Oppression in cartoons, have you noticed?

This has been going on for years but no one seems to notice, the media portrays its ok to make fun of country people and this starts with cartoons, yep watch a cartoon and the mean or dumb charcter always has a country accent. There is a cartoon I saw recently where they had the Hatfields and McCoys fighting over an outhouse they then strike oil and move to Beverly Hills where they then fight over the cement pool, this was on Disney. It never fails to amaze me that this is such an accepted oppression no one notices. I live in the appalachian part of the country and it does hurt us economically. Our businesses try to hire receptionists without a country accent due to the fact that the minute a northern company hears the accent they don't do business with them. they think we are dumb and that we are uneducated and many will not do business with us but also will not establish any company or business to this area of the country.

[edit on 11-7-2004 by goose]

This is also on shows like "The Amanda Show" on Nickelodeon. They use country people for amusment because in a way they portray them to people it's funny.

I don't mean to assume, but if they hire outside help maybe it's because your accent is unacceptable. I've been in the south and met everyone from "sexy southern accent" to "what the hell did you just say" and they lived in the same town :O

Out sourcing help desk.. etc support to other countries also pisses me off because I can't understand them with their accent.

Originally posted by UnusualMe
I don't mean to assume, but if they hire outside help maybe it's because your accent is unacceptable. I've been in the south and met everyone from "sexy southern accent" to "what the hell did you just say" and they lived in the same town :O

Out sourcing help desk.. etc support to other countries also pisses me off because I can't understand them with their accent.

I know what you mean but this is not that, the people are deliberately choosing people to be receptionists who have no accent or are from the north. My friend was told the reason she got the job was basically because she had a northern accent and that the companies in this area deliberately choose their office staff who might actually communicate with these companies due to the fact that they lose business if they use people with good pronunciation but yet have a southern accent. So basically its simply instilling the thought from the gitgo that people from this area are stupid by using cartoons. Its a very subtle oppression but very effective.

[edit on 11-7-2004 by goose]

Absolutely, has been bothering me for some time. It may be funny but we are teaching the kids to be insensitive and disrespectful and I don't know why the parents are falling for this. Then again, yes I do, they are laughing to hard to notice what is influencing their kids. Just sad....

The Amanda Show makes me ill. She is influencing a lot of kids to be disrespectful and annoying. Yea, it's not funny.. They also find it so cute when their kids imitate it, so they reinforce it further. Actually, one parent I questioned didn't know what I was talking about (and her kids were watching the show), she wasn't thrilled when I made her watch it, but she didn't know they had been watching it, and there ya have it.

Any complaints about Jeff Foxworthy and those other self-proclaimed "redneck" comedians that are always on comedy central (sorry, cannot remember their names)? They "promote" the same stereotypes as the cartoons you referred to. What about "The Simpsons"? They stereotype EVERYONE!!! I think it's funny how people tend to choose what offends them and what does not.

Originally posted by Woodside
Any complaints about Jeff Foxworthy and those other self-proclaimed "redneck" comedians that are always on comedy central (sorry, cannot remember their names)? They "promote" the same stereotypes as the cartoons you referred to. What about "The Simpsons"? They stereotype EVERYONE!!! I think it's funny how people tend to choose what offends them and what does not.

No I have no real problem with Foxworthy, his comedy is more than just the redneck jokes, and focuses on adults. Adults can differentiate between its just a joke and reality I hope. The Simpsons is more of an adult cartoon as well. Its the fact that this kind of stuff is in cartoon for very young children. Have you watched any cartoon lately with what I am saying in mind? I'm not saying its just new cartoons its been going on for a long long time. And while you seem to imply that I am just nitpicking I'm not this is hurting everyone in this area financially. And please don't tell me that there is not some preconceived ideas in other areas of the country about us, I've lived away from here and had to answer every question in the book about us poor hillbillies. If a child watching a cartoons everyday and sees in different cartoon the bad or dumb character is always the one with the country accent then it stands to reason that the child will see us that way without even thinking about it.

True story:

I was living in the Monterey Bay area in California in 1983 and decided to take a summer course at the local community college. So I go to the admin building and stand in line behind two men. As each of the two men in front of me got to the window the lady went hurriedly through the same schpeel.."Here's an enrollment form and class listing. Go over there; fill out the form; bring it back."

I step up and in my I-aint-ever-been-out-of-Oklahoma-before-voice say: "I would like to enroll in a class." AND I SWEAR TO GAWD she goes into slow motion...

"Okay, honey, you take this form, okay? and this is a class listing you can find the class you want to take - what class do you want to take?" And SHE LOOKS IT UP FOR ME! (and she's saying all of this like she's speaking to a 3 year old that has to lip read) and this continued for like 3-5 minutes. Ending with "and if you have any trouble, you just come back and I will help you, okay?"

LOL...see, I don't really give a flaming flip. Because if you look back through the technological break-throughs - particularly in the areas of space flight and mechanical/aero engineering - you'll find a disproportionate amount of stupid southerners on the list.

