Southern Representation

I chose this image as a representation of the South and southern culture. While I was unable to find the original artist, the source of the picture was Redneck Jokes at Knoxville FM. The picture was title Redneck Thanksgiving

This image covers many stereotypes that are related to rednecks more specifically than the South, but as rednecks and the South are often synonymous, I think it properly suits it. The most peculiar stereotype that this image touches upon is that southerns view fast food is something that can be eaten at any occasion. This goes along with the implications that southerns are just poor white trash, hardly able to afford a proper meal, let alone cook it. Thus, for Thanksgiving, an traditionally American holiday, second only to Independence Day in patriotic undertones, they are having KFC, McDonalds, Ruffles, and Budweiser. On top of that, the stereotype that southerns are drunks is covered here with every single member of the family, including the three boys, is drinking beer. Albeit a jovial yet respectful occasion, three of the members of the family, including the grandfather donning the white wife beater, are wearing hats, all of which are pertaining to automobiles in some respect. The grandfather with the Texaco hat, the eldest looking boy with the Hemi hat and the boy across from him wearing what seems to be a NASCAR hat. This gives the implication that southerns are fond of automobiles, going along with the stereotype that southerns are all adept auto mechanics, at least to some degree.

The stereotypes that are depicted in this picture are accurate and inaccurate at the same time. A majority of stereotypes come to be because they were or are in some respects true to a certain extent. This picture shows that this southern family is either too poor to cook a proper meal for Thanksgiving or more likely that they view this as a proper meal. While you could wander from trailer park to trailer park and probably find this occurring from time to time, the South as often been known for is great tasting, albeit unhealthy, cooking. So while this stereotype is wrong to some extent, it certainly isn't for the whole of the southern culture. Another stereotype shown is the automobile-pertaining apparel. This is false in respects to the entire south as well. Not everyone in the south, even those of the lower class, which are more often related to this car fanaticism, are interest or knowledgeable about automobiles. The drunk stereotype is also not applicable to the entirety of the south, though from my own personal experiences with southern families, this stereotype seems to hold more truth to it than the others do.