Elijah Friedeman, The Millennial Perspective

In January, Mainstreet.com came out with rankings, listing the top ten dying cities. Coming in at number 10 was Grand Rapids, MI. The residents of Grand Rapids (Grand Rapidites? Grand Rapidonians?) were none too pleased with the ignominious designation, so they started a campaign to prove that their city wasn't dying, but was vibrant, even if it wasn't growing per se.

Today, these Grand Rapidonians can claim victory over the rankings. They have produced with legendary film critic Roger Ebert called "the greatest music video ever made."

The video is an almost-ten-minute lip-synch to the Don McClean classic, 'American Pie', filmed with one continuous camera shot. It features thousands of Grand Rapidites, showing off their great city (and in the process setting a world record for most people lip-synching). Throw in nerf gun wars, pillow fights, a football play, fire engines, a marching band, explosions, a marriage, cheerleaders, and other random/awesome things, and you have the perfect reciple for an instant internet hit.

And if the purpose of the video was to show that Grand Rapids is a great place to live, they succeeded, because I want to live there now.

 

Contact: mp@afr.net