Tens of thousands of people want their city renamed after a Guy Fieri catchphrase.
Columbus, Ohio, is finally confronting the painful legacy of the man who inspired their city’s namesake, Christopher Columbus.
Last week Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther promised to tear down a statue of the controversial figure from outside City Hall. The move comes amid a national conversation about racism and police brutality which has also shone a light back on the horrific treatment of Indigenous people and Columbus’ role in our history.
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“For many people in our community, the statue represents patriarchy, oppression and divisiveness. That does not represent our great city, and we will no longer live in the shadow of our ugly past,” the mayor told local media.
However, some are saying simply removing a monument to a man whose litany of atrocities can still be felt today is not enough — they want the state capital renamed.
One cheeky solution devised by former resident, Tyler Woodbridge, is to rename the city after native son Guy Fieri and his signature catchphrase, “Flavortown”. Woodbridge created a petition on change.org, which as of writing this has received 27,000 signatures.
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“Beloved Buckeyes one and all,” began the petition.
“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,” it continued.
“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,” the petition concluded.
Fieri recently raised over $20 million for restaurant workers and has been the officiant for over 100 LGBTQ weddings. TooFab has contacted the celebrity chef for comment.