Wednesday, April 07, 2010

Norwegian Bachelor Farmers

“It’s been a quiet week in Lake Wobegon, Minnesota, my hometown, out on the edge of the prairie."

This is the standard opening words of a weekly feature called News From Lake Wobegon  on the radio show A Prairie Home Companion.  The popular segment features stories and news from the fictitious “little town that time forgot and the decades cannot improve ... where all the women are strong, all the men are good-looking, and all the children are above average."

The show often parodies the Scandinavian-American communities living on the prairie, with Norwegian bachelor farmers, lutefisk and the Lutheran Church being important ingredients. About 3.4 million Americans tune in each week to get the latest news from Lake Wobegon.

The show is proudly sponsored by the fictitious company Powdermilk Biscuits: "Made from whole wheat raised in the rich bottomlands of the Lake Wobegon river valley by Norwegian bachelor farmers; so you know they're not only good for you, but also pure ... mostly", which "give shy persons the strength to get up and do what needs to be done. Heavens they're tasty and expeditious.”

Free podcasts can be downloaded from the  A Prairie Home Companion website. Or click here to listen to an online Christmas episode.

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