states.[7][8][9] President Donald Trump told businesses in New York that Miami is a refuge if those businesses were considering to relocate.[10]
See also
References
- ↑ https://sk.sagepub.com/ency/edvol/urbanhistory/chpt/boosterism
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External links
- The Promised Land, by Pierre Berton
- Babbitt by Sinclair Lewis
- The Untold Delights of Duluth, a speech by a US congressman in 1871, introduced by David McCullough