[manhattangirl]

I just watched an episode of Close to Home.

It is set in Wasington, D.C. and a town called Happy in rural Alabama.

The town is very stereotypical. I won't list the plot or characters here because everyone knows what the stereotypes are.

I have been to Alabama but it was Birmingham for a weekend for a wedding. It was 90+ degrees and I didn't go anywhere besides the wedding activities.

Are these stereotypes about Alabama (or the rural deep South in general) true or false or just outdated?

[280Tony]

Originally Posted by manhattangirl

Are these stereotypes about Alabama (or the rural deep South in general) true or false or just outdated?

All of the above. Our past is extremely checkered. It saw both the best and the worst of people. It has been the stage for unspeakable evil, as well as world-changing courage and redemption. But it is the former which most people outside of the state remember and identify with Alabama. It greatly marred our national reputation, and has cost us considerable economic loss. But, as with most things, time has served to heal. Despite a legacy blemished by hate, the greatest and most sacred thing about Alabama has and always will be her people.

In portraying us and life here, Hollywood gets things both right and wrong. We have accents, we do talk slower. We are fatter, but that's because the food is good as sh1t and makes us happy like pigs. Most people in this part of the country are very religious. God is present in every church, school, courtroom, capitol building, and state house. Pace of life here is much slower, but we like that. You only see real social and cultural progression on a wide and active scale in the big cities -- most of Alabama and the South still retains a provincial, reduced, conservative social standard. Most of the towns and small cities will look dated, a bit lapsed, and a bit dirty. Still, there's no place like home.

Old, white, nepotistic, self-serving codgers control a majority of the power and seats in government and business. There remains racial distrust among gen X white and blacks, and outright hostility in the older demos. The younger population views race relations much along the same lines as the rest of the US; maybe things are not ideal, but they're getting better, and there's a will to help them improve. So no, we are not all racists. I'd say a very small percentage carry as some fictional tv shows and movies depict. We are friends, neighbors (not in Mtn. Brook), and coworkers. Whites and blacks get along here pretty well. The cool ones that is. We all hate white trash meth heads and thug hoodlums. I've honestly encountered more open, widespread racism in parts of the US outside of Alabama and the South.

Family is everything. Corporal punishment is highly useful. Manners and respect are enforced, and requisite if you're going anywhere in life. Domestic and professional discord is usually fought with passive aggression. We're a hell of a lot smarter than given credit for, but not as smart as the Northeast. NASCAR is real and glorious. For every 2.5 of us who are decent looking, there is 1 toothless leather-skinned wonder. For every 1 social climber, there are 2.5 status-quo-is-a-ok-ers. Maybe more. Probably more. But the genteel, polite, warm, traditional motiff of the Southern persona is a real thing, although I unfortunately sense some of it being lost with my generation. That takes on many forms on the screen, and is perceived in many ways. But if nothing else, we can be a pretty charming people. We are natural storytellers.

Like anyone, we are proud. We love Alabama intensely. It's a very scenic state. Hard to beat in the fall. It is as much a part of each of us and who we are as our own flesh and bone. We celebrate our cultural, civic, and scientific contributions to this country and the world. We have grown and we have learned. We're still learning and growing. We've come far, and understand we have miles to go. In 2016, we (at least most Alabamians I know) are confident about our trajectory. We have a respectable state economy, having forged prudent and strategic business relationships towards diversifying industry. But we continue to battle the national perception that we are nothing but dumb, insensitive, gauche yokels. Simply ain't true.

[harry chickpea]

For your answer, ask any professional who has had their work or workspace "interpreted" by Hollywood. The plots of movie and television work best with simple icons and stereotypes. It is no wonder that the enduring vision of ACME products relates to Wiley Coyote's product misuse.

[manhattangirl]

Originally Posted by 280Tony

All of the above. Our past is extremely checkered. It saw both the best and the worst of people. It has been the stage for unspeakable evil, as well as world-changing courage and redemption. But it is the former which most people outside of the state remember and identify with Alabama. It greatly marred our national reputation, and has cost us considerable economic loss. But, as with most things, time has served to heal. Despite a legacy blemished by hate, the greatest and most sacred thing about Alabama has and always will be her people.

In portraying us and life here, Hollywood gets things both right and wrong. We have accents, we do talk slower. We are fatter, but that's because the food is good as sh1t and makes us happy like pigs. Most people in this part of the country are very religious. God is present in every church, school, courtroom, capitol building, and state house. Pace of life here is much slower, but we like that. You only see real social and cultural progression on a wide and active scale in the big cities -- most of Alabama and the South still retains a provincial, reduced, conservative social standard. Most of the towns and small cities will look dated, a bit lapsed, and a bit dirty. Still, there's no place like home.

