- Boosterism
Boosterism is the act of "boosting," or promoting, one's town, city, or organization, with the goal of improving public perception of it. Boosting can be as simple as "talking up" the entity at a party or as elaborate as establishing a visitors' bureau. It is somewhat associated with American small
town s. Boosting is also done in political settings, especially in regard to disputed policies or controversial events. The term has, in general, a negative connotation.During the expansion of the American and Canadian West, boosterism became epidemic as the leaders and owners of small towns made extravagant predictions for their settlement in the hope of attracting more residents and not coincidentally inflating real estate prices.
The 1871 humorous speech "The Untold Delights of Duluth", delivered by U. S. Representative
J. Proctor Knott , lampooned boosterism. Boosterism is also a major theme of twonovel s bySinclair Lewis —"Main Street", published in 1920, and "Babbitt", published in 1922. As indicated by an editorial that Lewis wrote in 1908 entitled "The Needful Knocker," boosting was the opposite of knocking. The editorial explained, "The booster's enthusiasm is the motive force which builds up our American cities. Granted. But the hated knocker's jibes are the check necessary to guide that force. In summary then, we do not wish to knock the booster, but we certainly do wish to boost the knocker." [Quoted in Schorer, M.: "Sinclair Lewis: An American Life", page 142. McGraw-Hill, 1961.]ee also
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Puffery References
External links
*"The Promised Land", by
Pierre Berton
*" [http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/etcbin/toccer-new?id=LewBabb&tag=public&] " by Sinclair Lewis
* " [http://www.geocities.com/alfgon.geo/duluth.htm The Untold Delights of Duluth] "
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