We can picture it now: Guy Fieri will be appointed mayor in a ceremony presided over by Matthew McConaughey, in front of a large municipal fountain overflowing with nacho cheese.

An online petition to change the name of Columbus, Ohio, has gathered over 25,000 signatures after the organizer suggested they borrow an idea from Guy Fieri and call it “Flavortown” instead.

The petition, started by Tyler Woodbridge, comes amid backlash to the city’s public statues of Christopher Columbus, which Mayor Andrew J. Ginther recently described as a representation of “our ugly past.” Across the country, other statues of Christopher Columbus have been torn down, defaced or removed in response to growing criticism over Columbus’ legacy in the Americas.

Columbus Mayor Andrew J. Ginther had also recently announced that a statue of Columbus outside of Columbus City Hall will be removed in favor of “diversity and inclusion.”

Columbus Mayor Andrew J. Ginther had also recently announced that a statue of Columbus outside of Columbus City Hall will be removed in favor of “diversity and inclusion.” (Google)

“Columbus is an amazing city, but one whose name is tarnished by the very name itself,” argues Woodbridge in his Change.org petition. “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.”

Woodbridge proposed “Flavortown” as a replacement, he says, for two reasons: “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.”

"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," the petition argues.

“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,” the petition argues. (Photo by Alexander Tamargo/Getty Images for Bullseye Event Group)

Woodbridge admitted, however, that he wasn’t aware of the next steps in actually bringing the petition to the town council. For now, he just intends to “get the ball rolling on a more flavorful tomorrow.”

The petition was started amid other calls to remove monuments, logos and brand names with problematic histories and racist connotations following the Memorial Day death of George Floyd in police custody. Columbus Mayor Andrew J. Ginther had also recently announced that a statue of Columbus outside of Columbus City Hall would be removed in favor of “diversity and inclusion.”

19 thoughts on “Welcome To Flavortown: Renaming Columbus Ohio After Guy Fieri’s Fictional Food Utopia”
  1. Now we see what all the years of revisionist history was REALLY all about! It was intended to make generations of American school children not only ignorant of the facts but, so they’d grow up and do stupid things like this based on their ignorance!

  2. What about Nicklas City for Jack Nicklas it by far most famous prior citizen, snd good guy snd hospital supporter.

    1. That’s a great suggestion, but doubtless not politically radical enough for fools who have neither a knowledge of history, nor a respect for real humans.

    2. “Flavortown”?, really?? Guy Fieri was from Columbus Ohio so now, Columbus out,, name replaced by “Flavortown”. Not Fieri’s fault, he’s making light of a sore subject, but here’s the flip side of the coin… Guy and the rest of you at Food Network start shredding all of your Italian recipes to be cooked and shown in your magazine and o. your food network. You are dishonoring ALL ITALIAN AMERICANS!! We understand that Columbus did not discover America and may not have been a good man but, have some respect, we are all trying to stand up for ourselves and our heritage. Take the statue down but DONT’deface it in any way!! My Grandparents were immigrants, they were called Guineas, Greasers, Wops, they didn’t protest, burn down buildings, deface property start riots because their feelings were hurt. They worked hard, worked hard to learn the language here in America to live and bring up their families. They didn’t cry when made fun of…they didn’t ask for welfare or food stamps. So go ahead take the statue down but don’t forget that Italians don’t take defacing a statue, any statue, lightly. Have some respect.

  3. Stupid idea to name city after a restaurant owned by a cook, don’t think he even went to culinary school

  4. Instead of replacing Columbus, Ohio with Flavortown, why don’t we replaced Andrew Ginther with a real Mayor?

    1. I’m all for that! What gives him the authority to do such a thing. Shouldn’t it be put to a vote if they are really serious about removing the statue? Tired of the bending over backwards for the snowflakes. What about the true tax paying citizens! I say remove Ginther and quit telling our police officers to stand down. I blame you Ginther for the destruction in our city.

  5. Are you kidding me???!!!! This generation of young adults are ignorant!!! History is what it is. Taking down a statue or renaming a city is NOT going to change one thing about what happened when it’s all said and done!!!! We were taught in history that Columbia discovered America. Now these idiots are running around here saying he was a bad person. He might have been s slave trader… a whatever but does taking a statue down… changing the name of the city change any of that? NO!!! Leave history as it is!!!! Think of the good he might of done! We know that America would not have been around for as long as it has and before you know it everything will be removed or changed! Stop bowing down for crybabies who lets everything offend them!! GRIWUP!!! Get a hobby or find something to do with your time!! Really study history and let the bad be a lesson and make sure history doesn’t repeat itself!

  6. Why are we denying history. It happened. Why are we neglecting to teach our children truth. It happened. We can’t undo history. We are supposed to learn from it. Bad things happenef. Good came, too. We may not like it want to repeat things, but denying is even worse. Let Columbus, the Confederacy, the Holocaust, remain as reminders. Don’t try to cover things up. Teach so bad things aren’t as likely to be repeated.

  7. If we all spent more time on the real issues ie, homelessness, education, knowledge, drug abuse, crime, to name a few and knock off the petty garbage about naming of statues, destroying public and private property, killing each other and all the touchy feely crap, that just exposes how ignorant a nation we have become, we would all prosper and grow.

    Work ethic, discipline, love of our country, love of family, our heritage has keep our country strong against many trials and tribulations for over 200 years.

    Having such a great country to live in allows us to have the resources and ways to help and serve others if we desire to and should.

    The laws that prevent our youth from having the experience to work and develop good work habits and ethics early in life have been taken away. School don’t teach respect or discipline, parents do. Many generations have been taught that we should hall have everything given to us. They didn’t learn that things worth while must be worked for and they are privileges not rights. Having a right does not mean free. Nothing of value is ever free, just ask those that have lost loved ones serving our great nation.

    Why is it in other countries of the world the citizens say I am Spanish, I am German, I am English, I am African, I am Japanese.

    But in the USA our government has programmed us to say, I am a Hispanic, I am white, I am Black.

    Why can’t we just say “I am an American”?

    God Bless America and all those within it.

  8. If you were not living when these old heroes were how can you know your feelings would be the same?
    YOU CANNOT FORETELL THE FUTURE ,AND SURE AS HELL,CANNOT CHANGE THE PAST.
    THERE IS MUCH WRONG IN THE PAST,BUT JUST DEAL WITH IT,IT WILL NOT MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

  9. What a bunch of BS…makes me ashamed of my country…pity the youngsters growing up in this horrible country that was once the greatest.

  10. Guy runs a so so little restaurant inside a casino in East Central PA. Food is okay. Nothing to brag about and certainly not worth taking a special trip there for food.

  11. Stop this Crap! No names should be changed . Why is everyone playing into this.
    People that are playing into this are weak and can’t think for themselves. They are followers . This is what the BLM communist want. They are caving to the minority and not the majority.
    These people are so full of hate.

  12. Replace the same statue and have the ones who destroyed it pay for the replacement. There is no excuse for the destruction and disrespect for history.

  13. I’m all for changing the name to “MORONVILLE” in honor of the 25,000 morons who thought renaming the city of Columbus was a good idea!

Comments are closed.