Hyoung Chang via The Denver Post/Governor Jared Polis via Facebook
Audio By Carbonatix
Since taking office in 2019, Governor Jared Polis’s annual State of the State address has covered a wide range of pressing topics; the COVID-19 pandemic, devastating wildfires, and now, President Donald Trump’s attacks against Colorado.
But one thing has remained constant throughout the years: pop culture references.
From impersonating Yoda to quoting Gandalf the Grey, Polis has made a concerted effort to jazz up his speeches with as many mentions to media and celebrities as he can fit. It’s an effective way to trick the general public into engaging with state politics, and to keep the audience awake during his lengthy monologues (this year’s speech clocked in at a record 1.5 hours).
In honor of Polis’s final State of the State address on Thursday, January 15, Westword compiled this year’s best quotes, jokes and references from popular culture:
Bowen Yang
Polis quoted Saturday Night Live alum and hometown hero Bowen Yang in declaring, “The only way forward is to be joyous and to celebrate each other.”
Yang shared that message in support of the LGBTQ community while recounting his coming-out story to Lady Gaga. But Polis’s rendition largely centered on Colorado’s immigrant community amid increasingly aggressive and violent behavior from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
“Tearing families apart with a costly and cruel immigration agenda is not the Colorado way,” Polis said ahead of quoting Yang. “At a time when Washington is peddling the illusion that America somehow isn’t for everyone, that somehow there’s only room for some — some people, some beliefs, some love, some prayer — I want to make it clear: In our ‘Colorado for All,’ there is room and opportunity for all of us.”
Avengers vs Thanos
Polis framed Colorado’s effort to address rising health care costs as a heroic battle between good and evil, using the Marvel Cinematic Universe to get his point across.
“High-powered and well-funded corporate interests have proven to be deeply entrenched in our politics. It’s like the Avengers fighting Thanos,” he said. “We are up against big hospitals, pharma, and insurance, alongside a federal government often eager to cozy up to these special interests.”
Polis specifically referred to Colorado’s 2022 application to import lower-cost prescription drugs from Canada, which has yet to receive final federal approval.
This was one of many swipes Polis took at Republicans in Washington, D.C., during his address. Other notable comments include calling the national GOP “the party of socialism” and proclaiming that they are working “to make life harder and less affordable” and “to make Americans feel more fearful, more belligerent, more vulnerable.”
Taylor Swift
A well-known Swiftie, Polis made sure to work in a quote from pop icon Taylor Swift for the second year in a row. This time, he used it to promote his desire to make land development easier and more efficient in Colorado.
“For too long, we’ve run up against roadblocks – from outdated laws to piles of paperwork – that slow or stop new housing, new transit, and new clean energy from even being built. It reminds me of the words of Taylor Swift… ‘I’ll sue you if you step on my lawn,'” Polis said. “Not us. We say, let us build!”
It wasn’t the only Swift reference. Polis also used his final address to publicly reiterate his offer to officiate her upcoming wedding with Travis Kelce.
“I’m an excellent officiant, just ask Allie Kimmel,” he said, referring to one of his team members.
KPop Demon Hunters
Did you know Ji-young Yoo, the voice of Zoey from KPop Demon Hunters, was born in Denver?
Well, Polis does, and he shouted out the Colorado native with a quote from her animated character: “I do have one idea. Actually, 57, but let’s start with my favorite.” For Polis, the ideas revolve around increasing affordable housing stock with proposals to reduce building times, make it easier to subdivide property, and lower homeowners’ insurance rates.
“I share Zoey’s enthusiasm when I think of the 57 – or maybe even more – ways we can unlock more housing at lower cost,” Polis said.
The Lord of the Rings
In celebrating his achievements as governor, Polis quoted Samwise from The Lord of the Rings.
“Sam speaks to Frodo, saying, ‘There’s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo, and it’s worth fighting for.’ Colorado, there’s so much good, and we keep fighting for more,” Polis said. “There’s good we’ve achieved – more homes for every budget, more ways to get around easier without sitting in traffic, and more opportunities for students at every stage – and the good that we know is still possible.”
Polis listed some of his top accomplishments during his two terms in office as implementing free preschool and free full-day kindergarten, providing more housing, and establishing stronger pollution regulations.
Stranger Things
Concluding his remarks, Polis turned to Stranger Things to appeal to the youth while looking to Colorado’s future.
“Forces beyond us have shaped our reality: A once-in-a-century pandemic, widespread inflation, the biggest and most destructive fires in our state’s history, an unpredictable federal landscape,” Polis said, “and a massive wormhole connecting to the Abyss with an upside-down version of Colorado, and our only hope is a group of Dungeons & Dragons-playing teenagers. Well, maybe not that one.
“But despite it all, we faced our challenges head-on, never losing sight of our values and what makes us who we are. We stared down the Abyss, we destroyed our metaphorical Vecnas, and delivered big, bold progress for Colorado…
“The state of our state is strong,” he concluded. “Resilient. Loving. Kind. Innovative. Free. And ever bright.”
