Redneck or Good Old Boy?

[RuralCoastalGuy]

Wow! I didn't think this post would bring such a great response, and I love all the comments. Thanks.

[Galounger]

O.K. here it is.

Good ol' boy: Term used by traditional rural southerners to refer to somebody else who is one of them ( the sameway wiseguys in the Mafia refer to someone as a goodfella to indicate "he's one of us he's okay") Ex. "Bubba? Yeah I know him. He's a good ole boy"

Redneck: Term originally used by middle and upperclass southern townfolks to refer to the lower class rural people who would come into town (because the backs of their necks would be sunburned red from farm labor). Ex. "These rednecks don't know how to behave in a nice establishment".

[anonymous]

At least where I'm from, "Good ol' boy" is a compliment. It's how a guy would describe his drinking buddies, golfing buddies, fishing buddies, etc. It generally implies that the person is like-minded, with similar views.

Redneck is a little different. It has a negative connotation among the middle class, but rednecks themselves embrace the word and the lifestyle. I see trucks around town with the word "REDNECK" written across the top of the windshield.

[TXTwizter]

Originally Posted by 18Montclair

A good 'ole boy as I understand it is usually a man that is part of a circle of wealthy or influential men that engage in a level of cronyism that sometimes unethical or even illegal.


A redneck as I understand is more brutish, middle to lower class, is sometimes seen as uncouth, uneducated, closed-minded and prejudiced-many times proud of these attributes.

You got it buddy!!! Thats exactly what they mean!

[Tesaje]

From where I sit, they are the same thing. The distinctions cited are not much difference in reality.
There are wealthy rednecks, there are poor good ole boys. Both are pathetic exclusionary behavior to bolster up their poor self esteem at the expense of some out-group.

[JakeDog]

Depends on where you are I suppose. A good ol' boy pre-Dukes of Hazzard often referred to well connected generally better off southern men in areas dominated by an old boy network. Maybe it has changed. It can also simply be slang for someone you respect or like. Redneck is almost always a put down and generally refers (but not always) to a less educated rural white person. In a less derrogatory way redneck can also be used to describe anyone who likes hunting, bass fishing, NASCAR, etc.

[anonymous]

Originally Posted by Tesaje

From where I sit, they are the same thing. The distinctions cited are not much difference in reality.

You don't see a difference between someone who is described as a "like-minded friend", and someone who is described as a "without class"? The difference seems pretty clear to me.

Both are pathetic exclusionary behavior to bolster up their poor self esteem at the expense of some out-group.

Wow, lots of anger and false assumptions made here.

a. What makes you think a "good ol' boy" has poor self-esteem?

b. What makes you think that "good ol' boy" status is exclusionary? I've seen poor, rich, black, white, and hispanic described as "good ol boys". The only group it excludes is women.

c. How does being a "Good ol' boy" come at the expense of someone else? Just because someone is well-liked, does not mean that everyone else suffers.

[skatealoneskatetogether]

the police cought ol bob again drunk as a skunk on the turn pike. Since he was a good ol boy they followed him home to make sure he got home safe.

The redneck bought a new home in fontana 2 years ago. He does not understand why his home is being forclosed. Isn't it his right to own a home with zero down???