Is there sarcasm in the Midwest? (Columbus, Cleveland: nicest, farm, earnings)

[Yac]

[sarcasm] what amazing, constructive, not at all defensive answers[/mod]
Guys, please calm down. The OP hasn't shown any hostility, the question might be a bit silly but becoming hyper defensive about it doesn't help. And is often rude and personal.
Yac.

[maxmodder]

Maybe he was just talking too damn fast to people in the midwest for them to even be able to understand what the hell he was saying? I find that people in the south feel this compelling need to talk slowly and people in the tri state area feel the need to talk as fast as possible. Midwest is just about right for speed of communication and should be the standard.

[Ohioan58]

^ Maxmodder - LOL.

I grew up in Dayton. One of the things I had to *unlearn* from the God forsaken, socially blighted and retarded Dayton area was that sarcasm and double meanings and backstabbing and trolling weren't the default mode of social interaction anyplace, except Dayton and SW Ohio.

When I moved away from Dayton for my first job, on the west coast, I had to unlearn all kinds of weird behaviorial tics and defense mechanisms that people in the Dayton area learn as a necessary by product of dealing with constant backbiting. I was like a whipped dog being taken away from an abusive family.

I later worked for a couple of years on the east coast (NJ, PA). My co-workers thought I had a really hard edge. Even in New Jersey, the supposed world capital of sarcasm. That Dayton sarcasm/backbiting crap again.

The style of sarcasm from the east coast is more honest and in your face and usually less personalized. The sarcasm in the midwest is from corn fed cowards who use passive aggressive sarcasm to make their "point", and making fun of someone else here is a sport.

Another reason that while I live here I despise this area and its social scene.

[JKHOSU]

Originally Posted by Ohioan58

The style of sarcasm from the east coast is more honest and in your face and usually less personalized. The sarcasm in the midwest is from corn fed cowards who use passive aggressive sarcasm to make their "point", and making fun of someone else here is a sport.

Another reason that while I live here I despise this area and its social scene.

Kind of harsh, but I have to agree. I've lived in Columbus for over 4 years and it's bad. People take perfectly innocent sarcasm personally, and then they are genuinely mean to you in return. Also, most people tend to be sheep who try not to stick out at all. Finally, the girls dress really, really poorly. It's sad to see. I knew a girl who moved up from Dallas Texas to Columbus. The first time I saw her she was wearing a beautiful, sexy pink skirt and nice shoes. The next week, she was wearing jeans and a hooded sweatshirt. She looked horrible, but she learned how to blend in. The culture here sucks. The funniest part is that they think that they are "normal", when in reality they are as far from normal as you can get. You go to the northeast, the south, the west- everybody is more genuine and nice than in this city.

That's not to say that there aren't a lot of GOOD PEOPLE here. Don't misinterpret this. I'm just saying the culture here sucks. Anybody who's lived here from the northeast knows what I'm talking about.

[jbcmh81]

Originally Posted by JKHOSU

Kind of harsh, but I have to agree. I've lived in Columbus for over 4 years and it's bad. People take perfectly innocent sarcasm personally, and then they are genuinely mean to you in return. Also, most people tend to be sheep who try not to stick out at all. Finally, the girls dress really, really poorly. It's sad to see. I knew a girl who moved up from Dallas Texas to Columbus. The first time I saw her she was wearing a beautiful, sexy pink skirt and nice shoes. The next week, she was wearing jeans and a hooded sweatshirt. She looked horrible, but she learned how to blend in. The culture here sucks. The funniest part is that they think that they are "normal", when in reality they are as far from normal as you can get. You go to the northeast, the south, the west- everybody is more genuine and nice than in this city.

That's not to say that there aren't a lot of GOOD PEOPLE here. Don't misinterpret this. I'm just saying the culture here sucks. Anybody who's lived here from the northeast knows what I'm talking about.

Perhaps people from the Northeast are just ruder and the description of people as "corn-fed cowards" or "sheep" doesn't go over very well. Maybe you come across as a jerk and don't realize it and people are rightly reacting to that. I'm also not sure why you need to be a fashion queen each day or otherwise you have somehow sold out to local culture. And how is a hoodie and jeans representative of culture? Are jeans not worn outside of the Midwest? Please. Get over yourself.

[Ohioan58]

^ I grew up in Dayton and I have moved across the country and back. I know people here. Their defense mechanisms and common behaviors are transparent to me. The original question in the thread posed was "is there sarcasm in the midwest".

My answer was basically - yes, but in a particular part of the Midwest, sarcasm is personalized and nasty and lacks finesse, and people here are simply not sophisticated enough to "get" sarcasm. People here think sarcasm is always part of a personal attack, and they use it as an attack mode.

I say that people here - people I grew up around and whom I know inside out - are passive aggressive, cowardly and corn-fed. Cowardly meaning, people snipe instead of just getting in your face and telling you what they think.

