Why Texas have Bad Image (title, area, places)

[socketz]

Country Music....I've yet to meet anyone here that listens to it....that has been a dissapointment to me, especially since many of the Country stars are from TX. Heck, I was hoping to meet Miranda Lambert here.

I'm curious to learn about Blue Bell Ice Cream. Is this a flavoring, or is it just vanilla with blue food coloring.

Tex Mex is pretty good, definitely different from CalMex, but each has it's pluses and minuses. Big fat streaks.....I think Palm Srpings CA has more Steak Houses per capita than Dallas, so I don't see really a correlation. Most of the natives I work with are very health conscience, as were the ones I worked with in CA. No change there for me. I am impressed at the quality of Sushi you can get in the Dallas area.

Never had Lone Star beer. Had Schiner, not my favorite, but most Texans would say it's not their favorite either. You might like it if you like a really bitter beer.

[irwin]

Originally Posted by Tama

Well-reading this thread brings back memories! I spent a year in Austin several years ago, am originally from the NE and have lived in the South for many many years-gads. My perspective-Texas has many unique and individual offerings that they must be proud of. Excellent universities, medical centers (M.D. Anderson to name one), some thriving metro areas, and a diversity for lifestyle from the great outdoors to the sophistication of Dallas. It is an airport hub on the likes of Atlanta and Chicago for those of us from the South traveling anywhere west. Its people are proud and hardworking. In my humble opinion though--there was an us & them attitude bigtime. Not necessarily to the newcomers-they see the light but in letters to the editor in the papers and in the news sections, I constantly read negative comments about other areas of the country and how great and superior Texas was. It was permeated in everything that was a public communication outlet, radio talk shows included. I came to resent it.
It wasn't a perception from without that formed my opinion but this perception from within. Maybe that attitude is picked up by outsiders? Anyway, people in other places aren't necessarily enthralled with big fat steaks, Tex-Mex, Blue Bell ice bream (artificial flavor), country music, and Lone Star beer, so one thing that might present a more realistic image is to start talking up some of the other great kinds of foods and activities available--and stop being so defensive and antagonistic yourselves. Just my opinion.

Thanks for saying that. There is definitely an "us v. them" attitude in Texas and it can get very annoying. The absolute indifference and grandstanding is also a little over the top. But there are many positives about Texas and I miss those positives.

[Tama]

Lifertexan--I know you love your state with good reason--but---the title of the thread is Why Texans have a bad image......if you don't give a hoot that is fine. However, those outsiders are your fellow Americans.

[momof2dfw]

Originally Posted by socketz

Country Music....I've yet to meet anyone here that listens to it....that has been a dissapointment to me, especially since many of the Country stars are from TX. Heck, I was hoping to meet Miranda Lambert here.

I'm curious to learn about Blue Bell Ice Cream. Is this a flavoring, or is it just vanilla with blue food coloring.

Tex Mex is pretty good, definitely different from CalMex, but each has it's pluses and minuses. Big fat streaks.....I think Palm Srpings CA has more Steak Houses per capita than Dallas, so I don't see really a correlation. Most of the natives I work with are very health conscience, as were the ones I worked with in CA. No change there for me. I am impressed at the quality of Sushi you can get in the Dallas area.

Never had Lone Star beer. Had Schiner, not my favorite, but most Texans would say it's not their favorite either. You might like it if you like a really bitter beer.

I LOVE country music . I'm a HUGE country music fan but you are right, it is not "the thing" here, never really has been. Even growing up I knew no one that was a fan of country music that was my age. So it was one of those things you kept hush-hush back then so you would not be made fun of. Seriously. Now it is more open and I know many people and friends that do like country music but it still is not tops.

Blue Bell Ice Cream, Brenham, Texas. No, it is not blue . But if you take a visit w/ the kiddo's to The Purple Cow (which is a MUST) they have purple vanilla Blue Bell Ice Cream. Blue Bell comes in all kinds of flavors and can be found w/ all of the other ice creams in the store. Spring Creek BBQ serves vanilla Blue Bell ice cream (shhhh, they give it out free on Sunday's. But be forewarned, if ya go on Sunday they do play gospel music and you'll see lot's of "church people" ).

Miranda Lambert, have not seen her either, at least not that I know of.

