Something for the weekend. Mini-Abe to the rescue, to the song Up Where We Belong, played at the conclusion of An Officer and a Gentleman (1982), a good ending to an otherwise forgettable flick. This is one of a series of Mini-Abe commercials that highlights the delightful eccentric daffiness that often adds charm to an otherwise miserably misgoverned state.
Mr. Lincoln has long been a fixture in Illinois tourism commercials. Here is one from the late eighties:
My favorite Illinois tourism commercial was circa 1980. I haven’t found it on the internet. It began with the statement that in some nations children are taught to worship dead, a shot of Lenin, or living, a shot of Khomeini, dictators. It continued, Take your children to the Lincoln sites in Illinois, a shot of a bust of Lincoln, so they can learn about their heritage.