Deep South: Difference between revisions

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'''Bill Clinton:''' ''I'm sorry, Sam, do you have a question?''|''[[Saturday Night Live]]'', [http://snltranscripts.jt.org/92/92cdebate.phtml Debate '92].}}

The Deep South: home of fat redneck sheriffs, hillbillies, moonshiners, [[Politically Incorrect Villain|~~Ku Klux~~ Klan members]], tobacco-chawin' [[Good Ol Boy~~|Good Ol' Boys~~]] missing half their teeth, and all other manner of [[Corrupt Hick|Corrupt Hicks]], not to mention [[The Fundamentalist|fire-and-brimstone preachers]], [[Apron Matron|iron-bound matriarchs]], [[Fat Sweaty Southerner in A White Suit|white-suited plantation owners]], [[Southern Belle|Southern Belles]] in flouncy gowns or short-shorts with crop tops, and possums. Some [[Kissing Cousins]] could also be in the mix somewhere.

The Deep South: home of fat redneck sheriffs, hillbillies, moonshiners, [[Politically-Incorrect Villain|Klan members]], tobacco-chawin' [[Good Ol' Boy]]s missing half their teeth, and all other manner of [[Corrupt Hick|Corrupt Hicks]], not to mention [[The Fundamentalist|fire-and-brimstone preachers]], [[Apron Matron|iron-bound matriarchs]], [[Fat Sweaty Southerner in A White Suit|white-suited plantation owners]], [[Southern Belle|Southern Belles]] in flouncy gowns or short-shorts with crop tops, and possums. Some [[Kissing Cousins]] could also be in the mix somewhere.

Although the real mid-southern and southeastern United States has a far wider range of locales and settings, the [[Deep South]] as it appears on TV is usually one tiny rural town after another, separated by miles of farmland or steep, forested mountainsides. Its inhabitants always seem to be about fifty years behind the times, at least as far as social issues are concerned, and some might even be fighting the [[The American Civil War|The Recent Un-Pleasantries]] still. This trope has major [[Unfortunate Implications]].

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So ''don't'' complain about the war overseas, ''don't'' admit that you think ''[[Queer As Folk]]'' is "like, totally awesome", ''don't'' try to explain how [[Useful Notes/Neo-Paganism|Paganism]] has nothing to do with devil worship, and ''don't'' go out to the secluded farm house when your car breaks down in the rain... Unless the [[Sacred Hospitality|Southern Hospitality]] is being played up, that is.

People will often have two names, with men having the second name [[~~Everythings~~ Better With Bob|Bob]] (Jim Bob, Joe Bob, Billy Bob) and girls will have Mae (Billie Mae, Bobbie Mae, Bettie Mae).

People will often have two names, with men having the second name [[Everything's Better With Bob|Bob]] (Jim Bob, Joe Bob, Billy Bob) and girls will have Mae (Billie Mae, Bobbie Mae, Bettie Mae).

Any part of the region that is not rural, backwoods, mountains, or bayous shows up on TV as merely [[The City]] or [[Suburbia]] with an accent. The sprawling metropolises of [[Atlanta]] and Charlotte might as well not exist. And while Nashville and [[New Orleans]] do exist, they're not without stereotypes of their own: N'awlins being a [[~~Its~~ Always Mardi Gras in New Orleans|party city]] with the occasional vampire, and Nashville only known for country music. As far as writers -- largely based in Southern California -- are concerned, the only true South is the Deep South. And any old state down there will do. Mississippi, Georgia, Virginia, [[Critical Research Failure|Maryland]]...what's the difference?

Any part of the region that is not rural, backwoods, mountains, or bayous shows up on TV as merely [[The City]] or [[Suburbia]] with an accent. The sprawling metropolises of [[Atlanta]] and Charlotte might as well not exist. And while Nashville and [[New Orleans]] do exist, they're not without stereotypes of their own: N'awlins being a [[It's Always Mardi Gras in New Orleans|party city]] with the occasional vampire, and Nashville only known for country music. As far as writers -- largely based in Southern California -- are concerned, the only true South is the Deep South. And any old state down there will do. Mississippi, Georgia, Virginia, [[Critical Research Failure|Maryland]]... what's the difference?

This is where the [[Southern Fried Private]] comes from; the [[Southern Fried Genius]] is from here as well, although the South they know and grew up in is very often the "city/suburbia with an accent" flavor. According to media, there's a lot of overlap with [[Everything Is Big in Texas]], even though that's a completely different South with next to no real similarities, culture-wise. (No, there were no cowboys in Arkansas.) In contrast, the southern/coastal areas of Florida sometimes get a pass when it comes to most of the stereotypes, because they have a ''very'' different [[Only in Miami|set of]] [[Only in Florida|stereotypes]]. Likewise, Orlando, Jacksonville, or Tampa are out, because then you're back to it being either [[The City]] or [[Suburbia]]. Only this time you not only get an accent, you get a tan. The rest of the state is fair game, however.

This is where the [[Southern-Fried Private]] comes from; the [[Southern-Fried Genius]] is from here as well, although the South they know and grew up in is very often the "city/suburbia with an accent" flavor. According to media, there's a lot of overlap with [[Everything Is Big in Texas]], even though that's a completely different South with next to no real similarities, culture-wise. (No, there were no cowboys in Arkansas.) In contrast, the southern/coastal areas of Florida sometimes get a pass when it comes to most of the stereotypes, because they have a ''very'' different [[Only in Miami|set of]] [[Only in Florida|stereotypes]]. Likewise, Orlando, Jacksonville, or Tampa are out, because then you're back to it being either [[The City]] or [[Suburbia]]. Only this time you not only get an accent, you get a tan. The rest of the state is fair game, however.

Outside southern Louisiana, the region usually averts [[Christianity Is Catholic]]. Whether white or black, the churches are usually either Baptist or Pentecostal.

Compare [[Flyover Country]], as both regions might as well be Jupiter for screenwriters from the coasts, and [[Oop North]], which often receives many similar stereotypes in British media. Contrast [[Sweet Home Alabama]]. For the vicious [[Nightmare Fuel]] version, try [[The Savage South]].