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But eventually, life, people and places adapt, change and grow, and some of the best things that have been brought from outside survive and become ingrained in our ever-renewing "American" culture.
I use to believe this too... that the best things would survive and it all just made the fabric of our American culture stronger. But I don't know that I believe this any more.
There are sooooo many instances in our country where charming unique little towns with it's own culture, traditions, and foods have been "discovered" and replaced w/ Pottery Barn like sameness. And of course a Starbucks has to be on a corner. And then of course, the "trend setters" are on to find the next "jewel" in the rough because it's either the hunt that makes them happy or the lack the feeling of belonging and are searching for that desparately.
It just feels like we are more concerned with the comforts of consumerism than preserving what is unique about a place. This is not unique to this area.
I admit I'm guilty to this. When we moved back to NC after 20+ year absence I was so excited to walk into Costco because it was the first store that was just like what I had back home. And for 30 glorious minutes I wasn't lost. But I'm equally as sad to see most of the IGAs, Red & Whites, and Piggly Wiggly's closed. (Thank goodness the Pig is still in Pittsboro. ) These are stores that I remember going to as a child. It's part of my fabric and while Harris Teeter is suppose to renew our ever changing American culture, I miss JoAnn at the check out of the IGA with her sweet, sugary accent askin' "Sugar, how are you today? Y'all stayin' cool? I bet little Bobby's down at the creek right now."
When we all assimlate into the same plastic, commercial Pottery Barn society then we all loose.
(CHTransplant, I'm not saying this is what you were meaning. In the last 2 year, I just have really pondered & wrestled with the ideas in your post.)
And he can do that, because he is ONE of the group he's making fun of. Do you truly not see the diffreence between making fun of "your own kind" in a self-deprecating way, and making fun of another group that you don't belong to? Woody Allen can do Jewish satire and black comedians can make fun of "the ghetto" because they are talking about "their own", but I daresay it wouldn't be nearly as funny for someone who is obviously NOT one of those groups to do it...just like you can say your own mother is a b**ch but someone else had better not!
I ABSOLUTELY AGREE. I wasn't being negative in the least. As a matter of fact, I have never been to Garner, don't know anyone from Garner and really didn't understand alot of what he was poking fun about.
It is almost reminiscent of my sister and I when we were young....we fought like cats and dogs but just let anyone else say anything negative about her - I would have clobbered them!!
When we all assimlate into the same plastic, commercial Pottery Barn society then we all loose.
(CHTransplant, I'm not saying this is what you were meaning. In the last 2 year, I just have really pondered & wrestled with the ideas in your post.)
I completely agree with you - but I think the process you describe is, for the most part, not caused by an influx of outsiders bringing their culture and norms with them. There's a different dynamic at work that is eroding the uniqueness of the different parts of this country and yielding a sterile "sameness" in its place.
Excuse me while I head off to Cary for lunch . . .
I completely agree with you - but I think the process you describe is, for the most part, not caused by an influx of outsiders bringing their culture and norms with them. There's a different dynamic at work that is eroding the uniqueness of the different parts of this country and yielding a sterile "sameness" in its place.
Excuse me while I head off to Cary for lunch . . .
I hope I didn't sound like I was blaming it all on an influx of outsiders. But I do think that is part of it. Those of us who were use to a Starbucks on every corner expect that now when we visit places Telluride, Co, which really use to only be for the "REAL snow cowboys". But Telluride even has golf now. In part because of influx of "Hollywood" and folks with money. Of course, they only spend a week or two a year there. But their cultural markings and commericial preferences have replaced the little mom & pop mountain / mining stores that use to sell everything from snow shoes to mining supplies.
CHTransplant, I hope you enjoy that lunch in Cary. I even find myself over there occassionally for lunch at Sweet Tomatos of all the bland, homgenous places. BTW, I'd love to hear what you see this other dynamic at work as. Like I said, this is something that I've been thinking about for a while.
I don't have an issue with people moving here. It is a free country and I understand they have as much right to live here as I do. I don't even have an issue with some of the changes that have happened here. What I do have an issue with is when people move here and whine that it is not like the place they came from. Well why on earth did they move somewhere if they loved where they lived so much? When you move somewhere different, it often is different. I appreciate some of the nice things that have been brought to this area from other parts of the country or even the world. Bringing some new cultural additions just means more choices for everyone else. But I think it needs to stop short of thinking everything that made the south great needs to get booted to make way for the way I am used to living. And for those that think there is not a far number of people that think the south and its people are backasswards, you are either living in denial or under a rock. It is all over the place, both in our own region and as others have posted, on television. We are not in a bubble here. People from the south do travel and do hear what people in other parts of the country say about the south. When those people move here, we are aware of it even if you are not.
