Even More Great Art About the Midwest

Last week, I posted a list of the Greatest Art Ever Made About the Midwest, and invited your submissions for stuff I left out. Here, then—based on your comments, and on other stuff that popped into my head—is a follow-up list of more Midwestern goodness.

1)    “Jack and Diane,” by John Mellencamp—Comment-poster Abe says, “Being a resident of the Hoosier State myself (Indiana that is) it doesn’t get more Midwestern than John Mellencamp’s ‘Jack and Diane.’ That will always be the quintessential song about the Midwest for me.” But why stop there? Let’s also throw in “Small Town” and “Rain on the Scarecrow,” from Mellencamp’s 1985 Scarecrow album.

2)    Major League—Comment-poster J.J. Shearer describes this baseball flick as “an (unfortunately) accurate depiction of the city and its sports teams as a joke to the outside world. Funny, nevertheless.” Click here to witness the scorching heat of Charlie Sheen's right arm, which is hot enough to set the Cuyahoga River ablaze.  

3)    “My Kind of Town,” by Frank Sinatra. It kinda bugs me to hear the pride of Hoboken try to claim Chicago. But as a transplanted Southerner, I can’t really knock the carpetbagging. 

4)    Juno—According to comment-poster bemarie, “While it doesn’t revolve around its MN setting, there’s definitely something inherently Midwestern about the context and characters.”

5)    Ohio, by Over The Rhine—Again, bemarie: “While the album isn’t 100% Ohio-centric, there’s a quiet beauty to the pain and a heartland spin to the rock on the album that speaks to the landscape of our middle-country residents.” 

6)    Chicago—It did win Best Picture, which I guess counts for something. But I thought this musical-turned-movie was kind of a snoozefest, despite John C. Reilly’s best efforts.