Plastic pink flamingo named Madison's bird
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — One of the greatest college pranks ever has inspired Madison leaders to name the plastic pink flamingo the city's official bird.
The Madison City Council voted 15-4 on Tuesday to give the plastic bird the distinction.
The reason dates to the classic 1979 prank orchestrated by leaders of the Pail and Shovel Party, which were in charge of student government at the University of Wisconsin at the time. They organized the surprise placement of more than 1,000 pink plastic flamingos on Bascom Hill, the steep incline that leads to the dean's office.
Resolution sponsor Alderwoman Marsha Rummel says that event "signifies something that makes us a very special place" is "captured in our imaginations forever."
Sep 2, 2009 at 10:24 p.m.
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Too FUNNY. I was hoping that they would vote PINK plastic flamingos the city bird of Madison.... Laughing again. Glad some people can still have fun and not be a prude. Life is short, laugh and have fun while you can....
Sep 2, 2009 at 7:22 p.m.
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I guess the city council has nothing better to do than waste time on stupid stuff like this?
Sep 2, 2009 at 3:20 p.m.
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The hate for Madison is despite the voting demographics of Janesville and Rock County, the people that post comments here are more right-wing politically than not. And Madison represents what the right-wing hates.
Sep 2, 2009 at 2:08 p.m.
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yes, it's a silly thing, and i thought it sounded more like a headline from "the onion", but what's with all the hate for madison? sheesh!
Sep 2, 2009 at 1:59 p.m.
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Is everyone sure that they were not voting on the 1972 John Water's movie?
Sep 2, 2009 at 1:37 p.m.
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Unimpressive and infantile. I expect that from college kids (actually funny), not city council members. Maybe a jackass should be the city council mascot.
Sep 2, 2009 at 1:29 p.m.
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I nominate the Pink Elephant as the official Aminal for the state of Wisconsin. With all of the bars and breweries, I think this would be a great idea. We could sell memorabilia on the web and the proceeds could pay our Governors salary. what do you think?
Sep 2, 2009 at 12:04 p.m.
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Madison's official city animal should be the unicorn because they are truely in another world up there.
Sep 2, 2009 at 11:53 a.m.
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I guess technically it IS news. However...
Sep 2, 2009 at 11:45 a.m.
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Why is everyone so negative about this?
Sep 2, 2009 at 11:31 a.m.
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Only in MADISON!
Sep 2, 2009 at 11:12 a.m.
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Do your cute, funny little things on your own time.
Sep 2, 2009 at 11:01 a.m.
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That was second only to the Statute of Liberty in Lake Mendota. What a fantastic, ridiculous idea.
http://www.michaelkienitz.com/gallery/ma...
Sep 2, 2009 at 10:43 a.m.
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Yeah, those nutty stupid Madison people, with their fancy colleges and degrees and low unemployment. What idiots!
Sep 2, 2009 at 10:33 a.m.
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THAT'S WHY THEY CALL IT "MAD" TOWN
Sep 2, 2009 at 10:13 a.m.
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there must be something in the water in Madison
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