Why are those of us in south so misunderstood?

[mlbevins]

I have always wondered why those in the north have always look down on those that live in the south.  Anyone have any comments?

[debrar]

I did not know that was true,

[cloudsoup]

i'm gonna try not to write a book, but i've thought
a lot about this so i'd like to share. i think its a common
misconception that us southerners run barefoot through the
mountains with one tooth in our otherwise empty heads...

(and being from kentucky, i can't really say that i haven't
seen something similar to this  )

if you wanna dig into it, i think it goes all the way back to nature.
i mean, if you compare things such as the climate and the land
to eachother, you'll see similarities in the people that live in them.

north = cold, hard, fast, keep to yourself.

south = warm, slow, laid back, friendly.

and before i'm quoted with an argument, i'm speaking in GENERAL  
no, nancy loo from wyoming isn't a cold hearted bleep compared
to peggy sue with a heart of gold from georgia. not what i'm saying.

it might even seem like i'm biased considering i'm speaking from this
side of the fence, but this is how i've come to understand it, because
i really have asked myself the same thing, bevins!

i have family in michigan and i've never really known how to "talk" to them,
if that makes sense? southerners kinda have a sing-song way of talking.
and i think we almost talk in stories, you know? northerners are more
straight forward and to the point.

of course, this is generalizing the whole thing, but from my point of view,
this is the root of why the north "looks down" on the south.

but remember, we don't exactly let people from the north off easy, do we?
i think southern people can be just as judgemental.

actually, that goes for ALL people.
but since we're on the subject...

[windboss]

There are hillbillies to hate everywhere.  They are just much more highly concentrated in the south!

[home_teachin]

I moved from Indianapolis (kinda north) to a small town in KY.  I never really believed there would be a huge difference but I was Wrong.
I was never asked where I go to church before I moved here but now it's the first question people ask when they meet me. Including 2 job interviews. ( I'm an Atheist btw)
I never had problems with people over religion, as I don't really care what others believe. But my son has 1 friend and I have 1 neighbor who will even talk to me because we don't believe.
So the talk about the south being overly religious is definitely true.
I was honestly shocked at the rampant racism here too. They throw the N word around like its nothing. And you hardly ever see a black and white person hanging out.
Of course we are only about 20 minutes from the KKKs national headquarters.
If you get farther out in the county you will see the typical "redneck" lawn decorations too. like trucks without an engine, toilets, skids etc.
All religious differences and racism aside, people are nicer to your face. They say hello, hold the door for you, etc. Other parents will come and let you know if your kid is hurt, or in trouble. In Indy they would watch a small child wonder the streets without saying a word.
In Indy it was like "it's none of my business" In KY. it seems like "everything is my business".
So more rednecks, yeah I think so. But the cities have more Meth Heads, burglars etc.
It's all about which extreme you want to deal with. Personally, I hope to move to New England.

[windboss]

I was never asked where I go to church before I moved here but now it's the first question people ask when they meet me. Including 2 job interviews. ( I'm an Atheist btw)

What?  Now that's just plain illegal.

[cah5525]

we had this discussion in a sociology class and listening to the responses...this is what i have gathered: southerners hold on to traditional ways and values/not too progressive/live inside the box.
i agree and disagree...i have lived in a small town in the south and this was SO the case but, have also lived in a larger southern city and it was just like any other city
the churches in the small town...they scared me! a lot of yelling and condemning...not the feeling of peace and tranquility i am used to. never went back there again.-
pop instead of soda
buggy instead of shopping cart
sack instead of bag
writing stick...self-explanatory
tennis shoes describes any pair of sneakers
things i would have never learned had i not lived in the south

[discardedheart]

I was never asked where I go to church before I moved here but now it's the first question people ask when they meet me. Including 2 job interviews. (I'm an Atheist btw)

What? Now that's just plain illegal.

i doubt that it was meant to seem like interrogation though.. southern people are generally very religious, which has been stated ;p ..i'd say it was more a means of making conversation/getting to know the person. some southerners are worse than others when it comes to things like that, obviously.

the churches in the small town...they scared me! a lot of yelling and condemning...not the feeling of peace and tranquility i am used to. never went back there again.
pop instead of soda
buggy instead of shopping cart
sack instead of bag
writing stick...self-explanatory
tennis shoes describes any pair of sneakers
things i would have never learned had i not lived in the south

haha, i've been to churches like that.. but not all are as bad.. i've always preferred quiet, peaceful surroundings for my worship as well ;p and i've never heard anyone say 'writing stick' ;p that's quite amusing..

