my ongoing rant about being Southern

[cathaarsix]

a post made by the ever-intriguing ZOJIRUSHI made me think of something that annoys me. i grew up in the South. of Southern parents, and Southern grandparents etc. despite the fact that the South is the punching bag for oh-so-sophisticated hipsters, there are many things i love about the South and feeling culturally Southern. and some of my friends

Comments

Which South?

[rhombosis]

Amen and I hear ya brother. But I do not think I really "got" it until moving away, and then moving back to Louisiana, which is the strangest "South" that there is. There is definately a "I don't give a fuck," laid-back, let's-party-because-we-die-tomorrow attidute that is just the anecdote for the poison of my neuroses. I'm southern, through and through.

Re: Which South?

[cathaarsix]

i wasn't as aware of it myself until i left too. not so much Japan, but Minnesota. the uptightness quotient is WAY higher than i am used to, having lived in the South. in fairness to Minnesotans, Liz's mom, and to a lesser extent, dad, are SO much more high-strung than your average Minnesotan, and i got more exposure to them than others.

you probably don't get this kind of condescension so much from peeps in LA (since you're in the South) and likely won't get it at UT either, which is good. Texas is a whole 'nother ball game (though still Southern) i'm eager to hear how you like it there.

Re: Which South?

[cathaarsix]

oh, and to answer the "which South?" question, my dad, though having grown up in a number of places, settled in southern Georgia. his father was from Florida actually (back when it was far more "Southern" than it it now) my mother's whole side is from Texas. i grew up entirely in the panhandle of Florida, the more culturally Southern part of it. so i'm not the most Southern Florida Cracker Boy (if such a thing can be measured) but still identify with it more than anything else.

Re: Which South?

[ex_dvk]

i believed that the south was a technologically backwards shithole full of racists and rednecks who needed a calculator to do basic addition. then i moved to Georgia. still thought that. then i moved back to Michigan.

i'd give anything to live in Georgia again.

[ex_dvk]

i think that the hipsters you mention forget that the north has rednecks too, and most are even worse than you'll find in the south. we just collect them in trailor parks. at least SOUTHERN rednecks can blame their ignorance on the educational system being such shite in the south, what is their excuse up here? "duhrr. schooln wuz 2 hard. n' ah like cars"

[cathaarsix]

indeed, as you suggest, there are rednecks everywhere. they look a little different in different places, but are still recognizeable. most of the hispters i refer to have travelled so little as to not have an exceptionally sophisticated idea of what people who live in different areas are really like. they just sit around all day and dream about how cool Brooklyn is, ignorant of the fact that Brooklyn has as many degenerate folk as any comparably sized area.

[ex_dvk]

that vaguely reminds me of a Lewis Black skit in which he yells about people who tote how much better America is than the rest of the world, yet they have never left the country. "For all you know there could be other countries giving shit away for free every day! Canada is one of those countries. You know what they give away? HEALTH INSURANCE!!!"

lol

[cathaarsix]

nice... that LB is one funny motherfucker.

[blizack]

I was going to comment about the atrocious human beings I encountered on a regular basis in Michigan, but I see you've already taken care of that.

I still think Southern food sucks, but you're right about there being disgusting human beings everywhere you go.