Upstate NY = Quintessentially American

I just learned that I grew up in a quintessentially American city. The second most quintessentially American city. At least it was in 2004. At least according to one particular market research study. And there were two other upstate NY cities in the top 5.

I learned this from the book Fame Junkies. Thanks, Jake Halpern. I’ve had the book for years and I finally got around to reading it. I bought it because I am a bit of a fame junkie myself. It was an interesting read albeit slightly disturbing at times. We have become such a celebrity-obsessed culture. And I am part of the problem, says the woman with the People subscription.

The author created a survey with a professor and gave it to students in Rochester, NY. An alarming number said they’d rather be a celebrity’s personal assistant than the president of Harvard or Yale, or the CEO of a large company such as General Motors. Scary…