Chicago is Not the Midwest
Summary
A straphanger delivers a fiery case that Chicago shouldn't be considered part of the Midwest at all. His proposal? Carve out a whole new region for Great Lake Cities: Milwaukee, Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, Buffalo, and yes, Toronto too. Kareem pushes back on claiming Canada, but the rider's undeterred. Things get weirder when they riff on Minneapolis ("what else do they got, brother?"), agree that Illinois outside Chicago can fend for itself, and land on renaming Ohio "the Mid-East, respectfully, comma USA." The conversation spirals into cheerful chaos about America needing more regions, not fewer. Put more immigrants in Ohio, apparently.
Full Transcript
So what's your take? Chicago is not and should not be considered part of the Midwest. Ooh, 100% disagree. Keep that in the Midwest. Is Florida part of East Coast? Yes. Isn't that a little crazy? No, it's literally on the east. No, no, no. We have the Pacific Northwest, we have the Gulf, we have New England, and then you have the Midwest. To lump Tallahassee and Chicago together? No, no, no, this is ridiculous. Here's what we have in this beautiful city: we have the Great Lakes. He's got a point. Great Lake Cities are Milwaukee, Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, Buffalo. We'll take Toronto.
And I want to throw a bone. You can't take another country's city. We will. We—it's it's happening. And I want to throw a bone to Minneapolis as well. They're not really on the lake, but God, what else do they got, brother?
Brother, watch what you say. Minneapolis has seeded also the mid-the Midwest, the mid-East, and they've rebranded as the North. I love that. But they're—they're their own thing. They're in the North. You can't take it. The door's always open.
And I don't—here's the thing: you can have Illinois. I don't want it. Chicago is great. The rest of Illinois can just do whatever because Chicago's on them. Precisely. It's right there. I think I can agree with this. This is—this is good. I do believe that there are not enough regions.
Exactly. Make more regions. We need more. We need—we need to divide. We need to separate. I just think that uh, I think we should put a Middle East in the Americas. Ohio. Ohio is the Middle East Ohio of America.
I will now be referring to Ohio as the Mid-East, respectfully, comma USA. Yes. Put more immigrants in there.