WHO DO YOU THINK others think you are? What do Utah County residents believe people living outside the area think about them? We recently asked Dan Jones & Associates to find out.
When residents aren't wondering why Salt Lakers think the state ends at Point of the Mountain, they're struggling with image problems. People have put various labels on "Happy Valley" (there's one) dwellers over the years. Stereotypes abound. Some are complimentary, some are critical.But we didn't want to know what others think about us. We wanted to know what we think they think about us. (Confused yet?) Specifically Jones asked, "What perception do you believe outsiders have of Utah Valley residents?"
Here are the answers 401 men and women gave:
- Don't know - 30 percent (Don't know or don't want to say?)
- Good/positive/they like us - 13 percent (Calling Sally Field . . .)
- Mormon/LDS/eligious - 7 percent (If the 9 million shoes fit . . .)
- Happy Valley - 5 percent (We're so happy about this.)
- Conservative/ultraconservative - 5 percent (Home of Utah Eagle Forum)
- Narrow-minded - 5 percent (We don't want to hear it.)
- Cliquish/closed community - 4 percent (Hey, you don't like it? Go back to California.)
- Naive - 3 percent (That doesn't happen here.)
- Good-goody/self-righteous - 3 percent (See you in church.)
- Backward/hicks - 3 percent (How about some squirrel meat?)
- Snobbish/smug - 3 percent (So which house on Osmond Lane is yours?)
- Don't like us/negative/not good - 3 percent (We're here to love.)
- Sheltered - 2 percent (We still have those backyard bomb shelters.)
- Weird/strange/peculiar - 2 percent (Take us to your leader.)
- Dominated by BYU - 2 percent (Isn't that the same percentage that attends BYU basketball games?)
- Good place to live - 2 percent (Just don't tell anybody else.)
- Friendly - 2 percent (So what's it to you, buddy?)
- Bad drivers/poor drivers - 1 percent (They don't know the half of it.)
- Fast-growing/growth - 1 percent (We assume this doesn't mean the people.)
- Dumb - 1 percent (Huh? What? Duh?)
Spirit stick: Not to make fun of a serious subject (we'd never do that, you know), nevertheless we were caught up in the advertisement run in The Daily Universe concerning ecclesiastical endorsements.
This ad features a bold-faced headline "Attention All Students" and then warns those reading it about the impending deadline.
Seems students have to get the endorsements back by April 1st. No fooling.
The ad tells everybody where to find the form in the schedule and goes on to say, "You will not be mailed an endorsement form."
It also says, "Important! Plan your endorsement interview now."
Does that mean get your stories straight, line up your excuses or just call the bishop before time runs out?
Bumping stickers: These two seemingly incongruous bumper stickers were seen on a white Chevy last week: "Lenin. Stalin. Clinton. The legacy continues" and "My kid can beat up your honor student."