Political Crossfire Forums

I think it's wrong to stereotype southerners and assume they're "lower class" because of accents or whatever, and the media exploitation is indeed getting a bit sickening. But, they also have some major racist and homophobic shit going on. I know it happens everywhere (I've heard people call friends the n-word up in the "liberal" northeast), but it's particularly egregious in the south.

I was put in speech therapy in the 70's for having a drawl. I was born in WY but I learned to talk from my parents who were raised in the South. As Mom worked her way up as a professional, she learned to cover hers. Still, it pissed her off when she found out I was in speech therapy and she knew exactly why(they claimed I had a lisp and they were full of shit). She got me pulled from the sessions, but I learned to cover my accent. It still comes out when I'm pissed, tired or I've been talking with my family or other Southerners.

People thinking Southerners are low-class, ignorant racists has been a long held belief and those of us who have career goals outside of the South have long known we need to cover our accents.

I have plenty of family from the south. I've visited parts. And I've heard enough. Sadly the cultural residue of racism, a legacy of the Jim Crow and the more horrific institution that preceded it, is still to a large extent widespread. White southerners still have yet to publicly--and through a meaningful cultural critique from the inside of the region--come to terms with their history. That's why every now and then you get some idiot planting the confederate flag claiming it's their "heritage." That's on them. The northern elitism and class bias of course is another story, and only serves to hypocritically conceal a different yet similarly persistent racism in the north...

Basically, everyone should figure out their own shit instead of blaming others.

everyone has had most of these stereotypes before television even existed. the south is simply backwards. if left to its own devises, it would be no different than your typical third world country. lots of factories exploiting labor among a sea of poverty and hunger.

I think most of these 'reality' shows are an awful reflection of our society now.. We revel is seeing other people's misery, in other people's problems, and their stupidity.. North or South.. Jersey Shore was disgusting. Dance Moms? A fat loud mouth woman screaming at 12 year old girls while the girls dance, sometimes using stripper poles? While their mothers sit there and fight among themselves?

We celebrate stupidity, we celebrate others people's misfortune. I guess it makes some people feel better seeing other people's misfortunes..

I don't get it.

A lot of people ashamedly admit they watch shows like jersey shore or the other ones mentioned, but follow it up with "I just watch it to laugh at how dumb they are". Got news for those people: that's why anyone watches those shows and it doesn't make watching it any less shameful.

I guess seeing other people's misery and stupidly makes the people watching the shows feel better about themselves.. They watch Jersey Shore or Hollywood Hillbillies to laugh at how dumb they are?? How in the world is that entertainment or comedy? Those people should be pitied.

As for the OP, he has a point.. But I see our celebration of stupidly as being all over the country now, not just the South. The dumber the better.

I wanna see a reality show about hipsters getting beaten up due to their fashion choices.