Civic Boosterism, a survey cont’d

Noted features employed in civic boosterism, especially in matter of literary reckoning.

Lists.

Numbers. (esp. 1, 2, and 5)

Verbs like explain, understand.

Adjectives such as awesome, great, best. (It is rare to hear the adjective “middling” or “piddling”)

Titles that include the name of the city or the telephone area code.

Appointing individual authors as ambassadors based on book titles and, often, meritless books.

A high proportion of male self-appointed ambassadors.

Anything other than opening the front door, putting your feet down on the pavement and walking about and talking to the people who actually live here. (such as the extreme example of having a chat to the person next door and the underpaid person selling you a cup of coffee). Current modes of boostering by boosters do not include the flaneur rather the “spouter” is more prevelant. Because Boosterism does not encourage uncovering, nor does it address the troughs (just the peaks).

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Impending civic boosterism forecast includes an avalanche of sporting regalia and flags on car windows that will inevitably snap and block the drains!