![]() The “ Portland Penny” is on display at the Oregon Historical Society. 8, 1851, the city was officially incorporated under the name it had become known by. Just as gentrification by wealthy incomers is driving city politics, it’s also fraying the relationship between those producing a particular image of the city, and those bearing the brunt of the changes that Portlandia is a part of.Six years later, on Feb. We want to create a community conversation about that.” They haven’t portrayed Portland in a way that’s inclusive of all the other kinds of people who live here. Portlandia has shown a white version of Portland. As Shanti put it: “This area of Portland used to be primarily African American, and people are being priced out. The whiteness of Portlandia seems egregious in these circumstances. ![]() In Other Words has to pay rent in the same difficult market. Racial diversity in MLK-Alberta declined almost 20% between 20, as wealthier white residents moved in, and black residents were pushed east into cheaper areas.Īccording to the latest figures from Portland Housing Bureau, the average black family can’t afford to rent any kind of housing in the neighbourhood anymore, and nor can single mothers. A 5.3% increase in the city as a whole saw the median rent on a one-bedroom apartment crack $1,400 last month. Last year, its MLK-Alberta neighbourhood saw an average 7.4% increase in rent on two-bedroom apartments. Since In Other Words moved to north-east Portland in 2006, gentrification in its historically black neighbourhood has accelerated. In Other Words has to pay rent in a neighbourhood affected by gentrification. To many, the show looks like the marketing arm of the gentrification driving those changes. “Portlandia is fueling mass displacement in Portland,” it claimed, because realtors were using the show’s “popularity and insipid humor” to market the city as “something twee and whimsical for the incoming technocrat hordes”.īut the controversy also speaks to the way in which Portlandia has become identified with changes in the city itself that many long-term residents – especially activists and those with fewer financial resources – are not comfortable with. The post also hit on the hottest of hot-button issues in the City of Roses – gentrification. The show was also accused of erasing people of color – “Portland is white but it’s not that damn white” – and there was another claim that production staff had requested that a Black Lives Matter poster be removed from the front of the store for filming. A sign at the front counter pointedly states: “Trans-excluding feminism is bad feminism.” The objection to Armisen’s drag act – described in the post as “a deeply shitty joke whose sole punchline throws trans femmes under the bus” – reflects that new sensitivity to trans issues. In Other Words: ‘The additional exposure we have received from our time on Portlandia does not provide financial or political support of any kind.’ Photograph: Jason Wilson As Shanti explained: “We’re trying to make it more accessible to trans folks and people of colour, because it hasn’t always been.” ![]() This stance reflects changes at the space, and perhaps changes in debates within the feminist movement. (Attempts to seek comment on these accusations from IFC and Carrie Brownstein’s publicist were made, but there was no response before deadline.)Īccording to the post, the Candace and Toni sketches are also “trans-antagonistic and trans-misogynist”. A show which has had a net negative effect on our neighborhood and the city of Portland as a whole.” In the post, Portlandia was described as “a show which is in every way diametrically opposed to our politics and the vision of society we’re organizing to realize. The post also said that the flat fee the show paid was not enough to cover lost sales.īut its objections went much further than these practical concerns. “They disrespected the space and disrespected our neighbours,” Shanti said, without offering further details. The post highlighted a particular incident during filming several months ago, when, it is claimed, the shop was left in a mess and neighbours disturbed.
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