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Philly’s Inferiority Complex

By Kyle Scott

Published: Feb 5th, 2014 · 12:25 PM EST

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Drew Lazor of Philly Mag with an excellent piece about our inferiority complex:

All that’s charming and great, but I’ve come to realize that there’s a deleterious side to knee-jerk Philly pride. If recent dust-ups in the media are any indication, we still care far too much about what New York thinks of us, when we really have no reason to care at all. As much as defending our honor is an essential part of the Philadelphia experience, it also holds us back from celebrating ourselves independent of inter-city comparison. In other words, we’re doing ourselves a disservice by flipping hysterical shit every time our name leaves a New Yorker’s lips. We stand for so much more than rash reactions, and it’s time we start acting like it.

Before you turn me upside down and shake me to produce my papers, let me state for the record that I am not a Philadelphia native. I grew up just outside Baltimore, came here in 2002 to go to school, fell in love and never left. Over the past dozen years, I’ve become a huge advocate of the city I’m proud to consider home — which is why it’s so frustrating to watch fellow Philadelphians exhaust themselves screaming about out-of-state criticism and commentary instead of expending that same energy promoting what makes us different.

Good piece. Not sure I totally agree, though. Part of what makes Philly unique – even though this particular trait is about as sexy as a passive aggressive ex who texts you things like: “Glad to see you’re living your life… guess you’re really not broken up about it like you said you were!!!! We’re done talking! Call me.” – is our persistence in self-defense, defending the cause. No one listens, but we hear it. It gives us something to cling to. A reason for living. A rallying cry. Meaning in our lives. Philly really is a great city! GOSH DARNIT PEOPLE LIKE US!!!

Shit… maybe Drew’s right. Chin up, Philly. Chin up. We’re better than this.