[mthang12]

That is TERRIBLE!
I too am an atheist and live in the South but have never been asked if I went to chuch during a job interview.
And I even worked at a church daycare!
Of course, I kept my non-beliefs to myself while there.

Also, I do not live in the DEEP South- I live in Virginia.
Many people try to tell me that Virginia is not in the South.
But whenever I fill out polls online that ask you to select your region, Virginia is included in the South.
Virginia was also DEFINITELY part of the South in the Civil War!
The CAPITAL of the confederacy was originially in Richmond, VA before it burnt...
So, yes, Virginia counts as part of the South in many ways and according to many sources.
At the same time our culture is probably not as stereotypically southern as those states further South.

Sorry for the tangent, I am appalled that interviewers have asked you that in your search for employment.  If they ask that, you probably do not want to work for them anyway (at least this atheist would not want to).

[mrisha]

It depends on what part of the south you are located.  Some say racism/stupidity run rampant in the south, but I have found it is an epidemic in the cities.

You find "rednecks" no matter where you are located.  You are always going to find morons in all forms making inane statements about people from the south.

[mthang12]

<i>"i think its a common  misconception that us southerners run barefoot through the mountains with one tooth in our otherwise empty heads..."</i>

Growing up my sister and I were ALWAYS running around barefoot, something my grandfather used to remark upon.

Then I went through a phase where I would not be caught DEAD without shoes on, and all of my shoes were platforms of very high-heeled.  This was after I topped out at 5'2'' and did not want people to see me without those added inches.

Then I came to accept my height and I am barefoot almost all of the time (in and outdoors) fulfilling the stereptype of Southerners and becoming one-third of the expression of how a woman should be (pregnant, barefoot and in the kitchen).

However, when I do put on shoes... they still are always platforms.  All or nothing!

[mthang12]

I can't speak as to why northerners look down on southerners, but I can tell you how people from the West coast (Los Angeles, CA to be exact) reacted to meeting someone from the South.

I grew up in Richmond, VA.  Not the deep south, but still technically the south.  Richmond is a major metropolitan city (though nothing compared to LA).

People asked, sometimes joking, if we had running water, electricty, outhouses....

I would joke back and say that I lived on a plantation w big white columns but I left my hoop skirts back in VA.

Richmonders generally do not have very strong southern accents, and I never really thought I had an accent- until I went to UCLA.  Oh boy.  Then I became fully aware of it. 

Now, I know it is VERY southern to say yall but it is just SUCH a convenient word!  Still whenever it escaped by lips at UCLA people reacted w such amusement and surprise.  I was lucky that they liked me and thought being from the South was cute and as far as I know they did not think I was a backwoods in-bred uneducated hick.  Afterall, I had gotten into the same university they were attending.  (Which btw, is MUCH harder for out-of-staters to get accepted into.  The statistic at the time was something like, only 6% of UCLA's accepted applicants were from out of state).

I tried to stop saying yall.  I said "you guys" or "any of you" etc etc.  Finally I decided not to fight it, yall is the simplest and most natural word in many given situations.

Many years later in life I have friends from various states, all of whom remark that my southern accent only really emerges in full force when I am DRUNK!

[debraleesparks]

  I was born and raised in California, and I find southerners very charming. I LOVE the accent, and the people are real, down to earth, honest, good people. God bless you, and please don't think people look down on you , something is just wrong with those people who insult you.

[crysdd]

we had this discussion in a sociology class and listening to the responses...this is what i have gathered: southerners hold on to traditional ways and values/not too progressive/live inside the box.
i agree and disagree...i have lived in a small town in the south and this was SO the case but, have also lived in a larger southern city and it was just like any other city
the churches in the small town...they scared me! a lot of yelling and condemning...not the feeling of peace and tranquility i am used to. never went back there again.-
pop instead of soda
buggy instead of shopping cart
sack instead of bag
writing stick...self-explanatory
tennis shoes describes any pair of sneakers
things i would have never learned had i not lived in the south

I'm from Texas...everything is "coke"    Root beer=coke  Sunkist=coke  Big Red=Coke  Coka Cola=Coke  lol

[footemama]

I live in the Southwest which is pretty much a melting pot of people from everywhere else.  

I think part of the reason could be how friendly Southern people are. Friendly is suspicious many times and very friendly is creepy. To me at least but in my defensive during my formative teen years there was more than one serial rapist in my area and so I learned to be very careful and to be suspicious of people that seemed more friendly than the situation called for. Or people lurking in the shadows...

In general though I have no problem with people from the South.