Why are those of us in south so misunderstood?

[jlweich]

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 have many friends from the South and they always yell at me for saying pop instead of soda, are you sure this is a southern thing because everyone always tells me it's strictly a Pittsburgh word?  I also say tennis shoes and buggy and I have lived in the north my entire life.

[forseattle]

I thought saying Pop instead of Soda was a Canadian thing... However, I have lived both in the South (Texas) and North (Washington state) and have heard both terms equaly.   

[StacyDevinAaron]

Im pretty far north up here in NYS, I can see the canadian border/bridge from my backyard and to tell ya the truth im jealous of southerners, yall got that nice tan skin n the cute accents =]

[liljp617]

The same reason southerners used to stereotype northerners as greedy, snobby, rich douchebags? 

[mlbevins]

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

Why do you hate hillbillies?  Are you afraid of us.  You know I do live in the capital of Hillbilly where they hold Hillbilly Days every year.

[mlbevins]

The same reason southerners used to stereotype northerners as greedy, snobby, rich douchebags? 

I would have to agree with that because I feel that those sterotypes are our come back from what was started against us. 

[SoontobeLane36]

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.

I was born and raised in Tennessee and I want to thank you very much for what you posted. That was very, very sweet of you to say those things. I'm glad there are a few people out there (who are not from the south) that truly appreciate us.
A lot of us just like the simple life. I'm sorry a lot of people don't like us, but that's just to bad for them because all of us southerners are not the same.
I didn't know I had an accent until I ended up with a Yankee friend and all he talks about is my accent. I think it's sweet when he kids me about it and I'm proud to have one. The reason people make fun of our accent is because they have nothing better to do. 

[aoyelove]

I think it's because Northerners and all other people in general still have negative conotations about the South. Even though the institution of slavery has long since been dispelled, the South is still associated with the idea of such things. Also, sectionalism has always been very strong in the North and northerners feel that they are superior to all others due to the fact that their economy is mostly commercially based, rather than agriculturally.

[gayecat]

I was born farther south than anyone on both side of my famly had ever been born - Connecticut.  In the second grade my parents movd to Richmond Va ( VERY southern ) and I grew up there.  I now live near University of Ga in a small town / rural area.  I am 66 years old and people still call me a Northerner, even though my children and grandchildren were born and raised in the south and we all still live here.  My ex husband was a southerner too.  Can we say southerners are set in their ways.  I wouldn't live anywhere else. I really like raising my granddaughter in a "safe" area where people look out for each other, but I do see why people from other areas may look down on southerners. It is the traditional values and goals.  It's all in what is important to you in life.

[vlsm23]

Okay...without making too many people mad, I am going to have to say it is the combination of stereotypes and the lack of education of the supposed majority of southerners.  My family is from Cleveland, OH, but I have lived in Kentucky for 14 years of my life, Indiana for 6, and I am not going to lie, I HATE it.  Politics and religion should not be discussed, especially in reference to this question, so I am leaving that argument completely out.  That being said, I really do not like rednecks, because I do not enjoy NASCAR, country, hunting, camo and trucks at all, as it seems most rednecks adore.  However, I have noticed a massive lack of education - not just further education but primary as well, which does not help the cause in the fight against the misunderstood south.  There is also the relentless reference to the civil war that many "northerners" believe "southerners" will never leave in the very distant past.   

[aspenl]

I'm from utah, but I'm actually closer to idaho and wyoming then I am to most of utah.  Personally I don't know what your saying about 'people from the north not understanding people from the south' however maybe that's because I'm too far west to be north.  I've wanted to move to Kansas or Tennessee my whole life, and I don't hear people talking down the south anywhere around here.

However I come from a place where people say similar things, 'do you have electricity', 'I thought you didn't drive cars, I thought you were still doin' the horse and buggy thing'.  Personally, I don't care.  I think its kinda funny that people think utah is way behind the times.  It wasn't til olympics in slc that people started to see that utah isn't some dump where indians are running through destroying villages.  Kinda humorous, huh?  

[mlbevins]

Okay...without making too many people mad, I am going to have to say it is the combination of stereotypes and the lack of education of the supposed majority of southerners.  My family is from Cleveland, OH, but I have lived in Kentucky for 14 years of my life, Indiana for 6, and I am not going to lie, I HATE it.  Politics and religion should not be discussed, especially in reference to this question, so I am leaving that argument completely out.  That being said, I really do not like rednecks, because I do not enjoy NASCAR, country, hunting, camo and trucks at all, as it seems most rednecks adore.  However, I have noticed a massive lack of education - not just further education but primary as well, which does not help the cause in the fight against the misunderstood south.  There is also the relentless reference to the civil war that many "northerners" believe "southerners" will never leave in the very distant past.   

I don't understand where you get that there is a lack of education.  My parents, my sister, and myself included all have college degree and we were all born in Eastern Kentucky, which has always been characterized as non-educated.  Everyone in my family has gone to school.  So please show me where the lack of education is?

[liljp617]

I'd also like to see some research on the current standings of education in north vs south.  Frankly, the north has way more inner city people and inner cities are typically known for their bad education systems, so I'm reluctant to factually state the northern part of the country has a better education system (it very well may, but I have a feeling that education in the north is just as hit or miss as it is in the south).

Now, perhaps more educated people move to the north because jobs are higher paying and it's a more "luxurious" life to live somewhere like Long Island for instance, but that doesn't say much about the education systems themselves.


On another note, there are some people who would argue that the south is just now truly recovering from slavery/the Civil War.  Perhaps that's something to consider.

[johnwayneteeter]

like my grand pappy used to say if you don't know what you are talkin bout don't talk.  those not from the south i belive hate us cause we have no winter,  but thats just my belief.  i don't care for yankees but they still got a good team.  anyway to the ones that understand that is all that matters.

[skyosora]

I understand the misconceptions and stereotypes to a point but really it gets ridiculous, I'm from the south (Texas to be more specific) and I'm soooo tired of going up north and hearing. . .
 'Do you ride horses to school?'
 'You have cell phones down there?! *gasp!* '
 'So you live on a ranch rightt? With animals?'
  . . . And I've been asked all this and more. . .with straight/serious faces.