NEW: RI’s State Slogan “Unwind” 3rd Worst in the Country

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Wednesday, August 31, 2011

GoLocalProv Lifestyle Team

"Unwind."

How much does our recent state slogan suck? A whole lot, according to The Awl, a popular online source for college culture, which placed it in the bottom five state slogans in the country in a recent ranking.

Ranking #49 out of 51 slogans (DC was included) RI's low-key command was only considered better than #50 Maryland's "Maryland of Opportunity," and #51 Washington's truly awful "SayWa!".

"A chance to nap..."

Authors Victoria Johnson and John Wenz had this to say about "Unwind": "Sounds suspiciously like a chance to nap. See also: Things this slogan make you do."

Even the cornball "Live like you mean it" from Wisconsin ranked higher at #47. "A bad inspirational poster from a Wheaties box," the Awl writers said. And to Iowa's "Life Changing" (ranked #45), they said: "A trip to Iowa can't repair low self-esteem and crippling anxiety problems. Sorry, Iowa."

New York's iconic "I Love New York" only snagged #22.

The writers praised DC's "Taxation Without Representation" as "the biggest middle-finger slogan," and put it at #4. Idaho's "Great Potatoes. Tasty Destinations" snagged #2, and Montana's "The Last Best Place" took the trophy for best slogan.

The worst in New England

Rhode Island's New England competitors fared thusly with these slogans:

Vermont: #39 with "Vermont, Naturally"
Massachusetts: #37: "The Spirit of America"
Maine: #32 with "There's more to Maine"
Connecticut: #26 with "Full of Surprises"

The highest ranking state slogan in the region was New Hampshire's "You're going to love it here," ranked at #15. "Live free or die is, sadly, only the motto," wrote Johnson and Wenz. "However, if you let the disembodied voice of Tim Gunn read this to you, you almost instantly want to go there."

For all the slogans and what the Awl had to say about each, go here.