by Michael Frissore

Created on: July 23, 2008   Last Updated: September 18, 2008

When you think of Wisconsin you might think of cheese, but I think of Senator Joseph McCarthy. McCarthyism is what I think of when I think of Wisconsin. Well, after "Happy Days," "Laverne and Shirley," "Mork and Mindy," and "Joanie Loves Chachi." Because comedy, like McCarthyism, is in Wisconsin's blood. David and Jerry Zucker, of "Naked Gun" fame, Gene Wilder, and the late Chris Farley also come from the Badger State. So Wisconsin is hilarious. But, of course, none of these funny people can match Tom Wopat, who played Luke Duke in television history's greatest program, "The Dukes of Hazzard." Yes, the Wopat is from Wisconsin.

The McCarthyism State is also the home to a heck of a lot of great music, starting with the one and only Wladziu Valentino Liberace, The Glitter Man, Mr. Showmanship himself. Liberace came to us from West Allis, Wisconsin, and the silly geese at Packers games could not be more proud. Steve Miller, of the blues and psychedelic rock band appropriately named the Steve Miller Band, came from Milwaukee. And Butch Vig, the producer for bands like Nirvana and Smashing Pumpkins, plus one of the greatest bands ever, Garbage, for which he was also the drummer, is a Wisconsinite.

If it's brilliant acting and filmmaking you're a fan of, none other than Orson Welles and the lovely Heather Graham came to us from America's Dairyland, which is also America's Murderland when you consider famed serial killers Jeffrey Dahmer and Ed Gein did their best work in Wisconsin.

But let's get into Julie Stoffer. Sure this lovely star of MTV's "The Real World: New Orleans" is a Mormon from Utah, but she was originally from, you guessed it, Wisconsin. This nearly makes up for the McCarthyism, the murders, and even "Joanie Loves Chachi." Stoffer was suspended by Brigham Young University after appearing on "The Real World" living with members of the opposite sex, that opposite sex being men.

Interesting Fact #2 about Julie Stoffer: She was scheduled to be on one of the planes that crashed into the World Trade Center on 9/11/2001, but, due to a scheduling conflict, she changed to a later flight. So we almost lost this beautiful and talented woman.

Interesting Fact #3 about Julie Stoffer: According to imdb.com, Stoffer was the basis for the character Princess Clara in Drawn Together.

As you can see, Julie Stoffer is a far better Wisconsinite than, say, Greta Van Susteren,
Kato Kaelin, or even psychic Jeane Dixon, and, therefore, the greatest Wisconsinite ever. She's bigger than McCarthyism, better than cannibalism, and funnier than "Joanie Loves Chachi." That's Julie Stoffer.

Learn more about this author, Michael Frissore.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.