Portland Residents Meekly Annoyed over Dead-Aim Accuracy of 'Portlandia'

January 24, 2011 | 10:48 a.m.
"The chicken is organic, right?"
"The chicken is organic, right?"

How much Portland is in "Portlandia?"

The new show, which premiered Friday on IFC, depicts a eco-friendly wonderland where the denizens of this magical Portlandia enjoy a rigorous pursuit of the liberal ideal. There are militant feminist bookstores, restaurants with overly extensive information about your dish's living experience on a sustainable farm, and the openness to not scoff at adult hide and go seek games held solely as an excuse for the microbrew-sponsored after party.

How accurate is the show? The New York Times treks all the way to the Pacific Northwest to investigate whether or not the people of Portland like the show as much as the more objective New York crowd who watched it with The Observer at the premiere party.

Local opinions are mixed, but The Times managed to find a cast of characters who may very well be future targets for "Portlandia" creators Fref Armisen and Carrie Brownstein. Let's take a look at the representative sample!

  • A restaurateur that has on hand the skull of the pig that provided the pork head mortadella (The name of the deceased was Sir Francis Bacon).
  • The owner of a nonprofit feminist bookstore.
  • A boad member of said nonprofit feminist bookstore.
  • A photographer for the blog Eater PDX.

Like it or not, Portland may have to get used to the mocking on "Portlandia," as they're providing the writers with no shortage of episode fodder.

Click for Scandal Report: Champagne Mania Makes for A Boozy Golden Globes

nfreeman [at] observer.com | @nfreeman1234