Sowing the seeds of (self)-love
March 22, 2016 3:47 PM Subscribe
Today, Nebraska unveiled a new license plate design to commemorate the state's 150th anniversary. It's a simple design, particularly when contrasted with past plates. The sole design feature is that of The Sower, the statue that's mounted on top of the State Capitol in Lincoln.
Being the Internet, there's already reaction to the new design, particularly as to what The Sower appears to be doing with his hand.
You see what you want to see
posted by Postroad at 3:53 PM on March 22, 2016 [10 favorites]
posted by Postroad at 3:53 PM on March 22, 2016 [10 favorites]
Manspreading his seed?
posted by OHenryPacey at 3:54 PM on March 22, 2016
posted by OHenryPacey at 3:54 PM on March 22, 2016
a sower, not a grower
posted by prize bull octorok at 3:55 PM on March 22, 2016 [25 favorites]
posted by prize bull octorok at 3:55 PM on March 22, 2016 [25 favorites]
You see what you want to see
With his other hand, he's hugging a ghost.
posted by FallowKing at 3:56 PM on March 22, 2016 [17 favorites]
With his other hand, he's hugging a ghost.
posted by FallowKing at 3:56 PM on March 22, 2016 [17 favorites]
Absolutely unique to Nebraska? Have they forgotten about Oklahoma so soon after leaving the Big 12?
posted by Huffy Puffy at 3:57 PM on March 22, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by Huffy Puffy at 3:57 PM on March 22, 2016 [3 favorites]
Is he posing for the Anti-Heisman Trophy? As in, he's showboating to the endzone, but lost the ball and didn't even notice it?
posted by lmfsilva at 4:01 PM on March 22, 2016
posted by lmfsilva at 4:01 PM on March 22, 2016
My first thought seeing this was DON'T FUCK WITH THE JESUS, MAN.
posted by barchan at 4:06 PM on March 22, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by barchan at 4:06 PM on March 22, 2016 [3 favorites]
Knobraska, amirite?
posted by Devonian at 4:11 PM on March 22, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by Devonian at 4:11 PM on March 22, 2016 [3 favorites]
http://www.worldlicenseplates.com/world/US_USAX.html
is amazing... thanks
posted by djseafood at 4:11 PM on March 22, 2016 [5 favorites]
is amazing... thanks
posted by djseafood at 4:11 PM on March 22, 2016 [5 favorites]
brb, gotta j/o lol
posted by Existential Dread at 4:12 PM on March 22, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by Existential Dread at 4:12 PM on March 22, 2016 [1 favorite]
Nebraska will be in its bunk.
posted by stevis23 at 4:14 PM on March 22, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by stevis23 at 4:14 PM on March 22, 2016 [1 favorite]
When I lived in Lincoln years ago the State Capitol was affectionately known as the Penis on the Plains, with The Sower spreading his seed from the top.
posted by plastic_animals at 4:15 PM on March 22, 2016 [6 favorites]
posted by plastic_animals at 4:15 PM on March 22, 2016 [6 favorites]
Plastic-animals beat me to it, but I think the plate is appropriate given the state capital.
posted by weathergal at 4:20 PM on March 22, 2016
posted by weathergal at 4:20 PM on March 22, 2016
Apparently corn isn't the only thing they're husking in Nebraska...
posted by mosk at 4:27 PM on March 22, 2016 [3 favorites]
posted by mosk at 4:27 PM on March 22, 2016 [3 favorites]
God, you'd think none of these people, after plowing an exceptionally soggy furrow for an extended period of time, had never stood back and elected to distribute their seed by hand.
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 4:29 PM on March 22, 2016 [11 favorites]
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 4:29 PM on March 22, 2016 [11 favorites]
You see what you want to see
I can't actually see the onanism here, but it does look to me like a man doing something indecent to a goose.
posted by Flashman at 4:35 PM on March 22, 2016 [13 favorites]
I can't actually see the onanism here, but it does look to me like a man doing something indecent to a goose.
posted by Flashman at 4:35 PM on March 22, 2016 [13 favorites]
It feels like 95% northern plains states have some variation of white plates with a red and blue header/footer combo so it's nice to see a more bold monochromatic choice.
