Pretty realistic except when he stops for the red light. Here's my least favorite bike move. I'll be driving on Belmont and there will be a bike in front of me. I'll slow down 'til it's safe to go around and then I'll gently pull ahead of the bicyclist and drive past him.
Then I get to a red light and while I'm sitting there, the bicyclist blows through the red light and I have to repeat the sequence again. Slow down behind him in the next block 'til it's safe to pass. Ease by and pull away. Get to a red light. Watch him blow through it again. On and on.
It's too bad. Portlandia had a real chance. But now that they've blatantly offended the bicyclist movement, look for any future production to be canceled.

I think the whistle is more of a NY thing. I've never seen it in Portland.

They also forgot the self-righteous green boxes.

My (least) favorite bike story. I'm in the right lane, wanting to turn right, but for one of those painted green exclusion zones.

Biker pulls up in front of me, stops, then takes out her cell phone and starts texting. Light turns green and she's still texting. Finally after about 20 seconds, I realize I'm probably going to miss the light and tap my horn at her to get her to join the rest of the world. She looks back at me incredulously, gives me the 'look', and goes back to texting. When the light turns yellow she pedals across the intersection.

I now ignore the boxes...

Are there any thoughts on developing a website where people can upload videos of obnoxious and/or negligent bikers? Most of us have video capability on our phones, and I know there have been several times I've wanted to capture their lunacy for public display. And since the phone would be used as a camera, there's no law being broken, right? Like that matters for bikers. (Yeah, I know, not all of them...)

Absolute flashbacks to my downstairs neighbors when I lived on SW 16th. Particularly the "I hope he isn't working at the co-op" crack.

The unintentional joke of the show's producers and writers is not that the show's about Portland; it's that the show's about current white "middle-class" pop culture. A show about the actualy city of "Portland" isn't the point, and wouldn't be particularly funny. The point is the point of current SNL skits: low humor about pop culture, served in ADD slices.

What's been most surprising to me is how vehemently pop culture lovers defend a mediocre television show about ephemeral culture topics. It's as if there's a desperate wish that Portland be something much bigger, funnier, and "cooler" than it actually is.

Are there any thoughts on developing a website where people can upload videos of obnoxious and/or negligent bikers?

1. Upload it to YouTube
2. Title it with something memorable "Dangerous Portland cyclist" or something;
3. Promote it on local blogs
4. Start a Twitter feed called "AntiPDXbikers" or something, and use a #PDXcyclist hashtag on your posts.
5. ???
6. Profit!

(In all seriousness, if you have a good video, upload it to YouTube and mention it on tons of local blogs.)

What's been most surprising to me is how vehemently pop culture lovers defend a mediocre television show about ephemeral culture topics.

Nothing ephemeral about it. As the theme song states: The dream of the 90s is alive.

As the theme song states: The dream of the 90s is alive.

Let's let a "dream of the 90s" explain Portlandia, shall we?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTaKVtOBkFo

Let's let a "dream of the 90s" explain Portlandia, shall we?

Fads eventually disappear. Yet what most of the country regarded as a fad is what many Portlanders regard as a lifestyle. That is why the show is so funny. Art imitating life.

Fads eventually disappear. Yet what most of the country regarded as a fad is what many Portlanders regard as a lifestyle.

Which describes every single television show ever made, for every community that ever watched television. And, the word "lifestyle" is inherently about fads.

I agree. The show is hilarious.

The level of involvement from the Mayors office bugs me though. I can't help but think that this is on some level an attempt by Adams to have enough satire directed his way and at Portlanders in general that somehow he will tout Portlandia as some sort of success because Portland's weirdness has become part of the national "pop culture" conciousness.

Kyle MacLachlan was pretty Adamsesque, with Adams starring as his assistant? Icky.

The level of involvement from the Mayors office bugs me though.

I'd argue that the Mayor is spending his time well because the show is a positive economic contributor to the city, and does depend on "buy in" from the institutional apparatus if it's going to really hit the mark.

"I'd argue that the Mayor is spending his time well because the show is a positive economic contributor to the city, and does depend on "buy in" from the institutional apparatus if it's going to really hit the mark. "

I think the show would go on even without "creepy cameos".

It's got some really great bits. The Dream of the 90's was brilliant, but the concerned chicken diners was overdone. The trailer was the highlight: Absolutely! His name was Colin. and here are his papers. I could have done without the trip to the chicken farm, the farmer on his deathbed, and all that.

Much as I enjoy the concept at times, I think that they're trying to take sketches and extend them into a full show, and I don't expect it to work.

As for "buy in": I'd argue that the mayor is spending his time well because it keeps him away from teenaged boys, and it distracts him to some degree from performing what he views as "the business of the City of Portland". Anything that keeps him out of the mix is a good thing.

What Max said.

Maybe Portlandia will be our salvation. Sam may decide to become a TV star and not run for a second term!

Sam a TV star? Not after that performance.