Okay, Charlotte. What does redneck mean to you? (appointed, theatre)

[anifani821]

Originally Posted by Visvaldis

Yuppies are not restricted to the North. Surely, the South has plenty of them as well.
Redneck (to me) is:
men wearing their baseball caps backwards, or shaving their heads to to be more macho. The caps have beer logos. Some wear bandanas, the utility I have never figured out. Maybe I'll ask one sometime.
Men that rip off the sleeves on their shirts to show their arms to be more macho. Has anyone ever seen the shirt with the inscription "101% Redneck"?
I've even encountered men that try to talk with a deep voice to be more macho. Bizarre to hear when it is not his usual voice.
Rednecks generally value brawn over brain.
Rednecks ride Harleys, the kind you can hear 3 miles away. Many redneck biker chicks (blondes) should wear a sign on their butts that reads "Double Wide".
Rednecks love to fight. There's nothing like going out, gittin' all likkered up, and using the fists.
Rednecks have bumper stickers like God Bless America, My President is Charleton Heston, NASCAR, One Nation Under God, 3 Things That Made This Country Great: God, Guns, and Guts, Bush/Cheney, Proud To Be An American Redneck, Praise The Lord & Pass The Ammo. I've seen all of these.
Rednecks have a flag next to their trailers, as well as an old car, old applicances, bicycles, and plenty of odds and ends sticking out among the waist high weeds. The 10 Commandments sign is in the mowed area.
Rednecks are easy to fool by politicians. All that the politician has to say is God Bless America, and they'll follow you anywhere. Any politician that mentions god often enough gets their attention. Politicians (and talk show hosts) can convince rednecks of anything; Muslims are all out to kill us, France is a commie nation that hates America (some rednecks even know where France is located), liberals hate America, people who don't believe in god are evil, there's something wrong with people who don't own guns, blacks (and immigrants) get priority for everything and are living from the hard earned money of white workers.

You sure have given a lot of descriptions, but very few of them fit either a redneck or good ole boy. And no, we weren't saying there are no yuppies in the South. Charlotte is full of yuppies - and what is wrong w/ that?

Your post is chock full of derisive descriptions, and could fit many people all across this country. You are confusing machismo w/ redneck behavior and they are not the same.

[BrianH1970]

Originally Posted by PeytonC

out-of-touch Al franken devotee.

While we're on the topic of stereotypes I think that one fits the bill nicely.

[southbound_295]

Well, Ani, this is something that I could write a lot about. Instead, I'll try to condense it, at least for now.

I've never connected The South & rednecks. I've also never connected racists & rednecks.

I'm originally from Michigan & still have most of the accent to prove it. I've had people tell me that the South is full of Rednecks & the Midwest is "a barren wasteland full of hicks". I knew some meant no offence, but others did. To the latter, I looked them in the eye & said. "So, let me get this straight, you're calling me a hick." .......

I've had a few people from North Jersey tell me that everybody in South Jersey is a hick & a farmer.

I think that labels are relative to where you are.

Actually, I heard the term white trash long before redneck. A lot of the traits that I saw people post in reference to rednecks, I thought were descriptive of white trash.

On the other hand, around here, Yuppie is not a compliment. It is an insult.

[md to nc]

loud-pickup-driving, rebel-flag waving, honky-tonk listening, deer-hunting, 6-pack drinking, YEEEHAAAWWW NASCAR devotionalist that is deep rooted in their flea markets and farm equipment.


Well you just described my husband and I to a tee. Does that make me a redneck because I drive a pick up, have a beer when I want and go to nascar races. Just a stereotype I guess

[vindaloo]

Charlotte had the reputation of being the ultimate yuppie city about a decade ago.

[anifani821]

Originally Posted by md to nc

loud-pickup-driving, rebel-flag waving, honky-tonk listening, deer-hunting, 6-pack drinking, YEEEHAAAWWW NASCAR devotionalist that is deep rooted in their flea markets and farm equipment.


Well you just described my husband and I to a tee. Does that make me a redneck because I drive a pick up, have a beer when I want and go to nascar races. Just a stereotype I guess

See, that's the thing. So many of these descriptions cover a wide part of the population (not just Southerners) but they are not a complete description.

I may listen to honky tonk cry-in-my-beer music on Thursday nite, and be listening to post-rock on Friday nite and Mozart on Saturday nite. I may drink my beer while watching a race but have my G&T while entertaining friends and cooking a gourmet meal. I enjoy flea markets and estate sales and digging in the dirt (wish I had a tiller!!!) I could go on and on. Picking out a few things I may do will stereotype me in many ways. We could go all Yuppie and talk about golf clubs and Manalos, Polo shirts, Lily Pulitzer and second homes at Pawley's Island.

That is, I guess, my whole point. Stereotypes serve no purpose but to diminish the person being stereotyped. Calling someone a "redneck" dismisses them and completely obliterates their individuality. Why do that??

[anifani821]

Originally Posted by vindaloo

Charlotte had the reputation of being the ultimate yuppie city about a decade ago.

Sure did. That and Prep City. So explain why now I hear people referring to Charlotte as a redneck Southern city. Very strange.

[vindaloo]

Originally Posted by md to nc

loud-pickup-driving, rebel-flag waving, honky-tonk listening, deer-hunting, 6-pack drinking, YEEEHAAAWWW NASCAR devotionalist that is deep rooted in their flea markets and farm equipment.


Well you just described my husband and I to a tee. Does that make me a redneck because I drive a pick up, have a beer when I want and go to nascar races. Just a stereotype I guess

Just makes you a proud daughter of the south. Southerners are the only Americans that are identified by their section of the country. Go anywhere, and you are recognized as a "Southerner" and your accent becomes interesting, etc. It isn't a bad thing as I have always been treated very warmly in New England and other northern spots. I have even received free auto service in Chicago just because the owner of the shop liked my southern accent (which is not typically hillbilly). In London,as a single young man, girls liked me right away because of my southern accent. It opened many doors To them, it wasn't like the usual New York accent that was so common and often identified as unpleasing and rude. Southerners are identified first as southerners and then Americans. When I visit the north, my relatives are even proud to introduce me as their southern nephew, etc. So, there are some people outside the south that respect and accept the way we are. Of course I try to project a good image when out of my normal living zone. Southerners should never have to change our ways for anybody. There isn't much difference between the guy in Huntsville, Alabama and the guy from Bloomington, Illinois. When someone makes a negative comment about the southern accent, I mention that they would probably hate it in Ireland, Scotland, or parts of England where the accents are strong and "different". When everyone changes their lifestyles to be typically American, things just won't be interesting any more. Uniqueness is good (unless you are an axe murderer or something). I accept positive stereotypes.

[himain]

How about someone whos been in the sun for too long????

[vindaloo]

Originally Posted by anifani821

Sure did. That and Prep City. So explain why now I hear people referring to Charlotte as a redneck Southern city. Very strange.

I think that anyone that would call Charlotte a redneck city has a personal gripe and the term, though inaccurate, is a way to be insulting. I am sure that if were a bitter person, I could do better? It is possible that a person from NYC, San Francisco, or Boston (central) would see Charlotte as a small city compared to their domicile and possibly redneck. My aunt in Boston once asked me why there are so many pick-up trucks in the south. I explained that southerners often have boats or other recreational vehicles they use for pleasure. I suppose she thought everyone used them to haul hay or pitbulls? I do remember driving through Lynn, a section of Boston and seeing a rebel flag in front of the house. Did my heart good