“Main Street” originally referred to a central business district, but now symbolizes the financial well-being of small businesses and the working class. The term has become a powerful rhetorical slogan in response to economic downturns and is commonly used in political campaigns. The Walt Disney Company continues to highlight “Main Street USA” themes in their entertainment centers.
The term “Main Street” has had multiple meanings over the years. For much of the 19th and 20th centuries, it referred to the name of a public thoroughfare that ran through the central business district of a town, town or city. This was a highly desired location for a business, primarily due to a high rate of customer traffic. The name was particularly popular in the United States, although in Canada and England similar avenues were respectively known as “Front Street” and “High Street”.
Since the 1970s, the term has become a cliché, at least in the United States. Many “main streets” no longer contain most retail outlets, as these businesses have moved to outlying suburbs or are concentrated in shopping malls. Still, “Main Street” continues with a nostalgic reference. In 2009, the allusion is not so much to a commercial district, but to the financial well-being of small companies or people with medium to low income brackets.
In the 2008 US presidential race, there were very few candidates who did not integrate the words “Main Street” into their speeches or campaign platforms. The overriding message that the candidates tried to illustrate was a contrast between “Wall Street” and “Main Street”. This usage was used in response to times of economic downturn, and was intended as a comparison between wealthy securities dealers and the common man on the street. Those seeking election to any public office soon caught wind of the oratory tool, and almost immediately individuals running for government or Congressional seats adopted the phrase as well.
Thus, the meaning of “Main Street” evolved into a de facto reference to any American citizen who falls into the lower or middle class financial categories. It now serves to designate small business owners or the working class, many of whom were formerly known as blue-collar workers. The term has largely replaced earlier phrases like “the heart of the country” or “average Joe” that were in vogue among politicians and policymakers.
“Main Street” connotes a strong link with the past, which turned it into a powerful rhetorical slogan laden with semantic imagery. The Walt Disney Company continues to highlight “Main Street USA” themes at Disneyland in Anaheim, California, Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, and at Disneyland Paris and Hong Kong. The “main street” areas of these entertainment centers exhibit the appearance of a small town in the early 20th century.
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