From his earlier videos wandering around beloved Cincinnati events like Taste of Cincinnati and the Northside Fourth of July Parade, to his more recent content involving dubious dips in the Ohio River, softmaxplus (real name Michael Sawan) has built a brand being a kind of nonchalant, everyday bizarre. As a vintage-suit-wearing, Miller-High-Life-drinking clown, his videos and interviews started as a way to promote his many books, but he’s tapped into something else along the way: the ability to commune with strangers when and where they are, about pretty much whatever. Softmaxplus is just a clown, standing in front of people around Cincinnati in various settings and situations, asking them to talk to him. softmaxplus.com.
City Life
Here are the 2025 Best Of Cincinnati® Reader and Staff Pick winners for City Life.
- JD Vance
- Liz Keating
- Joe Deters
- 3CDC
- Al Neyer
- Over-the-Rhine Community Housing
- Matthew 25: Ministries
- Longbottom Bird Ranch
- Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden
- La Soupe
- ArtWorks Ohio
- Innocence Project
- Life Food Pantry
- ArtsWave
- The Friends of the Public Library
- Aubrey Rose Foundation
- Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden
- Cincinnati Recycling & Reuse Hub
- Longbottom Bird Ranch
- Great Parks of Hamilton County
- Cincinnati Parks
- Keep Cincinnati Beautiful
- Krohn Conservatory
- Cincinnati Nature Center
- Indigo Hippo
- The Friends of the Public Library
- Bob Herzog (WKRC)
- Jessica Schmidt (FOX19)
- Megan Mitchell (WLWT)
- Tana Weingartner (WVXU)
- Lucy May (WVXU)
- Tricia Mackie (FOX19)
- John Matarese (WCPO)
- Keith Pandolfi (Cincinnati Enquirer)
- Nick Swartsell (WVXU)
- Becca Costello (WVXU)
- Jimmy Longbottom
- Jim Tarbell
- Missy Spears
- Cincinnati Animal CARE
- Planned Parenthood Southwest Ohio
- Longbottom Bird Ranch
- Matthew 25: Ministries
- Freestore Foodbank
- SPCA Cincinnati
- ArtWorks
- Cincinnati Public Radio
- Aubrey Rose Foundation
- ArtsWave
- Aftab Pureval
- Greg Landsman
- Charmaine McGuffey
- Cincinnati's Crime Vault: Beyond the Broadcast
- Cincinnati Zoo Tales
- Jungle Jim's Podcast
- University of Cincinnati
- Xavier University
- Northern Kentucky University
- George Clooney
- Nick Clooney
- Maryanne Zeleznik
- Kathrine Nero
- Missy Spears
- Cris Collinsworth
- Otto M. Budig Jr.
- Amy McGrath
- Gary Holland
- Lucy May
- Covington
- Newport
- Union
- Smale Riverfront Park
- Eden Park
- Ault Park
- Washington Park
- Devou Park
- French Park
- Mt. Airy Forest
- Alms Park
- A. J. Jolly Park
- Bellevue Beach Park
- Cincinnati Nature Center
- Sharon Woods
- Winton Woods
- Anthony Munoz
- Bootsy Collins
- James “Jungle Jim” Bonaminio
- Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden
- Findlay Market
- Jungle Jim's International Market
- Over-the-Rhine
- Smale Riverfront Park
- The Banks
- Cincinnati Art Museum
- Cincinnati Reds Game
- Cincinnati Museum Center
- The Friends of the Public Library Warehouse
- Smale Riverfront Park
- Washington Park
- Parky's Farm
- Cincinnati Waldorf School
- Elder High School
- Saint Xavier High School
- Aftab Pureval
- Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney
- Kari Bloom