White on white is a little on the nose for Nebraska tho...
posted by midmarch snowman at 5:11 PM on March 22, 2016 [2 favorites]
White on white is a little on the nose for Nebraska tho...
posted by midmarch snowman at 5:11 PM on March 22, 2016 [2 favorites]
So long as a leading "6" still signifies Saunders County they can do whatever else they want.
posted by benito.strauss at 5:12 PM on March 22, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by benito.strauss at 5:12 PM on March 22, 2016 [1 favorite]
So long as a leading "6" still signifies Saunders County...
Does Nebraska still number the plates by county in order of their 1930 population?
posted by plastic_animals at 5:17 PM on March 22, 2016 [2 favorites]
Does Nebraska still number the plates by county in order of their 1930 population?
posted by plastic_animals at 5:17 PM on March 22, 2016 [2 favorites]
No wonder they're proudly unicameral in Lincoln.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 5:23 PM on March 22, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by MCMikeNamara at 5:23 PM on March 22, 2016 [1 favorite]
(I don't know what I meant either.)
posted by MCMikeNamara at 5:24 PM on March 22, 2016 [8 favorites]
posted by MCMikeNamara at 5:24 PM on March 22, 2016 [8 favorites]
he's showboating to the endzone
now that's a euphemism i can get behind
posted by palomar at 5:44 PM on March 22, 2016 [2 favorites]
now that's a euphemism i can get behind
posted by palomar at 5:44 PM on March 22, 2016 [2 favorites]
In case anyone had doubts whether Football is a big deal in Nebraska:
posted by Mitheral at 5:50 PM on March 22, 2016
There also was much lament for the lack of red — the signature color of the University of Nebraska “Big Red” Cornhuskers football team. “Why do we have University of Michigan colors on our new plates?” read a posting on coverage from the Omaha World-Herald.
posted by Mitheral at 5:50 PM on March 22, 2016
> Does Nebraska still number the plates by county in order of their 1930 population?
I'm not sure, but it's one of those things my Mom taught me about her home state. Of course, when she left there pizza was still considered ethnic food and that's changed so who knows.
posted by benito.strauss at 6:14 PM on March 22, 2016 [2 favorites]
I'm not sure, but it's one of those things my Mom taught me about her home state. Of course, when she left there pizza was still considered ethnic food and that's changed so who knows.
posted by benito.strauss at 6:14 PM on March 22, 2016 [2 favorites]
Yup, Nebraska still does, with the exception of Douglas, Lancaster, annnd I think Sarpy County, which have a regular ol' alpha then numeric 6 digit format.
(For those interested, Wyoming still does, too. And I have every one memorized. Because there are only 23. Natrona-1! Laramie-2! Sheridan-3! Etc etc all the way down to poor Sublette , today still sparse @ ~2 people/sq mile.)
posted by barchan at 6:23 PM on March 22, 2016 [3 favorites]
(For those interested, Wyoming still does, too. And I have every one memorized. Because there are only 23. Natrona-1! Laramie-2! Sheridan-3! Etc etc all the way down to poor Sublette , today still sparse @ ~2 people/sq mile.)
posted by barchan at 6:23 PM on March 22, 2016 [3 favorites]
They do. My people are right around 50.
posted by persona au gratin at 6:42 PM on March 22, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by persona au gratin at 6:42 PM on March 22, 2016 [1 favorite]
May I suggest replacing the current Nebraska state song with the Jesus & Mary Chain, Sowing Seeds?
posted by jonp72 at 7:41 PM on March 22, 2016
posted by jonp72 at 7:41 PM on March 22, 2016
Don't fuck with the Jesus, you say?
