The Hillbilly Bone: Prejudices Against the Heartland - Comments

I liked this article overall, because I agree that stereotypes are pointless.
But I'm not from the south [I'm originally from Switzerland, but living in California] ...so I wouldn't really know what it feels like.
But, I think you've tried to refute southern stereotypes and then picked on other states.
It seems to kind of defeat the purpose of the article...at least to me.

I'm Candian.
I'm so sick of stereotypes as well. -.-
Very well written and an overall wonderful article. =]
Ten points for Gryffindor.

Haha, nice article. I live in Cali, & I've encountered more pregnant teens than you can sneeze at. And there are probably more "hillbillies" in parts of this state than there are in the entire South combined. <.< Anyway. I personally love Southern accents & don't think it makes a person sound stupid at all. I;ve wanted to travel through the South for years. :D

Hahaha! I really loved this article. But hey, there are stereotypes about people from everywhere.
I personally live in Minnesota, and I always have people asking me if I have an accent, if there really is ten thousand lakes here, and if I live in a cabin -_- People automatically assume that I live up in a cabin somewhere with bears or something, even though I live in the capital, and have never lived in a cabin. I guess we all have to deal with the stereotypes about where we're from. But I am proud to be a Minnesotan! (:

Great article! My family is from Tennessee, and my step sister who actually lives there unlike myself, doesn't have an accent, and actually makes fun of me when mines comes out xD I dont take offense to it most of the time but ya know. Anywho, that was a nice, well-written aritcle! Good job!

It was a good article. :) When I think of a Southerner, I think of Tom Hanks' character in "Lady Killers" which I guess would be the "classy" Southerner, perhaps? Anyway, I thought it was great of you to clear up the stereotypes that some people believe are true about all Southerners. Truth is, you can't just assume everyone is the same if they're from the same region, even country.

I do declare this was a most excellent article. . . darlin' :D

What's so wrong about having a southern accent? Just because you have a southern accent doesn't mean your grammar sucks. It just means you have twang :P

I just moved to North Carolina in 2009 and I feel like, though yes there are quite a few stereotypes about southerners, there are just as many about us northerners. Our accents are made fun of on the regular basis(I still have a pretty strong one) and it leads to assumptions about us too. Like the assumptions that we all think southerners are bible-thumping hillbillies that wear overalls and no shoes.Not all of us are oblivious bigots who assume that everyone is one way just because of negative media projections and attitudes towards the south. Believe it or not, most of us are intelligent enough to know that , though there are people like that, the majority act the same way we do. We also get told that we come off as snobbish or rude because of the mannerisms and actions we have. Here in North Carolina, people I've never seen before a day in my life come up to me and say hi, or wave walking by. People just don't do that up North. So when I moved down here and people started giving me funny looks when I didn't respond, they assumed that I thought I was above acknowledging them. By saying all this, I mean to make the point that the regional stereotypes go both ways, and that we all should look past the minute stuff and actually get to know people, regardless of where they live(d).

I know that not everyone in the south is stereotypically southern, but I unfortunately know a girl who personifies the stereotypes, except she wears more fashionable clothes. But she's got the accent, the painfully bad grammar, she's had two children (and she's turning seventeen in a few weeks), she drives a tractor to school, she isn't exactly the brightest, etc. We're in Virginia, but just about as far north in VA as you can get, and a lot of people here do discriminate. Though we do have our fair share of 'hillbillies.'
And my aunt gets a REALLY strong accent when she's upset. It's kind of funny...

I'm from Eastern Kentucky and lived in Northern Texas for a year. Ugh, I hate all of the stupid stuff people come up with. I'm highly educated, I'm a sophomore in high school when I should only be a freshman. I listen to heavy metal music, I do in fact wear shoes, I don't wear overalls or whatever else people believe about people from Kentucky. I loathe fried food and country music, actually. In all reality, the only thing Southern about me is my home, as I live in a large plantation house out in the middle of the country.

Thank you for writing this article. <3

Hey! Thanks for this article! I was born in Alabama and raised in the mountains of North Carolina. Once I went to New York and someone asked me where I was from. "North Carolina" I said proudly. They said "huh, I thought everybody from there was just a hillbilly redneck that wore no shoes and overalls all the time." wrong. I have liked in North Carolina for 13 years next Tuesday and I do not have an accent, wear overalls, live on a farm, and I certainly wear shoes. I pretty much hate country music and the most southern thing you'll ever hear me say is y'all. Every other word I despise, especially ain't. My friend lives on a farm and has for his whole life. He is one of the sweetest guys you'll ever meet, he's nicely dressed, no overalls, and has no trace of a country accent. I think there's only one thing that would stop you from thinking he's from up north some where, how he always says Damn Yankees.

I only know 3 or 4 people who are like the stereotypes people believe us to be. Thank you again for writing this, and I hope some people will understand.

I've from Northwestern Georgia.
:]
I have this terrible accent that comes out ten times worse when I'm angry.

You know, some people actually exclude Texas from being a redneck state. But, being a born and raised native, I beg to differ :P
I was born and lived the majority of my life in a small town, and yet I speak with better grammar and word choice than some people who live in Dallas.
I remember when I first moved from the small Podunk town to Dallas, someone asked me what kind of John Deere tractor I drive >.<
What's funny about Texas is that the state government purposely made the state test harder because they think we're dumber than the other states, so they want to raise the expectations so we're forced to learn and be on the same level as northern states. Even our own government thinks we're stupid rednecks v.v'
I really enjoyed this article. I've never really been made fun of too badly for being redneck, I get the occasional snicker when I say the word 'y'all', but other than that and the John Deere crack, most people don't even seem to notice where I come from. Not to mention, I do poke fun at my roots with other people, but I do agree, we shouldn't be discriminated against so harshly just by the state we were born in.

i'm country and proud!
i like mud boggin', camping, swimming in creeks, wearing my boots with shorts, hunting, fishing, drinking a nice cold beer every now and then, and growing my food but i will never let anyone tell me that because i'm from southern ohio / west virginia, that i have a low IQ, i will end up pregnant, i will sleep with my cousin - any other stupid thing people stereotype us as but i will let them know, that the country is where the fun is at!

My family is from the south, but I was born in the city.P eople make fun of my brother for inheriting a southern accent naturally. I dont think I have one...anyway getting off topic...this will bring some realization for people who want to appear sophisticated and more organized than southerners'. Hopefully they realize, we are the same only different values and how we grew up and who we grew up around. It just proves people need someone to make fun of,make look weak and make themselves feel almighty and powerful.

My fam's from Alabama and I live in bmore, MD and I can tell you the south is near exactly the way people say it is. Just cause it isnt where you are doesnt mean it's not living up to it's stereotype somewhere else.

You focused on stereotypes that aren't extremely true, but didn't mention any of the ones that tend to be found here. I live in Georgia, and I can name six people that make and sell moonshine. I know a person that has a relationship with their second cousin. I know plenty of people that drive their tractor to school. So not all stereotypes associated with us are false, I'd like to point out, although I'm not proud of them.

When I think about the south stereotypes go out the window all I think of is:
Sexy southern drawls
and the word yall

I love your article!
I'm from Texas and I've been asked if we still ''Ride our horses where ever we go''
-_- People also think we don't have cars here...wich gets really...really..annoying. >:[

Zombie Highway: That's terrible! And no, but I have been asked if we actually drive cars -_-