Do Liberals Tend to Negatively Stereotype People With Southern Accents? (March, compare)
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I'm a liberal, I guess, but it would never cross my mind to "stereotype" someone with a Southern accent. I might think that they were from the south, but that's about it.
When I was working, I worked with people from all over. I guess that helped.
From a moderate Republican point of view I agree with a lot of what you're saying, however also from my point of view I know that the words Democrat and Republican are also synonymous with social issues right now. Hence if I tell someone I'm a Republican they probably think I'm an anti-LGBT, religious NRA nut who fires his guns in the air every night after work. Despite being a Republican, I'm pro-LGBT rights, hold no religious views of any kind at all, and haven't shot a gun in...probably ever. It admittedly does get a bit frustrating to hear the young millenial generation of Democrats (I'm in this age group) just crap all over the Republican party while casting everyone with one brush of "intolerance" and "ignorance".
I'm fiscally conservative and honestly just don't like the government interfering with a lot of what I do and telling me what I have to do. I mean, why would that make me hate gay people? That doesn't make any sense, but most people have no problem forming that opinion. Why would not really wanting the government to regulate everything make me a religious nut? Again, makes no sense. In ways other than socially I align more with the Republican party and that's all well and good but it gets a bit tiresome to hear liberals react to you or think you're a bigot because you claim "Republican", depsite agreeing with those same people on many social issues they feel strongly about.
Fair enough. I was thinking of a specific type of person, but it's worth mentioning the people who are Republicans without buying into the social issues.
The rest of us should probably do a better job of emphasizing that point, too.
I will admit to having had this stereotype, even when I was a rabid conservative Tea Party supporter. Having been born and raised in Scotland the southern redneck stereotype was equivalent to the neds or chavs for me. When I was a teen we moved to the US, Virginia specifically and I did find the accent unappealing but as I've gotten older and more left of centre I actually find it pleasant and soothing, like ice tea on a hot day. It's rarely rushed or rude and a Southerner can tell you to perform an act of self love and sound lovely doing it. There are times I have trouble understanding some of it but not so many as when I first moved here.
I love how the phrase "bless your heart" can sound so welcoming but mean something else entirely.
Seeing as how it was was 4 blocks from where I work, it's hard to ignore this event, but the CMA awards last night got me thinking.....
We all know the South is/always has been an easy target for people to pick on....despite enormous economic and social growth. We know that outspoken liberals (maybe progressives is the right word) love to hate on people who are religious nuts, over-patriotic flag wavers, Confederate flag supporters, and really just simply conservatives in general. The south has a stereotype for having religious conservatives who want to block same-sex marriage, pro-war 'MERICA supporters and still some who show off the Confederate flag.....among other things that rub left-wingers the wrong way.
My question is this: Do you think we've we gotten to a point in society where a good amount of people on the left are conditioned to think negatively of someone when they hear them speaking with a distinct southern accent, as if it meant they instantly assume this person to be "ignorant" and then believing that they couldn't possibly get along with them because of their perceived social views? The reason I bring this up is because if this is the case with some people, it seems like it would be similar to what people who are "racists" would subconsciously feel when seeing someone not of their race. If a true racist were to automatically think less of a person upon seeing they had a certain skin color, therefore being ignorant towards that person, wouldn't that kind of be the same as hearing someone speak in a certain accent and then harboring negative feelings towards them?
You can't convince me that there aren't some people who hear country music (I personally don't like it, just saying), see a Southern person on TV, hear on the radio, watch SEC football fans, whatever and immediately think in their heads what I explained above.
It's an odd thing to think about as a millenial-aged moderate Republican who lives in the South with no accent and to wonder if people would think differently of me if I spoke in a different dialect.
You may have just discovered this immediate hostility toward our beautiful Southern drawl, but it ain't nothing new. I spent some time in New Jersey back in 1957, complements of Uncle Sam and you quickly learn to lay low. They really do like a gang bang up that way.
I'm not so ignorant that I laugh at other people. Maybe you can explain why I can't laugh at them. This ought to be good.
I assume he means they will gang up on you and be violent, like happened in SLC. Or a progressive lib will call you 'racist' and you'll fired! banned! censored!. Isn't ethnic Marxism great?
I assume he means they will gang up on you and be violent, like happened in SLC. Or a progressive lib will call you 'racist' and you'll fired! banned! censored!. Isn't ethnic Marxism great?
LOL! Probably.
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http://io9.com/an-interactive-map-of-regional-american-accents-with-a-506349445