It's probably because we're raised to be able to fill our own gas tank, change a tire, and pitch horse-shoes...but that's just my own personally theory. We know # from Shinola.

p.s. I always liked the Hatfield and McCoy's cartoon you're talking about.

[edit on 7-12-2004 by Valhall]

while i am not completly aware ov the local american catoons, i have to say that the simsons are not adult catoons...

people of ALL ages watches the simpsons, from my neice to my grandmother...

i do agree to a point thom in alot of cartoons over here, there are usually certain types that they use as the 'dumb people'

I really believe we need to stop being so anal about everything. Making fun of hillbillies? Come on already. Ever watch BET? The stand-ups there make fun of white people constantly, calling them whitey and cracker and such. Pretty funny sometimes, and I'm white. How about that new show, MethodMan and Red on FOX? They do they same, though indirectly.

Just loosen up. Everything and everbody is going to made fun of at one time or another. Sometimes, the jabs ring of truism. Take it for what it's worth.

[edit on 12-7-2004 by nathraq]

Goose, if the cartoon you are referring to is an older one, then yes, I have seen it. But here is an interesting fact. A lot of early Disney and most Warner Brothers (Bugs, Daffy) cartoons were aimed at the adult community in the 1930's, '40's, and even into the '50's. As time went on, and the networks saw the appeal these early cartoons had on children, they were then aimed at them. So, in my opinion, your arguement that Foxworthy and the Simpsons are aimed at adults does not fly with me (the Amanda show is different. It is a very bad influence on kids, aimed at kids). Children can still hear, "You might be a redneck if..." or see Cleatus the Slack Jawed Yokel on the Simpsons, even though it is not "aimed" at them.

But it seems to me that your gripe is the effect these stereotypes have with adults, not children. Children are not hiring the Northerners, are they? Stereotypes are a culmination of a lot of things experienced in one's life, not just a couple of cartoons during one's youth. If you truely hope to stomp out the notions of the "stupid redneck southerner" in our country, then a push to remove ALL of these negative types of media is required, not just one's you personally find offensive. Otherwise, relax, and seek chance through other methods.

People from different regions all over the country are stereotyped. I am of Italian desent and live in Central Jersey. Can you imagine all the crap I get when I go to different parts of the counrty? How about Texans? People from California? Chicago? New York? When I listed each of these places, you probally conjured up an image of a person that our society has "taught" you how that person should look. Is it exactly right? No, it is not, but that is the way we are, like it or not.

You people do realize that Jeff Foxworthy is one of the people he makes fun of and the people he makes fun of are his biggest supporters? You can not find a redneck who goes "I ain't like dat Foxworthy fellow, he makes fun of my relationship wit my dog and pickup truck just cause it rusted out so bad I have to flintstone it." And simpsons, yes it is aimed at everyone, but that means the parents sit there while the kid watches and can tell them about the people, unlike Amanda Show.(That is the work of the devil)

The Amanda Show is pure nonsense if you ask me. Whether its making fun of southerners or not. I'm from NC myself, and have lived here all my life.

Accents should not be looked down on while bad grammar should. That's all I have to say. Sure most people outside of the south are suprised that we actually wear shoes and have floors but you know, some people are suprised that Bush is president too.

The dumb southerner is a character that writers love and sadly no matter how wrong they are there's nothing we can do.

As I said this has been going on for sometime now and the kids that saw it years ago are making those business decisions to come here and as I said though it might be subtle it is effective. You should realize if I can laugh at Jeff Foxworthy jokes I am not anal about this but simply looking at a fact. If a child hears this crap in every cartoon he sees then he is going to think this without question as an adult. Imagine a child who sees cartoons where a dog or even a puppy is a vicious creature in every cartoon he sees, throughout his childhood, would you be surprised if he has a fear of dogs when he is an adult?

Originally posted by Valhall
True story:


I step up and in my I-aint-ever-been-out-of-Oklahoma-before-voice say: "I would like to enroll in a class." AND I SWEAR TO GAWD she goes into slow motion...

"Okay, honey, you take this form, okay? and this is a class listing you can find the class you want to take - what class do you want to take?" And SHE LOOKS IT UP FOR ME! (and she's saying all of this like she's speaking to a 3 year old that has to lip read) and this continued for like 3-5 minutes. Ending with "and if you have any trouble, you just come back and I will help you, okay?"

LOL...see, I don't really give a flaming flip. Because if you look back through the technological break-throughs - particularly in the areas of space flight and mechanical/aero engineering - you'll find a disproportionate amount of stupid southerners on the list.

[edit on 7-12-2004 by Valhall]

Val,

I was gonna bring up all those Rednecks at mission control too!

I was raised by hillbillies. From the Appalachians.

"Mah Par'nts drove a car thet had 4 tars on it"

I somehow did not get the accent, but i remember, as a kid, going to the
store with my Dad, and lowlife clerks making fun, and shaking their heads
at him.. Dad would get mad at me, because I would ask the clerks if they were stupid..Because I could understand him, and THEY could not..LOL

Although, I can see where that accent, could come in handy.. After all,You DID get some "Extry" help signing up for classes!

