Every place has its stereotypes, and the American South is no exception. From everyone being hillbillies to most people living in a rural area, there are a lot of misconceptions about the South. If you’re not from there, you’ve probably heard your fair share of these growing up. Here are 15 things that people typically get wrong about the South.
1. Everyone’s a redneck.
Thanks to popular TV shows and movies, the “hillbilly” character has long been the stereotypical trademark of someone from the South. If you go to any Halloween party, there’s a good chance that you’ll find someone dressed like a hillbilly. While there are certainly some folks who fit this stereotype somewhat accurately, it’s a gross generalization to say that everyone in the South does.
2. Everyone is married to their cousin.
Another common misconception about the South is that people like to marry within their own families. If you look anywhere online, it won’t take long to come across a meme associated with this stereotype. There are endless inbred jokes related to Southerners, but as you may have guessed, this isn’t true.
3. Everybody has a thick accent.
The distinctive Southern accent can only be found in the South. Many Southerners have a smooth drawl to their voice that sounds like molasses, but this is another generalization that can’t be associated with everyone. Depending on your heritage, you might have a mixed accent, even if you’ve lived in the South your whole life.
4. People talk like they did 100 years ago.
Not only are people from the South painted with thick accents, but their vocabulary is also misconstrued. Another stereotype of Southerners is that they still use words used in the 1800s, like “varmint” and “howdy.” You’ll find a slightly different dialect everywhere, even in the states, but Southerners tend to have a larger vocabulary than just the script of “Gone With The Wind.”
5. Southerners are uneducated.
When thinking about different stereotypes associated with the South that people get wrong, IQ gets questioned a lot. Often, people associate Southerners with ignorance and a lack of education. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Some people in the South skip a college degree, but this is the case everywhere you go.
6. Southerners are poor.
As well as being seen as hillbillies, a lot of the time, people assume that Southerners live below the poverty line. Again, while some Southerners will fall into this economic bracket, its numbers are similar to other states. They’re higher than in some parts of the states, like the Northeast, but this doesn’t mean that everyone’s poor.
7. Everybody lives in a trailer.
The trailer park is another Southern stereotype often depicted in TV shows and movies. According to this assumption, everyone in the South lives in a trailer park with their uncles, cousins, and eight kids running around. Trailer parks are popular in the South but can also be found everywhere in America.
8. Most people live on a farm.
People in the South live rurally, far away from suburban areas and—according to the stereotype—civilization and sophistication. Take a drive through the South, and you’re expected to see hillbillies in overalls with a stalk of wheat hanging out of their mouths. The South is home to countless acres of beautiful rural landscape, but not everyone can be found here.
9. All Southern states are the same.
When you’re not from the South, it’s easy to lump the vast differences of each state and distill them down to a simple stereotype. However, while all states in the South are proud to be there, they couldn’t be more different. Take a road trip through each one, and you’ll soon find that every time you cross state lines, it’s like being in another world. Rural Arkansas is a universe away from downtown Dallas.
10. Everyone in the South is white.
Another assumption that people make about the South is that everyone from there is caucasian. The truth is that Southerners come in all different shapes and sizes, and you might be surprised to learn that white people only make up 50% of the population. The bottom line is that there is a melting pot of ethnicities in the South, just like anywhere else.
11. Everyone in the South is racist.
When you break down that hillbilly character that you see in movies and on TV shows, one trait that encompasses most of their personality is that they’re racist. Racism is a sensitive subject in America and the South does have a long history of it, but it doesn’t matter where you’re from—there are intolerant people everywhere.
12. All Southerners attend church.
When you think about people in the South, you probably assume that they all walk out the door in their Sunday best and go to church together on Sundays. The South is home to the bible belt, which is why Southerners are painted this way. While there are Christians in the South, there are also Christians in other parts of America—and there are atheists, too.
13. Nobody in the South believes in gun control.
Remember the classic Bugs Bunny cartoon that depicted Elmer Fudd as a gun-toting, molasses-drawling farmer? A lot of people outside of the South assume that everybody there owns a gun and if they don’t, they certainly believe in the right to own one. Gun ownership is prevalent in the South, but it’s prevalent everywhere in America. Also, just because you own a gun doesn’t mean that you don’t believe in tighter gun laws.
14. Southerners only listen to country music.
When you think of a Southerner listening to music, who comes to mind? Johnny Cash? Willie Nelson? Many great country artists hail from the South, and while country music has always been a popular genre, it isn’t the only music that Southerners listen to.
15. All food in the South is fried.
Visit every corner of America, and you’ll be delighted to find a different cuisine. Often, what makes a place like New Orleans or New York unique is the type of food you can expect to eat there. However, just because dishes are associated with a particular place doesn’t mean that’s all you will be eating when you visit. Grits aren’t fried, after all!
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