Skip to Content
Culture

Plowy McPlowFace’s Name Is Much Too Small

If you're gonna do it, do it right.

1:32 PM CDT on August 23, 2021

Look, Plowy McPlowFace is a bad name.

When the Minnesota Department of Transportation held a snowplow-naming contest last December, the agency was inundated with 22,000-plus suggestions. Over 122,000 votes were cast for the final 50, and Plowy McPlowFace—an old, stolen concept that channels the epic bacon, I-can-has-cheezburger vibes of memes past—emerged victorious with 65,292.

We could have had the spectacular runner-up Ope, Just Gonna Plow Right Past Ya (29,457). Or the allusion to hardcore sex:

However, the people rallied behind Plowy McPlowFace and, on Monday, MnDOT revealed their prize, which you can see above if you squint really, really hard. What the hell?! I don't believe in Plowy McPlowFace, but I'd die for its right to be actualized in the large, splashy, and possibly sassy font it demands.

The whole gimmick only works if you see Plowy plowin' down Lyndale Avenue, delighting apple-cheeked, non-cynical tots who remark, "Here comes Plowy!" Good luck replicating that exact scene with typeface so small, so reserved. Plowy required a bright custom paint job, at least double the flashing lights, and speakers that blared a signature jingle. ("Here Comes Plowy" would have worked just fine.) Mostly though, Plowy deserved legible branding reflective of the communal joy—which was so essential amid the grueling pandemic—that went into his creation.

How cheesed off does this whole ordeal make you? Sound off in the comments! (Offer good to Accomplice- and Racketeer-level subscribers only.)

You can visit Plowy McPlowFace at the Minnesota State Fair near the Education Building on Cosgrove Street. Bad ideas seem to be a theme of this year's pandemic-era fair, so he should fit right in.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More Stories

There Are More Great Shows Than We Had Time to Write About in Your Complete Concert Calendar: Sep. 22-28

Pretty much all the music you can catch in the Twin Cities this week.

September 22, 2026

Trump Taps Minneapolis Architecture Firm for Stupid Kennedy Center Renovation Scheme

Plus John Oliver on UnitedHealth Group, starry stonewort invades, and a good video from SLP in today's Flyover news roundup.

September 22, 2026

Why I’ll Never Again Watch A Lynx Game Outside of A Bar of Their Own

One bummer night soured me on lesser sports bars.

September 22, 2026

Catching Up With Greg Bovino: Still a Contemptible Little Fascist

Plus MAYOR WATCH, troubles at Seward Cafe, and Strib typos galore in today's Flyover news roundup.

September 21, 2026

Sysco-Restaurant Depot Merger Is a Rotten Deal for Restaurants

The Independent Restaurant Coalition is urging the FTC to block Sysco’s proposed $29.1 billion acquisition of Restaurant Depot.

September 21, 2026