MnDOT name-a-plow survey entertains masses, Plowy McPlowface leads
Photo courtesy of MnDot
A recent Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) survey to name their new snowplows resulted in a pool of 23,000 proposed names that were narrowed down to the top 50; however, one name specifically has been causing waves: Plowy McPlowface.
First, there was a period where people could submit their idea for the snow plow’s name. The top 50 names are now being voted upon to select the top eight.
The name Plowy McPlowface was by far the most submitted name with 829 entries. Immediately, this comedic name has made vast inspirations, including a fan Twitter account — @PlowyMcPlowface — and even an article in the New York Times.
There are eight MnDOT districts; therefore, eight winners will be selected.
UMD student and co-managing editor of The Bark, Hunter Dunteman, was one of the 829 people that submitted the impressionable name. He described what inspired him to select this name.
Hunter Dunteman working in The Bark office. Photo by Michael King
“A while back, the United Kingdom was commissioning a new research vessel, and they opened up for name submissions from the public,” Dunteman said.
This survey in 2016 actually resulted in Boaty McBoatface winning the majority of the votes for the namesake of said $287 million research vessel.
“Then, the government was like: ‘no, we’re not gonna name it that’, and they named it after a prominent researcher,” Dunteman said, “David Attenborough, I believe.”
Dunteman described this election undermining as “a shame,” but stated that he understands the reasoning behind the United Kingdom’s decision.
“To this day, when I think of Boaty McBoatface, I have a little giggle to myself,” Dunteman said. “I thought to myself: Plowy McPlowface might be a hit. It puts a smile on people’s faces, so I figured, ‘why not be that guy?’”
Dunteman explained that it was this line of thought that inspired his submission; a line of thought that 828 others likely shared. He made clear his awareness that he is not the only one who submitted this name. Dunteman also talked about other worthy submissions.
“There were a lot of good submissions,” Dunteman said. “There were a couple using Indigenous languages that I really liked as well because I think we should really celebrate diversity. I would like to see some of those win, but Plowy McPlowface is the ultimate meme, and seeing it win would make me really happy.”
Other satirical nicknames included Star Wars nods such as Snowbi-Wan-Kenobi and C-3pSnow — while others included wordplay and jokes such as F. Salt Fitzgerald and Abolish ICE.
Abolish ICE was not included in the top 50 despite being the second most submitted name. MnDOT Director of Communications Jake Loesch explained that “It was meant to be a fun and lighthearted contest, not a politically controversial thing.”
Dunteman shared his interest in tracking down the notorious Plowy McPlowface and taking a picture with it if it were to win the contest.
On whether or not MnDOT would repeat the actions of the UK, Dunteman claimed that he felt MnDOT “will respect the will of the voters.”
Twitter account @PlowyMcPlowface personified the hypothetical snowplow in an interview with The Bark.
“I do my work and roll with whatever weather systems come my way,” the anonymous user said.
The user recalled past snow plows as inspiration to do good.
“Just as others before me too had to dare venture out when no one else would or could … I too must plow forward into the eye of uncertainty to do my part in forging a better world,” the user said. “It’s only on the precipice that people find a way to change. Maybe it’s for a safer commute, reuniting families or for a better tomorrow. We must all seize our moment and our power to make a difference.”
The user ended the interview with one last motivational jest.
“I’ll leave you with this: you can’t go over it, you can’t go around it, you must go through it,” they said.
“Boaty McBoatface was proposed back in 2016 and we’re still talking about it five years later in 2021. I think that Plowy McPlowface and Boaty McBoatface and all their derivatives will always live on,” Dunteman said.
Voting ends on Friday, and the results will be announced soon thereafter. You can cast your vote from the top 50 names on MnDOT’s survey.