VN AfterTaste

I refuse to believe in Peoria, Illinois. 

I do not mean to say Peoria, Illinois does not exist. I know it does. I’ve seen it on maps. I have also seen dragons and sea monsters on maps, but I know the difference between utility and decoration.

What I am saying about Peoria, Illinois is that I refuse to boost it. I will not give it a pat on the back. I will not give it a helping hand. I shall not help it rise above. I will not give it aid nor comfort.

It’s a spiritual belief I withhold from Peoria, Illinois.
I shall never say, “I believe in you Peoria, Illinois! You can do it!”
That’s a job for the insincere and the deluded; or the Peoria, Illinois Chamber of Commerce. Not me.

What has Peoria, Illinois ever done for me?
I suspect at least as little as it has done for you.

Peoria, in the past, has often been cited as an arbiter of mainstream taste. The saying “It will never play in Peoria” has been heard far more often than “If it will play in Peoria it can play anywhere.”
Peoria is a test market.

I refuse to grant encouragement for this behavior. It is my hope that, without my support, Peoria will wither away- never having achieved its ultimate potential.

Then I will address the problem of Schenectady, New York; Albuquerque, New Mexico; and Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.