Actually, I suppose official state dances -- like state songs, mottos, fruits and pies -- are relatively harmless. They often give, as in the case of clogging, elementary schoolchildren a chance to learn the all-important skill of lobbying the legislature.
They may be a waste of time and government printing, but they give homestate citizens and growers the chance to market what they're most proud of. Still, I can't help but wonder whether this speaks to a desire among legislators to add their voice to the increasingly loud cultural mix of naming rights and official corporate sponsorships.
In Kentucky this year, they not only favored clogging but picked an official state honey festival and, rather cleverly, designated the Aviation Museum of Kentucky as the official Aviation Museum of the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
Sticking that "of the Commonwealth" in there really brightens the name of the place, don't you think?
