Austin, TX, Is Oficially Weird
What's so weird about Austin, the capital of Texas? How do you make a place so weird, and how do you keep it that way? Is weirdness their way of life?
This is where you find out everything that's so strange about Austin.
Weird Movies Made in Austin
Sin City
Beautiful, dark, sinister. Directed by Frank Miller, Robert Rodriguez and special guest director Quentin Tarantino.
Based on graphic novel series. Cast includes Jessica Alba, Elijah Wood and Bruce Willis.
Amazon Price: $14.99 (as of 12/03/2008) 
Death Proof: A Screenplay
(The DVD of this movie is not yet available, but I'll let you know when it is.)
Tarantino is the best movie creator/director ever, and this movie is the most entertaining of all his works. It literally makes you scream with delight.
Amazon Price: $11.86 (as of 12/03/2008)
A Scanner Darkly
Filmed digitally, then animated using Rotoshop. Gives you the weirdest sensation that you just viewed an entirely normal movie but somehow missed all vital nuances of emotion and meaning. This feeling matches the description of the effect of Substance D, a fictional drug widely used in the movie's plot.
Amazon Price: $5.99 (as of 12/03/2008)
Dazed & Confused - Criterion Collection
A high-school movie that's recently achieved a cult film status.
Amazon Price: $24.99 (as of 12/03/2008)
Keep Austin Weird
It's catchy, cool and intriguing. It's not official, but it's so good, various other people, cities and communities have adopted it for themselves (as in, "Keep Portland Weird").
The official Austin slogan is actually something about live music, but who cares, right?
Keep Austin Weird - on Amazon
Keep Austin Weird: A Guide to the Odd Side of Town
Amazon Price: $16.47 (as of 12/03/2008)
The Meaning of Weirdness
On the other hands, proliferation of major corporations in Austin makes it "normal", just another clone of a big city.
So keeping Austin weird means keeping the big corporations out (is it even possible?) and small businesses up and running.
Some Links on Keeping It Weird
- Wikipedia
- An article about the slogan - "Keep Austin Weird".
- Keep Austin Weird?
- An article on Austin's weirdness. Includes some weird austinites saying Austin is not weird at all.
- Keep Austin Weird
- The website of "Keep Austin Weird".
Looks pleasantly artsy and weird, also not selling T-shirts. Might be worth your visit. - Outhouse Designs
- People who trademarked the famous slogan and made its original creator angry. They put it on T-shirts and sell to tourists. Nothing weird at all. You can buy some T-shirts and other stuff there.
- Make Austin Normal
- This site pokes fun at "Keep Austin Weird". They say that trademarking an anti-corporation slogan is not good anti-corporation behavior.
For some reason they also seem to be in favor of Wal-Mart. So probably they are not anti-corporation. Hard to tell with these weird people.
You can buy some T-shirts here too. - Keep Portland Weird
- At least this is clearly anti-corporation. Also not too weird.
Austin Slogans on Things, on Cafepress
Keeping Austin Weird Messenger Bag
Price: 22.99
Weird Austin Infant Creeper
Price: 13.95
Keep Austin Austin! Tote Bag
Price: 14.99
KEEP AUSTIN AUSTIN! Journal
Price: 11.99
So What Do You Think?
Is this page interesting? Is Austin worth visiting or moving to? All comments welcome!
Eclectic_Muse wrote...
We live just a hop-skip-n-jump from Austin. My teen has ambitions to attend UT. I've always love visiting, but I hate the traffic...Great lens!
Posted September 17, 2008
SusanVillasLewis wrote...
Hey! Just featured you over on my blog for Texas Tuesdays. Glad you could be part of the Texas group!
Posted July 15, 2008
K_Linda wrote...
When my daughter was a kid, she used to say, "Mommy, you're weird!" She meant I was a cool mom. I've never been to Austin, but I've always wanted to visit...because I've heard it's...well...weird. Fun lens!
Posted June 23, 2008
Kristopher_S wrote...
Then again I live in N. Austin and it's way different than S. Austin
Posted March 19, 2008
Kristopher_S wrote...
I think Austin is worth visiting. Maybe not for everyone as far as living there goes(it's hard to deal with people sitting at green lights until they turn red again). But overall great city, and a great lens about Austin.
Posted March 19, 2008
See for Yourself
