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Stereotypes of your hometown city/state/area
Maximus:
I didn't know this but accroding to
http://education-portal.com/top_10_journalism_schools.html
The University of Missouri was the first J school in the world
Maximus:
I like the South, I think this song by Tim McGraw sums it up. It is not a racist backwater as maybe some of you would like to think
Hank Williams sang it, Number 3 drove it
Chuck Berry twanged it, Will Faulkner wrote it
Aretha Franklin sold it, Dolly Parton graced it
Rosa Parks rode it, Scarlett O chased it
Smooth as the hickory wind
That blows from Memphis
Down to Appalachicola
"It's hi ya'll did ya eat well
Come on in I'm Sure glad to know ya"
Don't let this old gold cross
In this Allman Brothers t-shirt throw ya
It's cicadas making noise
With a southern voice
Hank Aaron smacked it, Michael Jordan dunked it
Pocahantas tracked it, Jack Daniels drunk it
Tom Petty rocked it, Dr. King paved it
Bear Bryant won it, Billy Graham saved it
Smooth as the hickory wind
That blows from Memphis
Down to Appalachicola
"It's hi ya'll did ya eat well
Come on in I'm Sure glad to know ya"
Don't let this old gold cross
In this Crimson Tide t-shirt throw ya
It's cicadas making noise
With a southern voice
Jesus is my friend, America is my home
Sweet iced tea and Jerry Lee
Daytona Beach
That's what gets to me
I can feel it in my bones
Smooth as the hickory wind
That blows from Memphis
Down to Appalachicola
"It's hi ya'll did ya eat well
Come on in child I'm sure glad to know ya"
Don't let this old gold cross
In this Charlie Daniels t-shirt throw ya
We're just boys making noise
With a southern voice
emalvick:
I'm from Davis, California but grew up in a little town called Manteca, California... both are in the central valley.
Manteca is the stereotypical Central Valley town with exceptions. Most long time residents show signs of being a bit redneck in attitude, conservative farmers, more racist than they'd have you believe, a bit religious, pretentious, and anti-bay area. Growing up there, I found it a bit depressing. There is a small town pride to a certain extent, but when it gets prejudiced towards people who aren't local or are different, even if it is minor, it is bothersome. Interestingly, it is more a bedroom community now (in the past 20 years) to the bay area and a cookie cutter image of suburban sprawl like almost any Californian town of around 100,000 people.
Davis on the otherhand, is quite unique. It has a stereotype that is a bit pretentious and liberal. That is based on some extrapolation and some reality. The extrapolation is that the university of California campus here is the same type of demographic as that in Berkeley. It then extrapolates that the town is similar to Berkeley too. Some permanent residents take pride in that reputation although it is quite hypocritical. They talk about green, liberal, caring, etc, but they end up living more like the 1% and acting snobbish. Given the price of my home in that town, I'd say that a lot of permanent residents really are the 1% and fit that stereotype but are in denial.
The real sad thing is that given the cost of living in California, in general, I'd bet that there is more than 1% living here that actually fall into the national 1%. I'd love to see that statistic. I know that by salary, I fall into that group despite the fact that I'm probably making about the median salary for residents in this state.
As for the rest of the country... my travels have never shown me people that are unfriendly or rude per the reputations that certain areas have. Everyone I've met everywhere has been friendly. New Yorkers are much friendlier than their reputation. I think the way New Englanders speak makes them sound unfriendly to others despite the fact they are friendly. I know Boston supposedly has a similar stereotype, but that is my favorite city of all the US cities I've visited.
I also think my perception of friendly is clouded by the general unfriendliness and relatively private behavior of Californians. In a state where driving and commuting is so much a part of society, people here really aren't that friendly. I have a feeling California may in fact be the least friendliest state.
Ultimately, I think stereotypes are horrible even when they may be true. They make everyone prejudice to a certain extent and they mean that you already have a judgment about you before you've had a chance to be who you are. Stereotypes also seem to exaggerate the truths of a region and its people.
#AP:
Oh here's another Washington one: we're all flaming liberals.
And yes, that's mostly true...until you go to some of the rich, Christian areas. Then they're flaming conservatives. In other words, there's not much middle ground.
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