Will it play in Peoria? is an American English figure of speech that is traditionally used to ask whether a given product, person, promotional theme, or event will appeal to mainstream audiences or across a broad range of demographic and psychographic groups in the United States.

The phrase is believed to have originated from the popularity of Peoria, Illinois, as a stop on the vaudeville circuit, where acts would gauge new material by how well it was received by Peoria audiences, using Peoria as a test market.

Peoria as a metaphor

thumb|Peoria's [[Madison Theatre, which hosted both vaudeville and film in the early 20th century]]

Peoria, Illinois has developed an unusual reputation over the decades, such that a kind of folklore has grown around the name. The famous catchphrase about "playing in Peoria" has origins in vaudeville or burlesque. Don Marine, professor at Illinois Central College (East Peoria), commented:

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If one were to choose the city in the United States most victimized in jokes and anecdotes by theatrical personalities, the selection of Peoria, Illinois, would be a popular, if not likely choice. Two of the more popular quips are: "Say, I hear you got married. How did that ever happen?" "I was playing a split-bill in Peoria—and it rained!" and "Have you ever played Peoria?" "Peoria? Oh, yes—I spent four years there one night!" The widespread appeal of this verbal maligning by comics, actors and other performers suggests Peoria as a paramount example of the dull, banal, and provincial theatrical road stop. But the popularity of the "put down" suggests as well that the city possesses a theatrical heritage of considerable longevity.

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Marine judged Peoria the way Peorians in the late 20th century usually seemed to judge themselves—that is, dull, banal, and provincial. Historically, however, whiskey, gambling, and prostitution gave the city a reputation as being "wide open". Only since the 1950s was the lid put on Peoria; but the reputation, and thus the gibes, has existed since vaudeville. Peoria, Illinois, cashed in on the free publicity with a successful advertising campaign to lure new business to the city.

Peoria as test market

In the United States, Peoria has long been seen as a prototypical American city because of its representative demographics and its Midwestern culture, which is commonly perceived as mainstream. As a result, it has traditionally been one of the country's leading test markets. In the 1980s and 1990s, comedians like Sam Kinison and musicians such as Bob Dylan, Robert Plant, Metallica and Phil Collins all perfected and launched concert tours in Peoria. During presidential campaigns, major TV networks would visit Peoria to gauge the response of everyday Americans on national issues and political candidates.

However, demographic changes have made the city less representative of America as a whole, and therefore less attractive as a test market.

See also

  • Bellwether
  • General American
  • Haßloch&nbsp;– Germany's test market city
  • List of places named Peoria
  • Peoria (disambiguation)
  • Peoria in popular culture
  • Price of milk question

References

<!-- *Listen to the song "Will it Play in Peoria" at http://www.peoriapentals.com/infodesk/peoria.htm -->

<!-- *Illinois Meeting Planner: Peoria plays swell -->

  • R. Allen Lott, From Paris to Peoria

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