Very briefly I will say, remember, regional bias cuts both ways. And I’m quite familiar with it.

Remember that whole thing about, if you’re not the one it’s affecting, you don’t get to make the definitions? I know the feeling of regional bias. It’s not something i’m making up and it’s not something I’m okay with, and it’s not cool.

And we should all know by now, the mere fact that some people match the stereotype (because some always will) does not make the stereotype okay or something that shouldn’t be pushed back on.

Lord knows, I deliberately turned on my accent the moment I got on the plane to Augusta. I was determined to, to some degree, “pass.”

It’s like there’s this massive insecurity, so (some) Southerners are automatically defensive and critical of outsiders. There’s this need to prove oneself that just flusters people who aren’t expecting it because…people who live outside of the South, generally, don’t view it as an us/them situation. The line I’ve heard from a number of people who’ve moved from north of the Mason-Dixon Line to south (and it’s kind of a mantra in my family) is, You don’t realize that the Civil War is still being fought until you get there.

Or, I’m sorry, is that the War of Northern Aggression?

I know that the quickest way to portray someone as ignorant is to lay on a thick Southern accent and clearly that’s ridiculous but, honestly, that kind of discourse only reinforces the stereotype. There’s all of this misplaced defense when, usually, no one is attacking. People become the joke they’re defensive about because, for non-Southerners…who fucking cares?

This example really was just funny. Clearly, everyone was good-natured and there wasn’t a “target,” but I really find it fascinating. And, given how it quickly it just came out of nowhere, it’s no wonder I always felt like an outsider and I got defensive as a kid. The place that I was from and my family were constantly under attack – sometimes good-naturedly but frequently not.

Of course, having teachers who said things like, “I hate all Yankees” probably didn’t help much.

And, as we know, “Yankees” don’t actually exist outside of Southerners minds. I’m yet to meet anyone who identifies as a “Yankee.” I suppose there are some baseball players in New York who do, but that’s about it.

Maybe that’ll be one of my questions for people when I go back, Who are these damn Yankees?

On that same blog post, the whole overtone of “OMG, people in Texas who aren’t morons??” also made me bristle. It’s not like I haven’t had my moments, but overall my feeling about the South is like a sibling or other relative that you can make fun of (because you have a greater understanding of the complexities) but if someone else does it, especially someone who barely knows the person, they’re going to get smacked. Like Matt, bless his heart, sophomore year of college at NYU…

Matt (preparing to launch into pontification): “What I don’t like about the South is…”
Me (cutting him off): “Wait wait wait… have you ever been to the South?”
Matt: “Um, no…”
Me: “Then you need to shut up.”

And just get a load of this shit!

Anyway. So that’s my theory on the “Yankee” thing. Personally I’ve never witnessed it being malicious, more like good-natured ribbing. I don’t doubt some people take it to the extreme and get really mean about it. But overall I can see where the sentiment itself comes from.