Columnist says Iowa Butter Cow Bastes Illinois

Kathryn Rem, food editor at the State Journal-Register in Springfield, Illinois, says the butter cow display at the Illinois State Fair is too bland and lacks Iowa's sweet creamery sizzle.

Illinois' display this year includes a butter Abe Lincoln, in honor of his 200th birthday, but Rem isn't impressed. She prefers Iowa's buttery nods to pop culture, which over the years have included butter Elvis, Shawn Johnson, Tiger Woods and John Wayne.

We even did The Last Supper. Top that, Land of Lincoln.

This year, Iowa's traditional cow is joined by a commemoration of the moon landing in 1969, complete with a butter astronaut and a working butter TV.

From Rem's column:

Iowa does have the advantage of having a larger cooled area in which to display its butter characters. And I have to admit that Illinois' revolving glass display case is a step above the static little spot of late that was only big enough to show the front half of the cow.

Of course, one of her readers suggested a butter Blago. How many sticks would it take to recreate his famous hair?

But why doesn't the Illinois State Fair enhance its butter cow - like Iowa does - with touches of pop culture, the arts, sports, science or entertainment? Let's lift the old girl out of mediocrity and make her a truly compelling reason to visit the fair, not a convenient sideshow in a cool building.