Southern Music

Music in the South can mean anything from country to hip-hop, but they all basically have the same roots. This week I think it would be interesting for each of us to pick a type of southern music and do some research about it (where it started, who sings/plays it, who listens to it, what part of the South is famous for it, etc.).

For some reason I've always been a fan of bluegrass. I grew up around family members that played and listened to it. Bluegrass is almost a mixture of all southern music. It has roots in Scottish, English, Welsh, and Irish traditional music, and it also contains some jazz and blues. It mostly uses acoustic stringed instruments and occasionally vocals. There are a few different types of bluegrass that have developed over the years: traditional, progressive ("newgrass"), and gospel. I'm sure most of you have seen O Brother, Where Art Thou? It's a really good example of bluegrass in modern media.
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Fun fact: Many people think that the Bluegrass Region in northern Kentucky is named for bluegrass music. It is actually named for the type of grass in the area.

Response to Southern Comics: Scott Horvath

The comic pictured here is about what makes a “Good ol’ Boy”. This is a very southern ideal and term and my interpretation of it is that it is used to describe southern men or boys who are great “southerners”. In other words, a man or boy who represents everything that is southern would be considered a “Good ol’ Boy”. The comic outlines a bunch of southern generalities that would make someone a qualify to be called a “Good ol’ Boy”. The middle pane that lists a bunch of characteristics is probably the best of the four panes. The other three aren’t as big but the addition one is quite comical.

This southern comic depicts what some people envision the entire south to be like. Contrary to popular belief there are very few southern men that would qualify as a “Good ol’ Boy” if all of these standards must be met. The fact of the matter is this side of the south is not nearly as prevalent as many people think. It has died slowly as the world has become more modernized.

Southern Comics

I've always been a fan of comic strips so I completely agree that they are just more than a form of fleeting amusement. Cartoons have been used as a form of satire for many years now, and have been an been an effective way of getting a particular point of view across about a certain issue, even if the specific manner is exaggerated. Of course, not all comics are satirical, but comics are amazing not because of the influence they always have, but because of the potential for influence they carry. I frequent a few webcomics in my spare time and one of the ones that I like to read is called Married to the Sea. While it doesn't always pertain specifically to southern stereotypes, and isn't always satirical in its jokes, I always seem to find that each of the comics are a deeper meaning underneath the surface joke. Then again, perhaps I find this meaning because I'm looking for meaning, and a meaning you derive from something, even if it wasn't the author's intention, can be just as influential, because intent on meaning doesn't belittle the meaning derived. As for the picture I posted here, while I don't know it's origins I did find it quite funny. It displays a generic hate-mongering redneck, one who believe's that he has 'birthright' to the land and that those who aren't white should go. He obviously faces the fallacy in his reasoning when he is faced with the Native American, who by name alone is suggested to have been inhabiting his land much longer than he has.