Guy Fieri's "Flavortown" has a chance at becoming a real place — now that fans have launched an online petition to rename Ohio's state capital, Columbus, after the celebrity chef's lovable catchphrase.
Earlier this week, a fan named Tyler Woodbridge set up a Change.org petition aimed at Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther and city council, in order to gather signatures in support of the name change.
Woodbridge argues that the city's name, born out of tribute to Christopher Columbus's "raping, slave trading, and genocide" is a racist and unfit narrative for the state's proudly diverse capital.
So far, the petition has gained upwards of 80,000 signatures of its current 150,000-signature goal.
The petition reads:
Columbus is an amazing city, but one whose name is tarnished by the very name itself. Its namesake, Christopher Columbus, is in The Bad Place because of all his raping, slave trading, and genocide. That's not exactly a proud legacy.
Why not rename the city Flavortown? The new name is twofold. For one, it honors Central Ohio's proud heritage as a culinary crossroads and one of the nation's largest test markets for the food industry. Secondly, cheflebrity Guy Fieri was born in Columbus, so naming the city in honor of him (he's such a good dude, really) would be superior to its current nomenclature.
I'm not up to date on my Columbus town charter, so whether it takes a council vote or a petition or a town referendum — let's get the ball rolling for a more flavorful tomorrow.
In a recent update, Woodbridge announced that he would personally be walking the signed petition to city hall to deliver it to officials on June 30 at noon. A demonstration against racism will follow.
Earlier this year, Fieri launched a charity initiative to help restaurant staff stay afloat during the coronavirus pandemic and ended up raising $20,000 USD. Later, the chef teamed up with Bill Murray for a nacho bake-off with funds raised for the same charity.
Earlier this week, a fan named Tyler Woodbridge set up a Change.org petition aimed at Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther and city council, in order to gather signatures in support of the name change.
Woodbridge argues that the city's name, born out of tribute to Christopher Columbus's "raping, slave trading, and genocide" is a racist and unfit narrative for the state's proudly diverse capital.
So far, the petition has gained upwards of 80,000 signatures of its current 150,000-signature goal.
The petition reads:
Columbus is an amazing city, but one whose name is tarnished by the very name itself. Its namesake, Christopher Columbus, is in The Bad Place because of all his raping, slave trading, and genocide. That's not exactly a proud legacy.
Why not rename the city Flavortown? The new name is twofold. For one, it honors Central Ohio's proud heritage as a culinary crossroads and one of the nation's largest test markets for the food industry. Secondly, cheflebrity Guy Fieri was born in Columbus, so naming the city in honor of him (he's such a good dude, really) would be superior to its current nomenclature.
I'm not up to date on my Columbus town charter, so whether it takes a council vote or a petition or a town referendum — let's get the ball rolling for a more flavorful tomorrow.
In a recent update, Woodbridge announced that he would personally be walking the signed petition to city hall to deliver it to officials on June 30 at noon. A demonstration against racism will follow.
Earlier this year, Fieri launched a charity initiative to help restaurant staff stay afloat during the coronavirus pandemic and ended up raising $20,000 USD. Later, the chef teamed up with Bill Murray for a nacho bake-off with funds raised for the same charity.