Not a guy you want to bring to supper.
posted by Existential Dread at 7:46 PM on March 22, 2016
Not a guy you want to bring to supper.
posted by Existential Dread at 7:46 PM on March 22, 2016
The Virginia flag and State Seal has a woman with her boob out standing victoriously on a passed-out guy, spear in one hand, ummm, SOMETHING ELSE in her other for reasons I am sure I knew at one point but have long since stopped caring about. It's awesome.
posted by Slap*Happy at 8:33 PM on March 22, 2016 [7 favorites]
posted by Slap*Happy at 8:33 PM on March 22, 2016 [7 favorites]
Shirley, I can't be the only one who thinks American (yes, you too Canadia) license plates are out of control and tacky. Bring back monochromatic Soviet style plates with only letters and numbers stamped into them, manufactured by inmates if possible. Why the hell would I let the state tourism board put their URL on my car? And if I want to Save The Children/Orcas/Corn Huskers, couldn't I just write a check and get a bumper sticker and bypass Big License Plate?
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 8:49 PM on March 22, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by Slarty Bartfast at 8:49 PM on March 22, 2016 [2 favorites]
I don't know if it's an actual real reason (I somehow doubt it but have no proof either way), and I'm not going to touch if it's a good reason, but a highway patrolman once told me when I brought up that point that troopers loved states with really recognizable symbols on their license plates because it made them so easy to recognize from a distance .
Of course, a Maine lobster is much different than a URL at the base of the plate.
posted by barchan at 9:19 PM on March 22, 2016
Of course, a Maine lobster is much different than a URL at the base of the plate.
posted by barchan at 9:19 PM on March 22, 2016
Is this where we highlight terrible municipal art? Cause I think you should all meet this pretty lady She's got 80s hair, wonky boobs and a basket full of...idk, fish roe? Ah, she fills me with hometown pride!
posted by Biblio at 10:10 PM on March 22, 2016 [2 favorites]
posted by Biblio at 10:10 PM on March 22, 2016 [2 favorites]
What? I don't see it. I mean, sure, now that it's been suggested to me I can think of this or that, but nothing that seems clear and obvious. What is the one, exact thing he appears to be doing? And if there's no consensus I'm calling naked emperor/ Internet fluff on this.
posted by Rich Smorgasbord at 10:45 PM on March 22, 2016
posted by Rich Smorgasbord at 10:45 PM on March 22, 2016
With his left hand, he is pulling his enormous, monstrously deformed pud.
posted by gingerest at 11:17 PM on March 22, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by gingerest at 11:17 PM on March 22, 2016 [1 favorite]
So no one is outraged that the license plate has removed The Sower's mustache and made him 15-20 years younger than the statue?
posted by chavenet at 4:15 AM on March 23, 2016
posted by chavenet at 4:15 AM on March 23, 2016
In Nebraska, your only sexual outlet is tossing off while working in the fields
posted by Ray Walston, Luck Dragon at 4:56 AM on March 23, 2016
posted by Ray Walston, Luck Dragon at 4:56 AM on March 23, 2016
Metafilter: manufactured by inmates if possible
posted by oheso at 5:16 AM on March 23, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by oheso at 5:16 AM on March 23, 2016 [1 favorite]
Biblio: She's got 80s hair, wonky boobs
I've encountered a wide variety of mammaries in my day, sonny, but there's no way I'm going to let you get away with gaslighting me that those are boobs.
posted by oheso at 5:18 AM on March 23, 2016
I've encountered a wide variety of mammaries in my day, sonny, but there's no way I'm going to let you get away with gaslighting me that those are boobs.
posted by oheso at 5:18 AM on March 23, 2016
When I lived in Lincoln years ago the State Capitol was affectionately known as the Penis on the Plains, with The Sower spreading his seed from the top.
