Song of the South; part 2010

Another of the surprises which befell me after moving to SoCal is the general attitude toward the south. It comes out in off-handed comments on radio and TV, and elsewhere. Clearly, these people have not experienced much of that region.

Just like CA, it depends upon where you live whether you are surrounded by rednecks and ignorance and narrow mindedness, or not. CA is a beautiful place with a mostly nice attitude, but there is an abundance of what would be considered rednecks if we were in the South. Often people appear to be one dimensional, then when you know them one on one they prove to be intelligent and kind.

Most of my life has been spent in various parts of the South. I guess I get defensive when I hear an obviously uninformed slur which is born of a Hollywood construct. I lived in several parts of that region and I still consider parts of NC to be among the best places in the country.

I think it is the same mentality that suggests the public is too stupid to know how to govern themselves, that also assumes that people in the heartland and in the south are somehow too narrow to read or hold passports. I've heard rants to that affect on air America before it went belly up for the last time. It is often the stuff of the banter of smarmy political comic commentators.

Most people do not enjoy hearing their group lampooned or slammed, regardless of the basis of delineation; race, region, hair color, etc. When it is done from an obviously uninformed perspective it annoys. Most of us can laugh at ourselves, and do. But the humor comes from the knowing first hand of which we speak. When the outsider paints the picture based on hearsay and Hollywood stereotypes, then we don't laugh.

Wisdom From the 1930's

Even then advertising was aiming to press your buttons.

Fool, you probably thought smoking wasn't healthy and that she was faithful and telling you no lies.