Originally Posted by JKHOSU

People take perfectly innocent sarcasm personally, and then they are genuinely mean to you in return. Also, most people tend to be sheep who try not to stick out at all. ... The funniest part is that they think that they are "normal", when in reality they are as far from normal as you can get. You go to the northeast, the south, the west- everybody is more genuine and nice than in this city.

That's not to say that there aren't a lot of GOOD PEOPLE here. Don't misinterpret this. I'm just saying the culture here sucks. Anybody who's lived here from the northeast knows what I'm talking about.

Exactly. Part of the suckiness of local culture is that locals pile on non-conformists. Anyplace else I've lived, eccentrics and those who express themselves slightly differently are treated in a "live and let live" mode. Here in Ohio, an eccentric is attacked with sarcasm, snipes and backstabbing.

There is a culture in Ohio of dumb redneck hicks who have a predisposition to attack the different. You see obsessive blandness here because nobody here wants to be called out for being different. It's withering for creativity. That's why you see the not wanting to stick out.

[jbcmh81]

Originally Posted by Ohioan58

^ I grew up in Dayton and I have moved across the country and back. I know people here. Their defense mechanisms and common behaviors are transparent to me. The original question in the thread posed was "is there sarcasm in the midwest".

My answer was basically - yes, but in a particular part of the Midwest, sarcasm is personalized and nasty and lacks finesse, and people here are simply not sophisticated enough to "get" sarcasm. People here think sarcasm is always part of a personal attack, and they use it as an attack mode.

I say that people here - people I grew up around and whom I know inside out - are passive aggressive, cowardly and corn-fed. Cowardly meaning, people snipe instead of just getting in your face and telling you what they think.

Exactly. Part of the suckiness of local culture is that locals pile on non-conformists. Anyplace else I've lived, eccentrics and those who express themselves slightly differently are treated in a "live and let live" mode. Here in Ohio, an eccentric is attacked with sarcasm, snipes and backstabbing.

There is a culture in Ohio of dumb redneck hicks who have a predisposition to attack the different. You see obsessive blandness here because nobody here wants to be called out for being different. It's withering for creativity. That's why you see the not wanting to stick out.

Columbus is one of the most highly educated cities of its size. The population is not made up of a bunch of backwater country bumpkins who don't "get" it. Frankly, your responses here come across as someone who clearly believes themselves superior to most, and if you present yourself this way to most people, I think that's mystery solved as to why you might have problems with other people perceiving personal attacks. Your obvious love of blanket stereotypes and assumptions doesn't help your case. Sorry, but you're no better than the people you rail against. This might fly on the East Coast, but you're in the Midwest now. Pretentiousness just won't get you very far.

[Natural510]

Originally Posted by Ohioan58

^ I grew up in Dayton and I have moved across the country and back. I know people here. Their defense mechanisms and common behaviors are transparent to me. The original question in the thread posed was "is there sarcasm in the midwest".

My answer was basically - yes, but in a particular part of the Midwest, sarcasm is personalized and nasty and lacks finesse, and people here are simply not sophisticated enough to "get" sarcasm. People here think sarcasm is always part of a personal attack, and they use it as an attack mode.

I say that people here - people I grew up around and whom I know inside out - are passive aggressive, cowardly and corn-fed. Cowardly meaning, people snipe instead of just getting in your face and telling you what they think.



Exactly. Part of the suckiness of local culture is that locals pile on non-conformists. Anyplace else I've lived, eccentrics and those who express themselves slightly differently are treated in a "live and let live" mode. Here in Ohio, an eccentric is attacked with sarcasm, snipes and backstabbing.

There is a culture in Ohio of dumb redneck hicks who have a predisposition to attack the different. You see obsessive blandness here because nobody here wants to be called out for being different. It's withering for creativity. That's why you see the not wanting to stick out.

This is definitely true for southwest Ohio, but not sure it applies to Columbus proper. In general though, outside certain cities & towns, what you are describing is the norm in Middle America. The funny part is these backwards hicks think they're better than anyone else when they're uncultured rubes who are the reason our country lags further behind the rest of the developed world by the year.

[Ringo1]

I'm don't think it's an education thing at all - but I would say there is less sarcasm and drama than what I was used to.

In fact, when I visit my old home, the amount of drama immediately astounds me. I think Midwesteners are more quiet and stoic; they get through each day with a minimum of fuss and drama. Perhaps not quite as 'colorful' as some other places but sarcasm is alive and well here.

[Ohioan58]

Ok, I'll admit that my statements probably do not apply outside SW Ohio. Inside SW Ohio, people I know who have moved here from other places have come to me with these kinds of comments. And my moving out and back reinforced how different the local scene is.

Columbus seems to be better educated as a whole and more white collar and much less redneck than Dayton or Cincinnati.