Sterotyping of rural Kentucky (Lexington, Louisville: cinema, schools, living in)

[Davart]

Actually I could say stereotyping of rural America, I read quite a few post from people living in urban areas saying things along the lines of (I'm paraphrasing here) ...

"Rural Kentucky is bigoted..."
"I'd stay away for rural Kentucky..."
"Rural Kentucky is poor and uneducated..."
"Intolerant Christian right in rural Kentucky ..."

There are a lot more be you get the idea.

Well frankly, I'm getting a little tired of it, my southern graces are really waning. This attitude mainly seems to arise on thread about tolerance or acceptance. Let me ask you this city folks, if we're so intolerant why is it every time there is a race riot it's in a city? Every time there is a protest or mob it's in a city. Name one in a rural area this has happened, can't do it can you?

The facts are these attitudes are in themselves geographically bigoted, culturally basis and some folks, not naming names, seem to think that if you don't live within 40 or 50 miles of Louisville or Lexington you're just out of touch and likely married to your sister. Additionally we're uneducated, over religious, shack dwelling inbreds and have only poor underachieving schools that only teach about Jesus. We're out of touch, out of date and out at Klan rallies.

Are there racist, bigoted, intolerant rednecks in rural KY? Sure there is and they also racist, bigoted, intolerant rednecks in urban areas too, I've seen them without looking to hard and this trait is not exclusive to Kentucky.

Here's an idea, if you don't live in rural areas, please don't tell us that do what it's like. You can no more say rural eastern KY and rural western KY are the same, this goes for rural northern and rural southern KY too. It's all apples and oranges. I can no more tell you what the people are like or what it's like to live in Letcher County than you can tell me what the people are like or what it's like to live in Graves Country at the other end of the state, unless you are here. So stop it. There is a 120 counties in Kentucky and each one is unique in it's own way.

Most people here are Kentuckians and we all should be Ambassadors for our entire state, it's understandable to want to promote your areas over others, but don't run down those other areas that you know little about. Don't promote your area at the cost of the reputation of others. It's not fair, it's not right and it's just flat out misleading most of the time.

I'm sorry I just had to get that off my chest ...

[palmtrees_are_kool]

Yeah, I'm originally from Irvine. From what you listed I can prove one of the sterotypes wrong. I am not religious in any way. My friend from Irvine and I were having a conversation the other day about how these people from California came up to him at Natural Bridge and asked "why do you guys talk like that, why not talk where people can understand you" and my fav "So you guys do wear shoes all the time". We do speak diffrent but everone does. Have you listened to a Boston accent, no letter R lol. Yeah it gets to me sometimes. The thing that gets me the most is up in Cincinnati, my cousins act like there so much better (even though you can see KY from there house). I have typed long enough....

[palmtrees_are_kool]

I mean see KY from there. Not house, that would be even more funny lol

[EKYGirlinLEX]

I have had the "does everyone here wear shoes?" question myself. When I first moved to Lexington from Eastern KY I had a girl, who I thought was my friend, invite me to a party where she spent the entire evening asking me to say different words and phrases for her friends so they could make fun of me. It wasn't until then that I realized the stigma that follows those from rural KY. I love where I'm from and I have grown to love Lexington as well, but I do wish there was a way to change the way people think sometimes.

[Davart]

Originally Posted by EKYGirlinLEX

I do wish there was a way to change the way people think sometimes.

It's not happening, ignorance like ugly goes clean to the bone.

[palmtrees_are_kool]

Bad thing is, you never really know what its like to live there untill you have, or untill you have spent a lot of time there. I sometimes wonder though, a ghetto in a large city, and a poor commnity in the country, living conditions are sort of alike. I would love to see some of these people go to somewhere like Gary, IN and try to ask some of these questions. No southern hospitality there lol.

[city_data_poster]

I love living in Kentucky! It's a wonderful state! And the neighboring states are wonderful too! Tennessee comes to mind.

Every state in the country has it's pluses and minuses.

I have a pretty good idea of what Kentucky's pluses and minuses are.....and I still enjoy living here!

It's a great place to be!

[missymomof3]

Davart I hear ya honey! I am one of those "urban" people who does NOT think the stereotypes that you have mentioned. I for one identify MUCH more with the state of Kentucky than the city of Louisville

[censusdata]

Davart, are you talking about outsiders vision or rural KY or people on this forum frequently being recommended towards the so called Golden Triangle?

[Davart]

Originally Posted by censusdata

Davart, are you talking about outsiders vision or rural KY or people on this forum frequently being recommended towards the so called Golden Triangle?

I'm talking about native Kentuckians that stereotype rural Kentucky ... I overlook outsiders as I more or less expect them to be misinformed. Thanks in part to the Kentucky urbanites, the media and Hollywood cinema.