When hubby was in the military he was stationed in California and around here if you want a bag you call it a poke and everyone knows what you mean so when she did not give him a bag to put his groceries in he asked for a poke LOL and she thought he was hitting on her in a really crude way and got mad. Since he did not realize that not everyone would know what he meant when he said poke it took him a few miniutes to realize why she was mad and finally he explained to her what he meant but she was so mad by that time she had called the manager up to defend her honor and she literally threw the bag at him. Hubby being a gentleman told her he did not mean that word that way and would never think of what she was thinking about with her so she needn't feel so insulted which really made her even madder. LOL needless to say after that hubby always remembered to ask for a bag instead of a poke.

Yeah its going to continue to happen, etc... alot of stereotypes are ingrained into our minds..

I live in KY, and we get a lot of really country to northern accents, and I find that alot of times people from the country don't trust those with Northern Northern accents (like NY and NJ) due to that they feel the NOrtherners will take their money and run.

Its just something we have to deal with, and something we have to accept will only change slowly.


I personally have lived in the South South and in the Mid South and in where I am now in the NOrthern South and find that it just depends on the area on how the accent will affect employment and reactions

i think some of you are going too specific, what my guess of what goose meant is more general. When people meet others that "fit" a stereotype, they treat them differently than they would someone like them.

This has been discouraged almost to a fault in matters regarding race. All these equal-opportuniy type things. Yet they are not-applicable i guess to these other stereotypes that are often encouraged by cartoons, which teach the employers of tomorow that these sterotypes are true.

Unlike adults, who hopefully know better than to actually believe the (insert location-"ers" here) sterotypes, children often believe what they see. Yes they know that rabbits cant really talk and such, but when the cartoons are depicting humans, it can affect their sub-conious views of others.

I am currently studying spanish, and one of my hopes when i become fluent in the language is to conduct my own sort of "experiment". I plan to travel down to Mexico and enter numerous stores trying different accents and such, sortof like Valhall could have done. There are sterotypes for people that speak different languages, as well as stereotypes for tourists, both of which id like to try.

However, my question for goose is this: would you also like to see sterotype-forming referances to occupations be removed? (i.e. Engineer, cheerleader, computer programer, etc)

---pineapple

My family is from Alabama and I grew up saying "warsh" instead of "wash" and I still say "I usta could" sometimes instead of "I used to be able to". That being said, I have always loved cartoons and shows like "The Beverly Hillbillies" that poke fun at the redneck and hillbilly stereotypes. Actually, I love shows that mock any stereotype. Richard Pryor's impressions of white people never fails to crack me up, even though I am white.

So long as the cartoons are not meant to be malicious, I don't see why you are so bothered by them. Hopefully most kids have parents who are smart enough to teach them that real life and real people are not always the same as they are in the cartoons.

Lighten up!! For all of the negative influences kids encounter on a day to day basis, redneck stereotypes would be the least of my worries.

Originally posted by jezebel
My family is from Alabama and I grew up saying "warsh" instead of "wash" and I still say "I usta could" sometimes instead of "I used to be able to". That being said, I have always loved cartoons and shows like "The Beverly Hillbillies" that poke fun at the redneck and hillbilly stereotypes. Actually, I love shows that mock any stereotype. Richard Pryor's impressions of white people never fails to crack me up, even though I am white.

So long as the cartoons are not meant to be malicious, I don't see why you are so bothered by them. Hopefully most kids have parents who are smart enough to teach them that real life and real people are not always the same as they are in the cartoons.

Lighten up!! For all of the negative influences kids encounter on a day to day basis, redneck stereotypes would be the least of my worries.

I don't mind people poking fun at me in good natured fun on occassion, I like the Beverly Hillbillies, love Richard Pryor and and for the life of me can't understand why you folks aren't getting what I am saying. The cartoons might not be meant to be malicious but they are. Why can't all the character talk like their from the same place, have the same accent, why is it that the dumb or mean one always has a hillbilly accent? Please tell me why that is acceptable. Would it be acceptable if the mean or dumb one in the cartoon always had an accent that sounded like he was an African American person, or a Spanish person, or perhaps Asian person? No it would not be acceptable that would look like the person creating the cartoon was a racist but its ok for them to make all the dumb or mean ones to sound like they are hillbillies. My point is this if all the charcters are hillbillies thats fine for there would be good charcters and dumb and mean ones but they would all sound alike, if a cartoon has all the charcters with northern sounding accents thats fine too for the same reason but if you mix the accents up why is it that all the dumb or mean ones have a hillibilly accent. Now do you understand what my gripe is about this? And little kids are not going to notice it enough to ask about it but they are going to have that idea in their mind after hearing it in cartoon after cartoon their just going to automatically think dumb or mean the minute they hear the accent without even wondering why they feel that way. And while it may be the least of your worries I think it is one of those things contributing to the problems with the economy in my area.