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Might be true in terms of music but not so much else. Maybe unhealthy fried food.
Also, can you state why the Southern culture is more monolithic than other places.
This is something of a myth -- there is no monolithic "south" and never has been. Waco Texas is not Athens Georgia and Nashville Tennessee is not Charleston So. Carolina. Even Memphis and New Orleans are quite different. There are coastal, inland, mountain, urban, delta and backwoods cultures in what is commonly lumped together as "the South".
There are some very impressive cultural hotspots in the southern states but to say that they depend upon being from "the South" diminishes them...they stand on their own.
I suspect other regions may be more reluctant to admit how much influence the South has had.
I think many folks are stuck in the rut of projecting that myth of "the South". That alone will generate some friction among folks from other regions. Southern states have many assets but are not better or worse than any other region.
Are you talking about Washington and jefferson and all the early virginians influence on the formation of the country? In terms of contemporary culture, LA and Manhattan define the media and contemporary culture. dixieland ,jazzs,blues, etc are not the dominant form of music,etc and most of the media comes from Manhattan and LA
I'm talking about historically as well as now.
Jazz, country, blues, these art forms are popular the world over. Just because you listen to pop doesn't mean there aren't cultural afficionados the world over that don't appreciate these art forms. You could also say rock and roll was invented in the South (thanks Elvis).
As far as food, southern fried chicken is popular everywhere, iced tea is ubiquitous as is barbecue, as well as deserts like peach cobbler and pecan pie.
I think many folks are stuck in the rut of projecting that myth of "the South". That alone will generate some friction among folks from other regions. Southern states have many assets but are not better or worse than any other region.
You are assigning a value statement. I didn't. I didn't say they were better or worse, just that they have managed to produce cultural assets disproportional to the size and population of the country.
I've spoken to several foreigners who always make claims that America doesn't have "culture," or either they visit NYC and LA and come up with the assumption that America "steals" other people's culture. I tell them all the time, only if they would've went further South...
In actuality, The South is the only region in the US with cultural aspects developed within the country itself. The Cuisines, Music, Dance, AAVE, Carnival, Subcultures (Creoles, Gullah) and etc.
I've spoken to several foreigners who always make claims that America doesn't have "culture," or either they visit NYC and LA and come up with the assumption that America "steals" other people's culture. I tell them all the time, only if they would've went further South...
In actuality, The South is the only region in the US with cultural aspects developed within the country itself. The Cuisines, Music, Dance, AAVE, Carnival, Subcultures (Creoles, Gullah) and etc.
Exactly. The culture in the South is so different than elsewhere in the world. If only those European tourists would visit New Orleans, Charleston, Savannah, etc...
The "culture" of NYC is a mix of Italian/Irish/Puerto Rican and a lot of other ethnic groups. When they moved to NYC they brought their food and customs with them and it shaped the city.
The "culture" of LA is a mix of Anglican/Hispanic/Asian elements which influence LA not the other way around.
The culture of the South is an identity in an of itself. Jambalaya, gumbo, and cornbread are purely American culinary inventions and the the great music was invented in the South. The immigration was so small throughout the years that the immigrants were forced to assimilate, more or less, into the dominant culture there.
Exactly. The culture in the South is so different than elsewhere in the world. If only those European tourists would visit New Orleans, Charleston, Savannah, etc...
The "culture" of NYC is a mix of Italian/Irish/Puerto Rican and a lot of other ethnic groups. When they moved to NYC they brought their food and customs with them and it shaped the city.
The "culture" of LA is a mix of Anglican/Hispanic/Asian elements which influence LA not the other way around.
The culture of the South is an identity in an of itself. Jambalaya, gumbo, and cornbread are purely American culinary inventions and the the great music was invented in the South. The immigration was so small throughout the years that the immigrants were forced to assimilate, more or less, into the dominant culture there.
We have some Belgian friends who discovered the American South and Southwest a few years ago and they absolutely LOVE Southern culture (and Tejano/Latino culture as well). They've been to other parts of the US but they always say how much they love the South and how it isn't a very well known region or tourist destination in central Europe. Their European friends are always surprised when they tell them they're going BACK to San Antonio, or New Orleans, or NC's Outer Banks, or the Ozarks or southern Appalachians.
But they totally groove on it. About ten years ago we greeted them with chicken and dumplings, cornbread, black eyed peas, turnip greens, iced tea and banana pudding and they are STILL talking about that meal - they loved it!
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