Out and about in The Wire town of Baltimore. Admittedly: I feel a little queasy – I associate the city with drugs, crime and corruption – David Simon showed me that intensely in five seasons of “The Wire”. But when I arrive Baltimore surprises me: There is a nice waterfront full of American tourists, it’s relatively tidy and free hybrid buses drive me through the city center. No sign of “The Wire”.
“Like it or not, Baltimore is like a family with six or eight kids and a problem kid named ‘The Wire’.”
The other children, for city guide Zippy Larson, are all the beautiful corners and areas of the city that you unfortunately don’t see in “The Wire”. In fact, Baltimore has more to offer, so city officials don’t like being in constant contact with the TV hype. For the tourism authority, David Simon and his work on Baltimore, especially “The Wire”, is a red rag. My interview requests are rejected. Or as Zippy puts it:
“For them, the eraser can’t be big enough to erase ‘The Wire’.”
The 81-year-old lady, who has been offering tours of her hometown since the early 80s, does not understand this attitude:
“‘The Wire’ is very interesting for people from all over the world. People write to me or call me: We’re coming to Baltimore, can you show us the locations? I’ll be happy to. I use that to give them a little something at the same time about Baltimore. There’s no law that forbids me to teach you anything more. “
David Simon and Baltimore
David Simon, the inventor of the series, was born in neighboring Washington DC, but moved to Baltimore at the age of 22 and became a journalist for the local daily newspaper “The Baltimore Sun”. He quickly deals with the rough realities of the city: As a police reporter, he has to do every day in the not-so-beautiful areas of the city, Baltimore is sinking into the drug war in some corners. He himself remembers:
“Detective Bill Lansey said to me at the time: Dude, someone just had to write everything down for a year on the homicide squad. When we had to go on strike at the newspaper a few years later and I didn’t feel like going to the newsroom anymore, remembered I followed the detective’s words. The Police Commissioner at the time actually let me join the homicide squad – and that became the book. “
David Simon’s book “Homicide: A Year on Murderous Streets” resulted in the highly acclaimed NBC police series “Homicide: Life on the Street”. This series already showed the grueling everyday life in certain areas of Baltimore, and was written and shot here. Simon maintains this principle with “The Wire”: Baltimore, wherever you look.
“It’s a kind of love letter, from a doubting and frustrated lover, but it’s a declaration of love. I don’t have to advertise the city, that’s not my job, I never wanted that. But the city is important to me and others . “
David Simon still lives here. And while he insists that he sees Baltimore only as a metaphor for the post-industrial US city in general, he is considered a polluter.
“As if someone was hanging your dirty laundry in public, nobody wants to see their dirt stains on such a large stage. That’s why this reaction.”
Tom Rowe is also from Baltimore and a marketer. He doesn’t understand the behavior of the city either.
“First of all, this is a brilliant series. It made Baltimore famous, it opens up the possibility of telling the rest of the story, showing the rest of Baltimore. David Simon and his team showed an excerpt, now it’s our job , from passionate locals to tell the rest. “
“The series shows one side of the city, but there is so much more”
Rowe herself worked at the city’s tourist office for five years. He was and is a fan of “The Wire”. It was already clear to him then: We shouldn’t fight the series, but use it.
“That was the opportunity to go into an exchange: The series shows one side of the city, but there is so much more! This other side, which we all love so much here, just didn’t fit into ‘The Wire’. That would be the one Series also didn’t do it justice. “
Many believe here that the city is missing out on a very big opportunity. Other cities are showing how one can successfully use locally filmed series for tourism: for example Albuquerque with “Breaking Bad”. Sure: Baltimore has big problems: There are no-go areas that I don’t go to during my stay. As in so many other American cities, the War on Drugs continues. In other corners, Baltimore looks very different to me: Districts with small shops, cafes and bars. David Simon himself also thinks that Baltimore doesn’t have to hide:
“Our food is better, our beer is colder and our neighborhoods are worth living in. Our city is much truer than others! We welcome those who are open to it.”