Still is! I was told that before I moved here and now, living a few blocks away from the State Capitol, I make sure the info gets passed on as it needs to be.
posted by PussKillian at 8:55 AM on March 23, 2016
Still is! I was told that before I moved here and now, living a few blocks away from the State Capitol, I make sure the info gets passed on as it needs to be.
posted by PussKillian at 8:55 AM on March 23, 2016
I'm a bit confused here.. I'm not sure what's so clearly indecent about this depiction - you have to extrapolate somewhat before reaching the conclusion that he's duckbilling his right hand in preparation for a vigorous self-insertion. The left hand is acting in perfectly normal fashion to hold the haggis he's pounding one out into, there's nothing controversial about that part.
posted by FatherDagon at 11:13 AM on March 23, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by FatherDagon at 11:13 AM on March 23, 2016 [1 favorite]
She's got 80s hair, wonky boobs
You know I read it in a magaziiiiiine ohh B-B-B-Benny and the Jets
posted by prize bull octorok at 11:28 AM on March 23, 2016 [5 favorites]
You know I read it in a magaziiiiiine ohh B-B-B-Benny and the Jets
posted by prize bull octorok at 11:28 AM on March 23, 2016 [5 favorites]
I was just in Lincoln, Nebraska last week. The sower on top of the capitol is really striking and great. I stopped cold and was like "why is the statue on top of Wisconsin's capitol so cruddy compared to this?"
posted by escabeche at 5:24 PM on March 23, 2016
posted by escabeche at 5:24 PM on March 23, 2016
And if I want to Save The Children/Orcas/Corn Huskers
it's too late to save the corn huskers - they're in the big 10 and they're done for
kind of puzzled by the u of m colors - green and white would be better
posted by pyramid termite at 3:27 AM on March 24, 2016
it's too late to save the corn huskers - they're in the big 10 and they're done for
kind of puzzled by the u of m colors - green and white would be better
posted by pyramid termite at 3:27 AM on March 24, 2016
The Virginia flag and State Seal has a woman with her boob out standing victoriously on a passed-out guy, spear in one hand, ummm, SOMETHING ELSE in her other for reasons I am sure I knew at one point but have long since stopped caring about. It's awesome.
It's a parazonium - supposedly :) I sometimes have mixed feelings about my adopted home state of VA, but I will definitely agree that they have the coolest state flag.
One thing I never did understand about VA though was the 200+ premium license plates they sell. It's not necessarily a bad idea (some of them raise awareness & money for charities I support) but 200 seems a bit much. With different background colors, etc doesn't that make them a little hard to identify?
posted by photo guy at 5:29 AM on March 24, 2016
It's a parazonium - supposedly :) I sometimes have mixed feelings about my adopted home state of VA, but I will definitely agree that they have the coolest state flag.
One thing I never did understand about VA though was the 200+ premium license plates they sell. It's not necessarily a bad idea (some of them raise awareness & money for charities I support) but 200 seems a bit much. With different background colors, etc doesn't that make them a little hard to identify?
posted by photo guy at 5:29 AM on March 24, 2016
One thing I never did understand about VA though was the 200+ premium license plates they sell. It's not necessarily a bad idea (some of them raise awareness & money for charities I support) but 200 seems a bit much. With different background colors, etc doesn't that make them a little hard to identify?
VA Native Here - not really. There's a jillionty different plate designs but only about six get used with any frequency, and the goddamn Teabagger plates make up about 40% of those. Every time I see that velveeta yellorange plate I reflexively think 'ugh who is this asshole' and then about 1/3 of the time from there I get closer and see it's just a visiting New Yorker.
posted by FatherDagon at 6:50 AM on March 24, 2016
VA Native Here - not really. There's a jillionty different plate designs but only about six get used with any frequency, and the goddamn Teabagger plates make up about 40% of those. Every time I see that velveeta yellorange plate I reflexively think 'ugh who is this asshole' and then about 1/3 of the time from there I get closer and see it's just a visiting New Yorker.
posted by FatherDagon at 6:50 AM on March 24, 2016
Every time I see that velveeta yellorange plate I reflexively think 'ugh who is this asshole' and then about 1/3 of the time from there I get closer and see it's just a visiting New Yorker.
To be fair, that's also the appropriate response to tourists from NY.
posted by Slap*Happy at 8:50 AM on March 24, 2016 [2 favorites]
To be fair, that's also the appropriate response to tourists from NY.
posted by Slap*Happy at 8:50 AM on March 24, 2016 [2 favorites]
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