Who is trying to change you? I always have thought that native Southerners had more self confidence then to get all upset that there are 'strangers' in town.
I am sorry you feel you are, as you put it, 'backasswards', but you might want to try to put in paragraph breaks...makes you seem less manic and people might be more inclide to take you seriously.
FOR EVERYONE ELSE: I know...I shouldn't play with the troll...but some things are just so out there and contrived they are funny.
May I ask where you have lived, prior to moving to the south?
"Complete disregard of common punctuation and lack of respect for readers"? Are you serious?
The original post was perfectly grammatically correct (or rather, if there were any errors they were so minor that I didn't and most other readers wouldn't catch them). Nor does it convey any disrespect. It is, in fact, an extremely respectfully and politely-written note -- one that I'm guessing could have been a strongly-worded rant. But, of course, one of the hallmarks of Southern culture is the value placed on polite behavior, at least in public.
Furthermore, you would do well to remember that the convention of leaving a space between every sentence or few sentences is a relatively new trend in writing that is specific to the internet and especially to internet forums. It is something that one would simply never do in more formal writing, or in letters, or the like, so if the original poster is new to internet forums (or simply has only used some of those that still preserve traditional writing conventions), s/he would not have known that s/he was expected to keep paragraphs kindergarten-short. (And yes, I realize that my own paragraphs in this reply are running on a bit by current standards.)
Finally, your first response raised my own NC-born-and-bred hackles when you misread the OP's indignation at being thought of as 'backasswards' as saying that s/he felt backasswards. That particular misreading, I think, gets to the heart of what the OP was saying: perhaps because s/he posted under the title 'country southern redneck', you seemed ready to jump to conclusions and dismiss the real feelings expressed.
ETA: Oh, and "troll"? Seriously? Someone posts a general but sincere and politely-worded criticism, you post a snarky and dismissive response, and you call the OP a troll? What world do you live in?
And by the way, if we're being nit-picky: one generally has a disregard for, not of something.
This poster is a troll by the very defiantion.....he has gone through MANY user names. When even his 'fans' that rush to his rescue stop catering to his ego, he changes his name, sings a different refrain from the same song and continues to spread his crud throughout these forums. He is not new to the internet.
Believe me....he is easy to dismiss because there is nothing heart felt about his postings....he is trying to insult and rail folks up.....talk about being backasswards.
This poster is a troll by the very defiantion.....he has gone through MANY user names. When even his 'fans' that rush to his rescue stop catering to his ego, he changes his name, sings a different refrain from the same song and continues to spread his crud throughout these forums. He is not new to the internet.
Believe me....he is easy to dismiss because there is nothing heart felt about his postings....he is trying to insult and rail folks up.....talk about being backasswards.
You have confirmed my suspicion about not being from the south.
This is exactly what I was talking about.
You sir, are no longer worth my time to respond to.
This poster is a troll by the very defiantion.....he has gone through MANY user names. When even his 'fans' that rush to his rescue stop catering to his ego, he changes his name, sings a different refrain from the same song and continues to spread his crud throughout these forums. He is not new to the internet.
Believe me....he is easy to dismiss because there is nothing heart felt about his postings....he is trying to insult and rail folks up.....talk about being backasswards.
Quote:
Originally Posted by southern country redneck
You have confirmed my suspicion about not being from the south.
This is exactly what I was talking about.
You sir, are no longer worth my time to respond to.
Thank
you
for
the
lesson
on
how
to
post
in
a
more
readable
format
.
I'll tell you what, I love your sense of humor; don't give a country hoot where y'all from !!!!
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) These are stores that I remember going to as a child. It's part of my fabric and while Harris Teeter is suppose to renew our ever changing American culture, I miss JoAnn at the check out of the IGA with her sweet, sugary accent askin' "Sugar, how are you today? Y'all stayin' cool? I bet little Bobby's down at the creek right now."
In part because of influx of "Hollywood" and folks with money. Of course, they only spend a week or two a year there. But their cultural markings and commericial preferences have replaced the little mom & pop mountain / mining stores that use to sell everything from snow shoes to mining supplies. 
