New Trend: Portrayal of People in the South U.S. as Ignorant

I have been irritated about this for some time now. I know it's only entertainment, but I am so sick of these new "reality" shows" portaying southern people as toothless, ignorant, hicks, who speak as if they can barely form words. I have lived my entire life in the deep south, and yes, there are some people like that (as anywhere).....but the average person in the south is NOTHING like this. I'm speaking of shows like "Swamp People", "Big Shrimpin" (it's like a group of mentally impaired shrimpers on a boat).....etc. It seems like these producers go out of their way to find the most backwoods ignorant people, and exploit them....as if this is representative of the south. I do know some people who do this for a living, and they are intelligent, well spoken, and educated. I am personally offended by these shows. Like I said, yes, there are some like this, but to be fair, they should not show ONLY this type of person as if that's the norm. They could at least throw in a few who like the ones I mentioned above. People who have never been here on the coast see these shows and think we all have alligators in our backyards and chew tobacco! There are uneducated hicks EVERYWHERE....and I am sick of them making it seem that it's the norm here.
**sits down on the front porch rockin chair, stuffs a plug of chaw in cheek, and starts whittlin**

Right on, Stealthy! I've met more ignorant rednecks when I lived in Northern California than I have ever met down here in the south.

But what can you expect from a medium like television? The people in charge of thinking up these shows can't seem to think their way out of a paper bag if one end was open. It is tiresome stereotyping, and if it was any other race being lampooned, they wouldn't be able to get away with it.

Its not a new thing at all. The South has been over run with hicks ever since white people moved in.

You gotta admit though the South consistently scores the lowest in US education test scores. And what's stupid in the US is called mentally retarded in most other countries.

Ok, jokes aside, just don't believe whats on TV. Its there to CREATE stereotypes and cause conflict. Its there to make you feel scared, powerless and lonely. TV is one way they "divide and conquer". People in other cities and countries see these braindead hicks and think "I'm so much better than that hillbilly loser. Look how we have nothing in common. He's probably never even read the books I've read. Wow. I feel so much better about my #ty life because I now have direct evidence of my superiority over my fellow human beings"

TV isn't real life - which you already know. So why sweat it?

reply to post by StealthyKat

Well if we are going by according to tv , then I think everyone south of the Canadian border was ignorant , shallow , obsessed with teen hollywood , mindless , thoughtless , gun toting trigger happy war mongering group who couldn't find their capital on a map . But that is just tv

I have to assume that what you describe is not accidental. You've thought about this much more than I have (which is not at all), so may I ask your opinion?

Which sounds more likely to you:

The entertainment industry doesn't like the generally conservative (religious and political) views of the South?
The South has one of the last identifiable cultures in the US.
Because it doesn't have as many residents as the coasts, the industry risks losing fewer customers.

There are probably other reasons, but I'm curious about which one you like.

People really think how things on t.v. are real? wow, that is ridiculous. I liked the show where they went aligator trapping.

reply to post by StealthyKat


LOL get used to it. I lived in the South for a few years and will never stop cracking jokes about the South. I'm Canadian and had to deal with my fair share of jokes. I know "y'all" make fun of usNortherners too!

Do you guys still eat grits?

I definetly agree OP, I too live in the south, and I get so pissed when the mainstream media does an interview for the nightly news, and they seem to always go after people that looked like they just got out of a bar fight, and havent showered in a month, while the majority of people are just plain Ordinary, just like everywhere else. Yes we wear shoes, go to college, brush our teeth, educate ourselves on world affairs, and are just like anyone else in the US. It is kind of like that show "Jersy shore" on MTV, Im sure most people in the North do not look and dress like that. But the way that the producers portray them, makes most people in the south think that. I guess it goes both ways. And until you actually see for yourself, how can you make any judgement, other than what we see on TV, Pisses me off

I saw an ad for a show the other day called "Hillbilly Hand Fishin". I was wondering how they would stretch the topic of noodling into an episode let alone an entire series.

reply to post by Corruption Exposed


Oh man! I made one of my girls some grits for breakfast, when she was almost 2. Girl ran from the table screaming "BUGS! BUGS! BUGS!" Rotflmao!

But yes, occasionally, we do still eat grits

If you think that is bad, the last time I was in Vegas( I live in Nebraska), I was asked, in all seriousness, If we still road in wagons.

I'm an ignorant southern redneck from Texas.

And I'm a Yale drop out, by choice. Most people can't even get accepted to the school. So yeah we southerns are real dumb.

Drop out explanation here...

www.abovetopsecret.com...

reply to post by FissionSurplus


Yes....and you can tell the producers intentionally pick specific types and create specific situations to make them look as ignorant as possible.

reply to post by StealthyKat


You are so right in every sense. I was born in california, have traveled around america for 20 years (work related) and 4 years ago bought a home in southern texas. about 15 years ago my family extended into houston area, I have been visiting texas sense, I met people from louisianna even went and had a vacation in St.Charles-lafayette. The people there are genuine true good people with intelligence. yes as with all states all societys there are the dumbs-morons, yet for some reason people outside the south think all these people are dumb(. I guarantee if or shen TSHTF the south will be more prepared then most other places. Here people are friendly and helful towards each other. It is why we bought a home in the south).

reply to post by doctornamtab


Well...I'm not sweating it, it just irks me. Like I said, there ARE such people (not just in the south), and I don't think of myself as better than them They are poor uneducated people just trying to make a living, and these producers come to them and offer them a show. It's just that it seems to me that there are so many of these shows, and they ALL portray people who do this for a living as stupid. They could show some of the people who do this who are not ignorant...but in their veiw, that wouldn't be "entertaining"....it's as if they are mocking them. People see this and think that we are all like that....

reply to post by charles1952


No....none of those really. I just think they are taking these people and putting them out there for people to laugh at. These people are poor and of course they will take an offer for a TV show.....then they producers make them a laughing stock because they are uneducated country people.....and I'm not sure they even realise that they are being made fun of. Not saying they have some political agenda. It would be like making a show about a race, and stereotyping them in the worst way. I just find that offensive. It does not represent everyone here, and that's how they make it seem. It's just stereotyping of the worst kind.

My inlaws in England thought we all walked around with guns on our hips and shotguns in the back windows of our pickup trucks. I used to "play along" with those who had never been to Colorado. I would be talking to them and say, "Hold on a minute....oh crap....okay, let me call you back." Then, I'd call them back and say a bunch of buffalo were running down the road because of the annual indian hunt taking place. The sad thing is, they believed it. Yes, they believed that the indians were still running around chasing buffalo.

I think the stereotypes of the south are absurd. I've seen a lot of really smart southerners, and I have to say, "redneckgineering" is awesome. Those are the guys that will be just fine when society collapses. Then who will be the "ignorant" ones?

reply to post by Doublemint


Some do....I went to Maryland a few years ago, and people were asking me all kinds of funny questions....like they thought I lived in the swamp or something!

Most of the toothless people live in Kentucky and West Virginia.

reply to post by Corruption Exposed


Yes...grits are excellent! I don't want to get into who makes fun of who etc...I'm just talking about these types of shows.....especially on "Tru TV"....there are other "reality" shows too which are ridiculous....scripted, and faaaaar from reality.