Most people in my home state (West Virginia) don’t consider ‘hillbilly’ to be derogatory. Rather, it’s a descriptive term for the isolated culture of the Appalachians – ‘mountaineer’ is a more dignified (if somewhat archaic) synonym. The state motto is “Montani Semper Liberi”: Mountaineers are Always Free". When used in the first person, ‘hillbilly’ sometimes denotes a mild self-deprecation.
There was a venerable newspaper (really a weekly magazine) published for years in WV until the death of its founder Jim Comstock a few years ago. It was a fascinating blend of humor, political commentary and mountain culture, and received much acclaim, including support from the Ford Foundation. It was called “Hillbilly”. It’s masthead proudly proclaimed it, “A newspaper for people who can’t read, published by people who can’t write”.
I agree completely. I’m a Southerner too, and all my life, I had heard the terms redneck and hillbilly. My own family is from the Cherokee region of the Great Smokey mountains, and so we have been called hillbillies ourselves. But lexographically, the words have different meanings depending on who uses them and how. An old mountain woman saying, “My grandson Josh is one hardworking hillbilly,” carries a completely different meaning from a Minneapolitan snob saying, “That mush-mouthed Josh guy is nothing but a hillbilly.”
Well, because I agree with it. I don’t think it implies race, I think it implies class. The fact that the stereotypical redneck/hillbilly in the popular imagination is most often white doesn’t mean the term was invented solely as a racial epithet.
The fact that you view it as a slur on people from a particular region of the country sounds like your own issue. I live on the west coast, and I use the terms for people out here a lot more often than I do for people from the South (mostly because I live out here and this is where I run into them, I’d wager). Guess what? We have backwoods and rural areas out here, too, believe it or not. Though as I said earlier, we’re much more likely to use the word “ghetto” in an urban area to denote the same qualities, because (again, I’m guessing) ghettos are far more abundant in the cities than mountains and farms. And again, it’s more an aspersion on a person’s ignorance than their race.
Isn’t it intellectually disingenuous to point out the subjectivity of opinions that differ from yours but refrain from pointing out that fact about those with which you agree?
You know, being white myself, I suppose I should try to empathize with my oppressed brethren. Here’s a surefire 3-step plan to make yourself feel better whenever the racist bastards start up with the hate speech:
Get in your SUV and go on a nice shopping spree at Banana Republic;
Get a nice venti decaf Mocha (because you have no problem with the chocolate!) Frap at your local Starbuck’s (even if you are a hillbilly and live in a remote mountain range, I’m sure there’s one within walking distance);
and 3. Sit down in front of your (preferably widescreen) TV and surf the dial until you happen upon a syndicated episode of Friends or Will & Grace.
After this, I guarantee you’ll once again be secure in the knowledge that there’s no shame in being white.
Yes and no. Some words just inherently carry baggage with them. Plus when you are using the language in question in the pit, you’re obviously using it as a dig and intentionally bringing the baggage.
Redneck and hillbilly just don’t carry the same weight as a general rule. People may have their personal beefs with them, but I guarantee that yelling “stupid redneck” out my front door at a white person will not get the same reaction as yelling “dumb tarbaby” at a black person. I would love for everyone to get past their linguistic hangups and be able to use every possible word. I just don’t see it happening
In this case, the thread in question was in imho. We don’t have a frame of reference for what he meant so we can’t judge if he meant “redneck” and “hillbilly” to be insults or genial nicknames.
Really? Unanswered? OK, I figured you’d be able to glean the answer from what I wrote. No, I don’t think they’re slurs of the same caliber, as I think they’re based on a person’s ignorance (which can be changed) rather than something like skin color or gender preference (which can’t). Do I think the generalizations convey useful information? Yes, if there’s agreement on the terms, which apparently there’s not on this board. “Hillbilly” is much less tedious than “that person with no idea of social conventions who also has quite backwards views on many things ranging from justice to hygiene to science to miscegenation”. But then, I’m also lazy.
I’ll tell you what I’d like to deliver to those people: 160 lbs. of pure, unconditional, nonjudgemental love, for they are my fellow human beings, and they are suffering.
If you go by my above definition of hillbilly or redneck ("…person with no idea of social conventions etc. blah blah") (and who said anything about "white trash? Racist!), then yes. Yes I do. In fact, I’ve stood behind those people almost every time I ran over to get my boss his coffee and muffin.
It is logically inconsistent to assert that the only true measure of a word is what is intended and also assert that some words have necessary meanings.
If you asked 1000 people to draw a picture of a hilbilly or a redneck 999 would draw a white person. It is a twisted bit of reasoning to claim that race is not a factor.
If your definition of a hilbilly is predicated upon ownership of an SUV, and the wherewithall to shop at Bananna republic, Starbuck’s, and Circuit City, then you have chosen a definition that is contrary to the norm by about 180 degrees.
Contra, Contra, you lovable scamp. Obviously, my tongue hath been in mine cheek. The first post about the SUVs etc. was aimed at the white people in this thread (who I feel it’s safe to presume are neither rednecks nor hillbillies) who seemed to be getting so upset about these “slurs against whitey”. My second post, which you base this response on, was merely me playing along, because I thought we were sharing an ironical sort of in-joke. Now I must wallow in my shame at the prospect that you’re taking me seriously.
…Or ARE you?
