Southerners: Do you like the media's portrayal of the South?

[Taverner]

Specifically shows like "The Dukes of Hazzard" or "Hee Haw" and movies like "Smokey and the Bandit"- I always thought that if I were a Southerner, I'd be offended by these shows. They portray southerners as slack-jawed locals sitting around barefoot, sipping moonshine and eating moon pies.

[enigami]

1. I thought that is what they say about us in GD

[Taverner]

5. Not me

Why would I knock Flannery O'Connor's stomping ground?

[Kathy in Cambridge]

2. I'm offended by it and I'm a New Englander

lots of nasty stereotyping by the media.

[Taverner]

10. It's funny re: New England

The media always paints rural NE as idyllic, quiet and full of educated people, and the rural SE as full of gators, rednecks and toothless yokels.

Now I know there are some pretty weird people out in rural New Hampshire, and I know there are some pretty cool places along the Blue Ridge Mountains (although I have never been there personally...)

and yes, stereotypes SUCK

[Kathy in Cambridge]

13. There's some weird people in rural mass

places I wouldn't want to break down in a car...

[XemaSab]

19. Lemme tell ya

I live in rural california, and there are people here who I don't think have EVER been to a dentist.

Furthermore, people here are ignorant rednecks. Being poor is one thing, but being an ignorant redneck is a matter of choice. California was NEVER part of the Confederacy, so why the hell are these people flying the confederate flag?

I have all my teeth, a college degree, and a professional job, and that puts me right at the top of the gene pool.

[Taverner]

23. Yep - ever been to Yreka, CA?

Right on I-5, and you'd think you were in a time warp...

of course that is the State of Jefferson

[XemaSab]

29. I have been ALL OVER

rural California, and as soon as you get out of the bay area and LA, it's dueling banjo land.

I live in the hills outside Fresno, and lemme tell ya, I have lived in Northern California my whole life and I have no clue how people here can be that culturally dissimilar from how I was raised.

No appreciation for or understanding of other races or cultures, no understanding of what's going on in the world...

Faux and church are their two sources of information.

(Not to bash church-goers, I'm one myself, but there are some hardcore fundy churches here. Kicking people out for being gay is one thing, but kicking people out for adopting black kids???? Lots of holy rollers, 7th day adventists, jehovah's witnesses, and other "conservative" denominations. when the southern baptists seem like a pretty reasonable bunch.... even some of the more traditionally "liberal" denominations are a bit off. for example, the local episcopal priest wanted to work here specifically because the bishop of the fresno diocese refuses to ordain women. true story.)

[southlandshari]

3. Back off the Moon Pies, buddy!

:spank:

[BamaGirl]

8. I was thinking the same thing lmao

Moon Pies and RC...how could a person go wrong with that combination!? Lol

[Taverner]

11. Um....no offense but

ew!

[GOPisEvil]

16. Oh, you just don't know.

Moon Pies and RC Cola is a classic combination for good reason.

:9

[Taverner]

17. No no no my man

it should be It'sits and Horchata!!!!!

[BamaGirl]

20. Hey, that's cool lol

More for us lol. :9

[Bouncy Ball]

4. Dr. T and the Women--gag.

Steel Magnolias. It was ok as a movie, but some of the stereotypes drive me batshit.

[GOPisEvil]

6. Like every good stereotype, there's some basis in truth.

However, to paint ALL southerners like that is just wrong.

[Modem Butterfly]

7. Heh. I don't even like the media's portrayal of democrats!

The media speaks in stereotypes. Stereotypes suck.

[southlandshari]

9. Doesn't bother me as much

as when DUers stereotype Southerners in the same mold as these laugable, overblown cartoonish TV and film characters.

;-)

[SheepyMcSheepster]

12. well growing up with those shows/movies

i never thought they were supposed to represent me and where i am from (NC). I just thought of them as stories with characters, not the end all be all judgement on the people that live in the south.

so, i guess what i am saying is, i have never been offended by them because i have never thought that these shows/movies were meant to be used to describe all people who live in the south.

[sui generis]

14. What about JR and Dallas?

or was it all a dream?

Nobody thought "lil Abner" was an accurate depiction of the south either - but it was quite popular everywhere.

[Taverner]

15. True....unrelated point but was Walt Kelly (Pogo) from the South?

[supernova]

18. Not that so much as it's the one that gets emphasized

Most things that are "high-brow" Southern, have been co-opted to simply mean "American:

anything by Flannery O'Connor
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Richard Wright
William Faulkner

edit: We get credit for being good ole boys and girls, but not the credit for producing the world clas work when we do it.

[dbt]

21. "Sling Blade" was the most accurate portrayal in eons!

Humongo props to Billy Bob for bringing REAL Arkansas accents to the movies.

:bounce:

[ulysses]

22. eh.

Then again, I didn't grow up here. Growing up in Oklahoma, you get used to stereotypes, too.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

24. On a whole people from the south have a pretty good sense of humor

We don't mind laughing with you when it comes to silly southern stereotypes. That's why comedians such as Jeff Foxworthy are popular here.

The thing is, we know it's supposed to be a funny and over the top depiction of the south.

[Shell Beau]

25. Some of the stereotypes suck,

but some of them can be dead on. The South isn't the only place that is stereotyped. But when it shows people sweating while sitting inside (we do have air conditioner; it is a necessity), only gravel roads, a bunch of racist pigs, stupid people with teeth missing then it bothers me.

[chaska]

26. If it ain't about you personally, there's no reason to take offense...

I was born, and lived most of my life, in the South. That sheriff on "Dukes" was a neighbor of mine ... literally.

Those shows aren't about me, but they are pretty close to accurate in their portrayal of many Southerners. And to the extent it doesn't apply, who cares, it's just entertainment.

[Shell Beau]

27. I wouldn't say they were pretty accurate. Sometimes

they are accurate.

[Left_Winger]

28. No, not really

Although the people who prompt these stereotypes about the South exist, every region has people who bring on certain stereotypes. So, I let such things roll off my back.

I agree with the other poster who wrote "stereotypes suck".