In the Washington Post style section, where the real news is, there is a story about Mississippi’s new ad campaign to try and change the state’s image. It’s writer, a Mississippian named Neely Tucker (not the funniest name ever given to a Mississippian, but we have some anagrams after jump) takes some pot shots at his home state, which, as we have already demonstrated, isn’t really that hard to do.

if you’re a Mississippian and you’re in the departure lounge at LaGuardia, and you’re trying to tell a stranger what’s near where you’re from, you have to go outside the state to give them a clue. Sometimes it seems the rest of the country doesn’t know anything about the poorest state in America except that they never want to go there. Just ask the honorable gentleman from New York, Rep. Charles B. Rangel (D), who wondered aloud to the New York Times a few weeks ago: “Who the hell wants to live in Mississippi?”

Too true Charlie, too true. Yet, not everyone has a choice and some people are born there. And then, after centuries of being the butt of the nation’s jokes (particularly in the states north, south, east and west of the Big Muddy) Mississippi is fighting back. The ads are actually, well, kind of funny. But you can laugh at those jokes on someone else’s time.

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