WTFlorida? 4 Theories on Why Florida Is the Weirdest State

Bentleyspop · November 2013

WTFlorida? Four Theories on Why Florida Is the Weirdest State

http://www.divinecaroline.com/entertainment/wtflorida-four-theories-why-florida-weirdest-state

In the past week, a homeless man was found having a picnic in a Walmart bathroom, a man was arrested for popping his pimples outside the entrance to a McDonald’s, and two burglars were arrested after bringing a fourteen-month-old baby along to rob a house.

Wanna guess where all these things happened?

Florida. As if there was any doubt.

Although strange and unusual things have always happened there, ever since the debacle of the 2000 election (damn you, West Palm Beach and your hanging chads!), Florida has claimed its rightful honor as the weirdness capital of the United States. An analysis of Associated Press stories found Florida, a.k.a “America’s Wang,” to be the number-one nuttiest state in the country, as measured by news output. News aggregator Fark.com even has a “Florida” tag to accommodate all the bizarrity that emerges from the Sunshine State.

But the question all of us—us Northerners, who don’t wake up to find alligators in our toilets—want to know is why? Why Florida? What makes Florida produce such a staggering amount of absurdity? There have yet to be any conclusive studies on this topic, but I have some suspicions. Here are four theories on why Florida is just so damn strange.

1. The Population
The majority of Floridians were not born in the state, and a significant portion weren’t even born in the country. Florida’s population is made up of several distinct and disparate groups of people, including:

• Old people
• Immigrants
• The very religious
• Carpetbaggers and nouveau riche from the rest of the country
• Rednecks
• Tourists

And there are a lot of them. Not counting Disney guests and snowbirds, Florida has about nineteen million residents, making it the fourth-most-populous state in the country. When you have that many people—especially culturally and ethnically diverse people—driving on the same roads and living in the same towns, is it any surprise that you have more weird news than Wyoming?

2. The Laws
Florida’s government has created what could kindly be called a “lax regulatory environment.” The state has very loose bankruptcy laws, loose gun laws, laws that prevent the seizure of a house for payment of debts, no system to monitor the distribution of prescription drugs, and collects no state income tax. While plenty of people come to Florida looking for simply a better life or better weather, the state also attracts a contingent of people who come for more illicit or opportunistic reasons, and these people tend to make the news more often than the average law-abiding citizen.

3. The Land Itself
It’d be easy to just say that the heat addles people’s brains, but it’s not just the warm weather that keeps Florida weird. It’s the combination of warm weather, humidity, hurricanes, swamps, native fauna that includes alligators, snakes, panthers, bobcats, fire ants, armadillos, spiders, cockroaches so big they could double as commuter airplanes, and other things that are humdrum for Florida but considered pretty “out there” for the rest of the country.

4. The Media
Since everyone knows by now that Florida is the epicenter of all things crazy, news from Florida travels farther and faster than news from elsewhere in the country. Especially weird news—website editors see the headline “Mom sells baby for meth,” and they think, meh. But if the headline says “Florida mom sells baby for meth,” that’s clickable gold. The truth is that weirdness happens everywhere (and states like Ohio, New York, and California give Florida a run for its money), but Florida’s reputation as a weirdo wonderland propels its news into the national spotlight more often.

Northerners love to portray Florida as a land full of drug dealers, corrupt politicians, deranged old people, and immigrants all snarling traffic in their Hummers while releasing pet pythons into the Everglades. And to some extent, that might be true. But no matter how much we chuckle at its absurdity, flights from JFK to MIA are booked to capacity all winter long, and tourism is still the state’s number-one industry. We love to laugh at Florida, but we also love to go there and give them our money. That makes Floridians laugh, too—all the way to the bank, where there’s probably an alligator in the toilet.

Some additional sources....
http://www.salon.com/2013/07/26/5_reasons_why_florida_is_the_weirdest_state_ever_partner/
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2381998/The-Silliness-State-Writer-tries-work-Florida-bizarre-news-state.html
http://www.aolnews.com/2011/04/24/florida-americas-weirdest-state/

JimmyV · November 2013

Much like Mr. Hand, when I'm in Florida I too think everyone is on drugs.

polaris_x · November 2013

viewtopic.php?f=14&t=199793&hilit=florida

brianlux · November 2013

A trip to Florida in the late 70's left me with one distinct impression: I'd never been to a place where walking barefoot on moved grass felt like walking across razor blades.

But look at the good things that come out of Florida:
Tom Petty
Nudist Resorts (nahh- on second thought, as George Carlin pointed out, nudists are the kind of people you never want to see naked

)
Armadillos (they're very friendly!)
And of course, JonnyPistachio and the advent of human bioluminescence!

hedonist · November 2013

1. The Population
The majority of Floridians were not born in the state, and a significant portion weren’t even born in the country. Florida’s population is made up of several distinct and disparate groups of people, including:

• Old people
• Immigrants
• The very religious
• Carpetbaggers and nouveau riche from the rest of the country
• Rednecks
• Tourists

And there are a lot of them. Not counting Disney guests and snowbirds, Florida has about nineteen million residents, making it the fourth-most-populous state in the country. When you have that many people—especially culturally and ethnically diverse people—driving on the same roads and living in the same towns, is it any surprise that you have more weird news than Wyoming?