Old, white, nepotistic, self-serving codgers control a majority of the power and seats in government and business. There remains racial distrust among gen X white and blacks, and outright hostility in the older demos. The younger population views race relations much along the same lines as the rest of the US; maybe things are not ideal, but they're getting better, and there's a will to help them improve. So no, we are not all racists. I'd say a very small percentage carry as some fictional tv shows and movies depict. We are friends, neighbors (not in Mtn. Brook), and coworkers. Whites and blacks get along here pretty well. The cool ones that is. We all hate white trash meth heads and thug hoodlums. I've honestly encountered more open, widespread racism in parts of the US outside of Alabama and the South.

Family is everything. Corporal punishment is highly useful. Manners and respect are enforced, and requisite if you're going anywhere in life. Domestic and professional discord is usually fought with passive aggression. We're a hell of a lot smarter than given credit for, but not as smart as the Northeast. NASCAR is real and glorious. For every 2.5 of us who are decent looking, there is 1 toothless leather-skinned wonder. For every 1 social climber, there are 2.5 status-quo-is-a-ok-ers. Maybe more. Probably more. But the genteel, polite, warm, traditional motiff of the Southern persona is a real thing, although I unfortunately sense some of it being lost with my generation. That takes on many forms on the screen, and is perceived in many ways. But if nothing else, we can be a pretty charming people. We are natural storytellers.

Like anyone, we are proud. We love Alabama intensely. It's a very scenic state. Hard to beat in the fall. It is as much a part of each of us and who we are as our own flesh and bone. We celebrate our cultural, civic, and scientific contributions to this country and the world. We have grown and we have learned. We're still learning and growing. We've come far, and understand we have miles to go. In 2016, we (at least most Alabamians I know) are confident about our trajectory. We have a respectable state economy, having forged prudent and strategic business relationships towards diversifying industry. But we continue to battle the national perception that we are nothing but dumb, insensitive, gauche yokels. Simply ain't true.

Thanks for a detailed and heartfelt response.

[manhattangirl]

Originally Posted by I'm with h

I think most depictions of any state/city/town is always a bad stereotype.

Regards
h

I have to say that some of the depictions of New York are accurate. There are dozens of realities in a large city so I sometimes think that these stereotypes have a grain of truth but are just exaggerated.

[southernnaturelover]

We got a chuckle over that last episode, the part where the sheriff said "the ambulance will take 3 hours to get here"... the fact is there's hardly anywhere in this state where you can't get an ambulance within 30 minutes, and no sheriff here would ever take an injured person to a retired old doctor with dementia.

Tyler Perry is from Atlanta, and he looks down on Alabama for some reason. Everytime he needs a "Southern white trash" setting for a movie he uses Alabama instead of rural parts of his own state, he did the same thing in his Madea Christmas movie.

[Southlander]

Originally Posted by southernnaturelover

Tyler Perry is from Atlanta, and he looks down on Alabama for some reason. Everytime he needs a "Southern white trash" setting for a movie he uses Alabama instead of rural parts of his own state, he did the same thing in his Madea Christmas movie.

Similar to how Alabama looks down on Mississippi, Georgia looks down its nose on us. Tyler Perry just has a bigger audience.

I always got grief during the 3 1/2 years I lived in Atlanta. Then we decided to move back home.
"Why in the world would you want to go back to Alabama?" my coworkers asked.
"I'll be getting paid more money," I answered.
"Where did you say you're moving in Alabama?"

[2nd trick op]

Originally Posted by harry chickpea

For your answer, ask any professional who has had their work or workspace "interpreted" by Hollywood. The plots of movie and television work best with simple icons and stereotypes. It is no wonder that the enduring vision of ACME products relates to Wiley Coyote's product misuse.

Harry, you "put the ball up in the cheap seats" with this post! ^^^^

[bosshawk]

Depends on what you mean by "Alabama". For the most part, the TV stereotypes are outdated. While 280Tony's response is ok, it much more describes rural/exurb Alabama, and very briefly mentions that the cities are different. Birmingham and Huntsville(to a way lesser extent Mobile; but Montgomery is a hellhole) are TOTALLY different than most of Alabama. You have a much more cosmopolitan metropolis and populace than rural and even in some case suburban Alabama. In Birmingham, you have world class cuisine of many types, much less religion, much less hunting/gun culture, much more liberal/progressive thinking. It would be like comparing NYC with upstate New York.

[siameseifyoupls]

And don't you just love those exaggerated, fake southern accents that still seem to pop up occasionally? You know the ones - Andy in Mayberry, the first year. That was ok then. Now it's just annoying and earns the mute button.