First there was the
the Green Day song which while not about our town specifically was representative of suckholes by the name of Longview everywhere. Then there was
Hands on a Hardbody which basically put us on the map but only for other people in Texas. And now this
big fat fatty. Born at the same hospital where little Reagan entered the world, albeit about 10 lbs lighter. What chance do you have in life when you come into the world obese? (that sentence is a bummer, sorry kid)
Okay Longview's not that bad, unless you never leave. It has a retrospective charm, I suppose. I remember one time on the front page of the
The Longview News-Journal was an article about a local girl going to Dallas to audition for American Idol. Not because she was on the show or even made it past the first round, but because she was driving 2.5 hours away to just try out. At one point a girl from my school who once got hit by a car in high school (I took her flowers because I am very nice) was featured briefly on the show. I can't imagine what they did for her, but I'm imagining maybe a parade? Anyway, to get a good feel for what kind of place it is just check out this photo from the aptly named "This Week In Photos" section:
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsjfc7wHpAgt53OnTG1w0JdIc4BSco3gyxT4YtJaqbA0oey5LKoW04QZDjchUpyceGXB-8oi9ZsHzAeQaUnIKEjKL8Sf2FtVyBZpxFrMH2bLP-RTGsNanuQiIvOWH7j6GTC8q0BejHoPiy/s320/flag.jpg)
While this guy is obviously awesome, Longview has put out a few other celebrities.
Matthew McConaughey: Graduate of Longview High School and now famous shirtless wonder. There was a premiere for
A Time To Kill at the local Movies 9, an establishment yours truly spent many of her formative years selling tickets to local patrons via the box office. And I was so freaking excited about it, when I got to stand at the door as MM entered I'm actually surprised my bow tie (a work requirement, not a fashion statement) didn't do
this. I was so naive and unfamiliar with "Hollywood" that I didn't even realize at the time what a dick move it was for him to request that we go out to buy him a certain type of water because he didn't like the bottled water we sold at the theater. And I thought it was an honor I got to do this! And I wasn't even able to give it to him myself, but rather had to hand of to his bodyguard! Are you getting what I'm saying- the guy had done his first well known movie (
Dazed and Confused didn't make him famous, it did for a moment make him awesome) and he's already acting like some big shit a-hole. Puh-lease. (side note: I still do have the copy of Vanity Fair he signed for me...somewhere)
Let's move on...
Forrest Whitaker: He gave a shout out to East Texas when he won his Oscar and while he didn't specifically mention Longview, that is what he meant. I believe he's still listed in the phone book. Or so I've heard.
Robin Wright fka Robin Wright Penn: I think her parents live there or something?
And I think that about sums it up. I don't really know how I got from big baby to this, but sometimes life takes you on strange journeys while typing on your blog in bed.