Why don't Northerners seem to lose their accents when they move South? (elementary schools, income)
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Exhibit A in why Southerners find Northerners arrogant.
PS--there are a lot more than one "Southern accent". Even in the same state. The "Appalachian" accent is the most "trailer park" sounding, if you must (think Dolly Parton). Then there are more "regular" Southern accents e.g. Bill Clinton, and the coastal "Charleston" accent, mentioned above as "non-rhotic".
The movie Steel Magnolias actually has many varieties of Southern, even though most of the actresses were not native to the South. Dolly P's was more of a "mountain" accent, most of the others were more "regular" Southern, and Olympia Dukakis's was the more upper-class/"Charleston" accent.
Hollywood is notorious for majorly botching Southern accents, but most of these actresses (especially Olympia, who can just as convincingly do a sharp NY accent (cf Moonstruck) did a great job, except that Sally Field completely lost her accent altogether in the cemetery scene.
You're right. To add to that, my parents are originally from a rural area about 40 miles inland from Myrtle Beach. There's a small community in the area called Beaver Dam. Only about 100-150 people in that area. They have an accent that I've never heard anywhere else in the South; not even in that surrounding area. It's just a very thick Southern, almost creole, accent. But has a hint of Scottish. Totally different!
However I remind you that it'd be unfair to paint all northerners to have that attitude.
Yeah, these stereotypes are part of why there is tension n between northern and southern whites. The northeasterners I know in real life aren't like some posters on CD from the coastal northeast.
Location: Appalachian New York, Formerly Louisiana
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Originally Posted by ialmostforgot
Yeah, these stereotypes are part of why there is tension n between northern and southern whites. The northeasterners I know in real life aren't like some posters on CD from the coastal northeast.
Likewise, I personally know and have met in passing many intelligent and compassionate southerners.
It's a shame that some people choose to perpetuate the stereotypes by either believing them or supporting them with words and/or actions.
It's also a shame that that sort of northerner is typically the type with enough money to regularly travel. Allowing dissenters to cherry pick their personalities as representative of all people north of Virginia and west of Texas.
I personally have nothing against the south, nor do I hold all southern people responsible for the bad eggs. I do, sadly, know somebody who does. Ironically they are from Tennessee and have severe self loathing.
Probably because Northern culture isn't stigmatized in the same way Southern culture is. I'm from Chicago, and I don't think I'd try to lose my Great Lakes accent if I moved to the South or anywhere else - in fact, I'd be more liable to consciously attempt to keep it. I imagine the only Northerners who'd take on Southern accents in any measurable time after moving would be ones who either (1) are exceptionally friendly and permeable in their speech patterns regardless of region or (2) strongly identify with Southern culture already - listen to country all the time, drive a pickup, etc.
All the same, I do worry sometimes that the increasing geographic mobility of average Americans will continue to hammer out our dialectal differences in the future. Of course, I guess most people wouldn't consider this a bad thing.
Yeah, that's definitely a thing. Moving to Ohio for college was the strongest reinforcement I've had in my life of my Chicago identity, including (largely subconsciously) exaggerating my own accent more - I guess I'd assumed beforehand that the Midwest was the Midwest and everyone in the region talked the same.
i know it sounds odd, but I always think of the North as actually being more blue collar/rough. Especially the Northeast. Chicago is a very working class city. You don't find as many "working class" cities in the South. It kind of ends at Baltimore.
I think adapting your voice to go from a northern to southern accent is difficult than the other way around. I tried to speak southern once and it didn't work out
A lot of times they develop an interesting hybrid accent of sorts, especially if they move to the rural/small town South where Southern accents are a good bit stronger.
Location: Appalachian New York, Formerly Louisiana
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Originally Posted by Mutiny77
A lot of times they develop an interesting hybrid accent of sorts, especially if they move to the rural/small town South where Southern accents are a good bit stronger.
Aye. That very thing happened to me.
And as somebody pointed out waaaaaay back in this thread, rural northerners and northerners who tend to be laid back already take to the southern accent far more easily.
In fact, my odd mixture of accents alone caused my mother to start pronouncing some words southernly, and that was just off of hearing my second-hand southern.
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All I have to say is, "Bless your heart" 