Shiner Beer, if you had it on tap out at some places, no it is not good and can leave a bitter after taste. The reason being is because of the weight of the beer it is not like others and the gas mix is not suited for it. When someone properly uses the right mix of beer gas it tastes MUCH BETTER! Whenever your out and the beer on tap does not taste right, ask them if their carbo draft system is set right. LOL!!! They won't even know what your talking about more than likely unless it is the manager. That or stick to bottles.

[jwb123]

Outsiders? Do you live in Podunk-ville? Are you 80?

Almost every mid-to-large sized city nowadays has people from every state in the country, as well as international people. There is no such thing as "outsiders" anymore.

You look out your window and think "well, I remember when.." and it is hard to see those days gone.

Good lord, life is all about change. Grasp it.


Seriously, I have not met a single person in the last 4 months since I moved here that has given me the impression it's "us vs. them". I even still have WA plates on my car.

And by the way, I dig that Texans have pride for Texas. And Austinites love the Longhorns.

[lifertexan]

However, those outsiders are your fellow Americans.

Fellow Americans?Texas is part of America? I thought the US was a territory of the Republic of Texas.

[kawgpz550]

LMBO at LiferTexan, you crack me up. See people like LiferTexan is EXACTLY what I do love about Texas. It's Texas pride! Lifer doesn't have a problem with newcomers, he has a problem with the newcomers that "CHOSE" to come and bi-ch and moan about it every chance they get. It's the people the choice to move to Texas that cannot adapt to Texas (or anywhere else for that matter, that is "outside their comfort zone"). If you don't like it, save up and suck it up and move back to where you came from. Don't sit there and complain and bash on Texas just because you made a bad decision!
One of the things that give Texas a "bad image" is people's poor choice of the english language (sorry Monte, I think yours was more a typo than faulty english...lol). Actually, to be more specific, the MEDIA is what gives Texas a bad image. You watch westerns and commercials (like the commercial for Pace Picante Sauce being made in San Antonio...) that portrays Texans as riding their horses and living outdoors with their southern drawl and poor english skills etc. TV is what gives Texas a bad image.
I have NEVER met a person from Texas I didn't like. I'm not saying a person that now lives in Texas, I'm talking true blue Texan. My dad was born in Olton, TX (about 50 miles north of Lubbock). My dad is the most wonderful man in the world (except for maybe the rest of you true Texan men...lol). Good ole boy mentality: extremely family oriented, kicked back, hard working, trustworthy and reliable!
Anyway, I think everyone is really putting to much emphasis on Texas' "bad image". Face it Arkansas, Tennessee, Kenntucky, Alabama etc. have a worse image than Texas ever has. I'm not saying this because this is what I think, I lived in Arkansas for 3 years so I know better. When we moved back west (BRIEFLY to Southern California <hated it> and originally from Northern Ca.), more than once I had to deal with the comment "Arkansas, that's where they're all barefoot and pregnant, right?" HELLLOOOOOO!!! The first time I got that comment was while enrolling in high school. The principal asked me that! I told him to scr-w off and I would find a different school to attend! And I did! I also turned him into the school board and he got fired. Come to find out that wasn't the first RUDE comment he had made to a student.

[kawgpz550]

BTW, not bad english...lol...just overlook MY typos in my previous post LOL

[socketz]

"I LOVE country music . I'm a HUGE country music fan but you are right, it is not "the thing" here, never really has been. Even growing up I knew no one that was a fan of country music that was my age. So it was one of those things you kept hush-hush back then so you would not be made fun of. Seriously. Now it is more open and I know many people and friends that do like country music but it still is not tops."

Your open minded, wear cowboy boots, like hot rods, jet skis, beer, football, Country Music....and you know where all the cool spots are in Dallas. Should I just propose to you now :-) Just kidding of course. You do seem to have your act together.

[Tama]

JenBar--I don't know if your comment about Podunk-ville was directed at me or not. My use of the term "outsider" was in response to Lifertexan using it. I don't think in those terms. However, you also responded to another post suggesting it was a "bitter" retort about newcomers. You might come to find that attitude a little more pervasive than just here on this forum. Your experience seems positive and that is great. Hope it continues. I am just stating a perception I had when I was there and chimed in to the question the thread asked. I could be quite wrong and maybe some good conversation can prove that. I am not insisting it is true. I don't want my point distorted though. I didn't personally feel any anomosity from natives when I lived in Austin. I, did, percieve from the comments in the papers, on the radio, and in large group settings where the conversation flowed loud and clear that Texans pride in their state sometimes went to the point of braggadacio and being dismissive of the contributions of the other proud states.