Immigrants, the "very" religious and tourists, oh my!

Shameful, really. Just goddamn shameful.

Los Angeles (and the rest of California) have the same, or at least very similar, demographics.

Weirdness is all the fuck over, man. Just look around and within

justam · November 2013

People really seem to enjoy bashing Florida.

People enjoy thinking it's a weird place or a place full of weird people. (I grew up in SF and, in my opinion, SF still has a lot more weirdos!)

When I lived elsewhere I also wondered why people chose to live here.
Then I moved here and found out that it's a nice place to live!

Luckily, all this talk keeps a lot of people from moving here so it's not too crowded!

brianlux · November 2013

justam wrote:

I grew up in SF and, in my opinion, SF still has a lot more weirdos!

I grew up on the peninsula and later lived in SF for a number of years, so yeah, I can corroborate this. The first time I saw a "freak"- this dude with curly hair a mile long- was on a visit to see my cousins in the upper Haight. Weirdos are one of the reasons I love that place.

backseatLover12 · November 2013

I don't think the people are necessarily weird, it's the LAWS and the LAW MAKERS that are f*cked up.

So I agree with #2.

justam · November 2013

backseatLover12 wrote:

I don't think the people are necessarily weird, it's the LAWS and the LAW MAKERS that are f*cked up.

So I agree with #2.

I do agree that the laws are a bit out there. And, I was horrified about that teenage boy that was murdered without enough consequence for the killer!

However, I do ENJOY the lack of state taxes after living in the state of NY where we were taxed far too much!!

Cosmo · November 2013

http://www.games.com/game/walkthrough-s ... or-florida
...
P.S.
Thank you... Florida.
For knocking California off of the 'Looniest State of the Union' and keeping that title for the past 4 decades.

backseatLover12 · November 2013

This story doesn't help Florida at all.

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/miami-d ... s-20774583

Spartanacus · November 2013

I wouldn't have a problem with FL (AND Texas) seceding, and California really needs to be made into North California and South California. It's too big.

bcoker · November 2013

Old people
• Immigrants
• The very religious
• Carpetbaggers and nouveau riche from the rest of the country
• Rednecks
• Tourists

I am a native Floridian, but lived in the Northeast & Midwest before moving back 10 years ago. For one, I don't fit into any of the above categories nor do most of the people I know. Secondly, I've seen just as much "weirdness" everywhere I have lived. There are plenty of old people, immigrants, very religious people and rednecks in many other places too.

Florida is different for sure, but there more "different" things here that are good than bad. Weather, beaches, natural beauty, low taxes, slower pace of life and very friendly people. I wouldn't consider anywhere else.

hedonist · November 2013

Spartanacus wrote:

I wouldn't have a problem with FL (AND Texas) seceding, and California really needs to be made into North California and South California. It's too big.

(that's not what she said)

But really, what does "too big" even mean? What would that split accomplish? Who'd benefit? Who'd be fucked?

Shall we just chop shit up, according to those not having a problem with it?

OK.

And these other terms applied as if they're something to hide.

Old, immigrant, religious.

How dare anyone!

brianlux · November 2013

I think everyone would loose if California were chopped up. We would loose the unique character of being a state with every kind of bio-region except tundra. Well, ok some of our governors have been tundra like, but...

sorry..

No really, it so amazing to have a state that has mountains, rolling hills, valleys, coastline, dessert, rainforest, chaparral, oak woodlands, you name it. And cultural diversity from dazzling Hollywood to foggy San Francisco to ultra conservative Susanville and Alturas.

Split this state? Heck no!

Bentleyspop · January 2014

Here we go again.....

http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/14/justice/florida-movie-theater-shooting/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

know1 · January 2014

So they wouldn't have arrested the burglars if they hadn't brought the baby? You're right, that is weird.

JonnyPistachio · January 2014

I definitely think its the mix of people/diversity and the heat/humidity. There is diversity in other states of course, but here in south Florida, there are a very different groups living on top of each other. In Palm Beach, for instance, one of the richest and gaudiest area in the world. a few minutes away is Riveira, where gangs kill each other daily. Just a few days a go a 12 year old was shot in the neck riding his bike.

Oh, and also, Florida has TONS of rehab facilites and for a few years there, we lead the nation in illegal pain pill type operations.

Read some Carl Hiaasen...Great author who just notices the insanity down here and puts it in his own words.

and PS - BrianLux, thanks for that compliment! Im trying to raise the bar for Florida haha

Idris · January 2014

brianlux said:
A trip to Florida in the late 70's left me with one distinct impression: I'd never been to a place where walking barefoot on moved grass felt like walking across razor blades.

ya, whats with the grass in Florida.

JonnyPistachio · January 2014

Miami....This is terrible: http://news.msn.com/in-depth/how-a-13-year-old-became-a-stripper

arq · January 2014

JonnyPistachio said:
Miami....This is terrible: http://news.msn.com/in-depth/how-a-13-year-old-became-a-stripper

Miami is not in FLorida, Miami is more like Puerto Rico.

WTFlorida? 4 Theories on Why Florida Is the Weirdest State

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