Today I come with an important warning for all of the locals aspiring to greatness.
Recent events related to well-known residents have led me to a rather obvious conclusion that still needs to be highlighted. The warning is simple: Local residents who identify too closely with Kansas City will ultimately find themselves at a disadvantage.
I’m calling it: The Kansas City Curse of Mediocrity.
Let’s explore this phenomeon together and I’ll provide some rather frightening proof.
While I detest Peregrine Honig with the fire of one thousand suns and in a way that nearly consumes every fiber of my being, I have to admit she’s pretty talented and that makes last night’s second place finish just a bit disheartening for folks who watched Bravo’s art reality show that were less biased in their estimation of this artsy she-devil. In such a subjective judging process, at some point I simply think it was her association with this town that aspires to greatness but never achieves it that sunk her. Just like Kansas City, she came in second best.
Go ahead and assign that as a fluke but there are more examples.
For instance, Jason Whitlock is a sports writer who has taken his fame to a national stage at times and to the cable TV sports scene which has pretty much defined the masses of bored white guys in this nation age 25-75. Kansas City and America loves to hate Whitlock and even Oprah put him on to support a reactionary but interesting viewpoint. Yet, Kansas City is bringing him down as he reportedly squabbles in a petty salary dispute with this town’s failing newspaper.
And most frighteningly, those with a memory longer than 15 minutes might remember David Cook who was a national sensation on a failing TV show and then quickly forgotten by everyone but local newsies looking to produce something, anything before deadline.
These are just three examples out of so many which demonstrate that a close association with Kansas City can ultimately ruin careers. The Cowtown mentality that encourages mediocrity instead of challenging people to do better is mostly to blame. But shifting social mores across a society is far too difficult for people pursing other goals. The Kansas City Curse is just one of many reasons why I understand and sympathize with Zack Greinke’s frustration with Kansas City.
Without question this is a town that mercilessly kills otherwise promising careers. And to stifle greatness rather than encouraging it to evolve and move forward . . . Which is why Whizzo the Clown never made it really big among so many other injustices related to this city.
Tony Botello
Dr. Strangelove
Whizzo rocked d-bag
You’re not famous either
Did you catch the Celebrity Poker Tournament at Harrah’s recently? It featured 3 famous guys that all went to Shawnee Mission West, my alma mater: Paul Rudd, Jason Sudeikis and Robb Riggle. They have all referenced Kansas City in there movies/shows because they are all proud of being from KC. Jason Sudeikis has been seen wearing a Record Bar t-shirt several times recently and still considers O.P. his home town.
bugeater
I am glad I don’t personally know you. If you are anything like your columns, you are the biggest killjoy since Eeyore. However, Eeyore at least had a lovable quality.
By the way, I suppose you think Tom Watson is an also-ran, but if you ask anyone in the game of golf, most will put him at the top of their most-admired list.
Since anyone caucasian is a conspiracist to you, how about Buck O’Neil, first African-American MLB manager? How about Satchel Paige, who probably should be even more legendary than Jackie Robinson? Playing for the Monarchs didn’t seem to hurt either of their reputations.
what about
Paul Rudd?
Robb Riggles?
The guy on saturday night live?
The fat guy on that successful new sitcom I don’t watch.
jjskck
O’Neil was first black MLB coach; Frank Robinson was first black manager.
kctacomonday
Dennis McCoy
paulala
Paul Rudd, Walt Disney, Tom Watson, Calvin Trillin, Jay McShann. Mediocrity? Wait, what?
Duh
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_people_from_Kansas_City
jojo
kansas city….everyone has to leave their town
to be greeat….all the stars in hollywooodd..
few grew up in l.a….johnny carson from
nebraska…tom cruise…mel…jack…noone ws
from l.a….they went there because thats where
they made their career…
now you blame this city…people have to leave
here to go where the opprtunity is….every
person in sports or tv or movies or politics…
most had to leave their homes to go gain
stardom…it wasn’t in their hometowns..
and its not in kc……..
and how many david cooks can you name who had
fleeting fame….millions…somecame back..others
didn’t…
so leave us alone…this town is doing okay.
Gavin
So, if “real” KC celebrities are mediocre, what about fat, out-of-shape bloggers who write from their mother’s basements for “bottomfeeder” sites? Are breast-obsessed fat bloggers who can find nothing better to do than bitch along the lines of “the food there is horrible. And such small portions!” and to insult anyone and everyone in Kansas City (but never biting the Hearne that feeds it) somehow better than mediocrities?
Duh
That’s what it is. He’s a nobody writer that only gets people to read his blogs because we know he’s going to say something to piss us off and get comments. I guess if that’s what they have to do to get readers. A real writer can get someone to feel emotions without being such a blatant jerk but that’s why Tony will always be stuck in this piece of crap cow town with all of us d-bags.
KCMO staffer
Don’t forget Glazer,Hearne and Whitlock.
__________________________
HC: Flatterer
Michael
Wizzo.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CynVB8iks0g
MoCrash
Duh: An impressive list, including several who were lions of their professions.
Tony continually proves that ignorance is not the province of only the illiterate and uneducated.
d
The Tony’s Kansas City Curse of Douchebaggery.
Duh
@MoCrash, there were even some left off this list. Tony’s ignorance is furthered by the fact that many of these people have always spoken publicly and fondly of being from the kc area. George Wendt (Norm from Cheers) is from Chicago but went to college at Rockhurst and used to go go to Mike’s Tavern all the time which he has mentioned several times on talk shows. Oh, and he’s also the uncle of our own Jason Sedeikis. Hmmmmm…. and didn’t Paul Rudd wear a KU hat in the movie Clueless and still wears Chiefs gear in public all the time? Yeah, that’s killed his career.
Rick M
The title of that Wikipedia entry (people from Kansas City) is a bit misleading, lumping people who actually are from here with those (Brett, Whitlock) who were raised elsewhere, came here and made it big.
if only…
I wish Whizzo Dog would rise from the pet cemetery and bite Tony’s large ass.
jojo
tonys been doing too much whizzo dust.
Keyser Soze
Hatin’ on Whizzo ’cause he’s a pasty-faced white guy, right? Thought so.
Keith G. in P.V.
Tony, you’ll be petty, second rate and bitter about it as long as you worship Hearne and detest Honig. Don’t worry. Jason will make it with or without you. Either way, he won’t notice you.
Broseph
Factually inaacurate:
Take for instance the above mentioned stars plus:
Don Cheedle, Eddie Griffin, Ed Asner, Walter Cronkite, Charlie Parker, Oleta Adams, Pat Metheney, Joan Crawford, Kareem Rush, Wes Scantlin, Burt Bacherach.
Just sayin’, your totaly wrong.