# Redneck is a racist term **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [March 2, 2009, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/redneck-is-a-racist-term/488053 "2009-03-02T20:24:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/redneck-is-a-racist-term/488053/1 "2009-03-02T20:24:39Z")
Why is it allowed,while other ethnic slurs aren’t? ---
**Author:** ![Lanzy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/74df32/32.png) [@Lanzy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lanzy)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/redneck-is-a-racist-term/488053/2 "2009-03-02T20:29:39Z")
Whitey isn’t allowed? White Trash? Come to think of it, can’t other races be redneck? Or is Getto racist too? Urbane? I get confused easily. ---
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/redneck-is-a-racist-term/488053/3 "2009-03-02T20:31:19Z")
> [@Lanzy](#): > > Whitey isn’t allowed? > > White Trash? > > Come to think of it, can’t other races be redneck? Or is Getto racist too? Urbane? > > I get confused easily. Is Blackie allowed? Darkie? Coon? Can other races be niggers? Sure they can..but say the word nigger or redneck,what comes to mind? ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/redneck-is-a-racist-term/488053/4 "2009-03-02T20:31:36Z")
> [@MadTheSwine](#): > > Why is it allowed,while other ethnic slurs aren’t? Redneck is not necessarily racist, though it certainly can be. It can also be classist. In San Diego, I don’t think there’s any race that couldn’t be called redneck. That is certainly not the case elsewhere. It is broadly synonymous here with “East County,” but I’m not sure what the racial divide would be, if any, between coastal / urban and rural / inland. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/redneck-is-a-racist-term/488053/5 "2009-03-02T20:33:12Z")
Since the term was invented primarily by white people, to describe other white people, I’m not really seeing the racism in it. ---
**Author:** ![DudleyGarrett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d9b06d/32.png) [@DudleyGarrett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DudleyGarrett)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/redneck-is-a-racist-term/488053/6 "2009-03-02T20:34:48Z")
Come on. Redneck always refers to white people, specifically those who drink canned beer, drive in pickup trunks, enjoy NASCAR, etc., etc. To say it can be used to describe other races is disingenuous and misses the point. ---
**Author:** ![DudleyGarrett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d9b06d/32.png) [@DudleyGarrett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DudleyGarrett)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/redneck-is-a-racist-term/488053/7 "2009-03-02T20:35:52Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > Since the term was invented primarily by white people, to describe other white people, I’m not really seeing the racism in it. But what about non-whites using it? ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/redneck-is-a-racist-term/488053/8 "2009-03-02T20:36:14Z")
> [@DudleyGarrett](#): > > Come on. Redneck always refers to white people, specifically those who drink canned beer, drive in pickup trunks, enjoy NASCAR, etc., etc. > > To say it can be used to describe other races is disingenuous and misses the point. Indeed: it means, “not only do they like things I typically associate with lower classes, but they’re WHITE!” The fact that the redneck is white is integral to the contempt. Or not. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/redneck-is-a-racist-term/488053/9 "2009-03-02T20:39:49Z")
[Slurs like white trash were discussed in this thread about a month ago](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=10683153&post10683153). **Ed Zotti** notes that SDMB policy echoes U.S. antidiscrimination laws, and “white trash” and "redneck " do not appear to be included as hate speech. ---
**Author:** ![DudleyGarrett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d9b06d/32.png) [@DudleyGarrett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DudleyGarrett)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/redneck-is-a-racist-term/488053/10 "2009-03-02T20:48:55Z")
> [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](#): > > Indeed: it means, “not only do they like things I typically associate with lower classes, but they’re WHITE!” The fact that the redneck is white is integral to the contempt. > > Or not. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/redneck-is-a-racist-term/488053/11 "2009-03-02T20:50:39Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > [Slurs like white trash were discussed in this thread about a month ago](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=10683153&post10683153). **Ed Zotti** notes that SDMB policy echoes U.S. antidiscrimination laws, and “white trash” and "redneck " do not appear to be included as hate speech. Oh thank god. I was offended for no reason. Phew! ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/redneck-is-a-racist-term/488053/12 "2009-03-02T20:51:20Z")
OK, they’re in the main white, but there are certainly black rednecks, Asian rednecks, Hispanic rednecks out there. It’s a culture not a race. There are no white niggers (however hard Norman Mailer wished). Thus the latter is a racist term, the former isn’t. ---
**Author:** ![DudleyGarrett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d9b06d/32.png) [@DudleyGarrett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DudleyGarrett)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/redneck-is-a-racist-term/488053/13 "2009-03-02T20:52:52Z")
> [@aldiboronti](#): > > OK, they’re in the main white, but there are certainly black rednecks, Asian rednecks, Hispanic rednecks out there. It’s a culture not a race. > > There are no white niggers (however hard Norman Mailer wished). > > Thus the latter is a racist term, the former isn’t. Then what are “wiggers?” ---
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/redneck-is-a-racist-term/488053/14 "2009-03-02T20:53:55Z")
> [@aldiboronti](#): > > OK, they’re in the main white, but there are certainly black rednecks, Asian rednecks, Hispanic rednecks out there. It’s a culture not a race. > > There are no white niggers (however hard Norman Mailer wished). > > Thus the latter is a racist term, the former isn’t. See post 6 ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/redneck-is-a-racist-term/488053/15 "2009-03-02T20:54:53Z")
> [@DudleyGarrett](#): > > Then what are “wiggers?” A white person who wishes he was black. That’s different. ---
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/redneck-is-a-racist-term/488053/16 "2009-03-02T20:59:58Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > [Slurs like white trash were discussed in this thread about a month ago](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=10683153&post10683153). **Ed Zotti** notes that SDMB policy echoes U.S. antidiscrimination laws, and “white trash” and "redneck " do not appear to be included as hate speech. Might wanna take a look at the whole thread. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/redneck-is-a-racist-term/488053/17 "2009-03-02T21:09:12Z")
> [@DudleyGarrett](#): > > But what about non-whites using it? Regardless of who uses it, the term itself is not inherently racist. It can be used in a racist manner, of course, but any term can, depending on the context. If I say, “I don’t trust that Jew,” I’m pretty clearly using “Jew” as a racist epithet, even though the word itself is non-offensive. Similarly, someone could use the word “redneck” in a way that makes it clear they’re disparaging all white people. But the term itself is clearly a class-based insult, not a race-based insult. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/redneck-is-a-racist-term/488053/18 "2009-03-02T21:10:00Z")
> [@MadTheSwine](#): > > Might wanna take a look at the whole thread. > [@C K Dexter Haven](#): > > This is Ed’s call, but my assumption has always been that “hate speech” is based pretty much on U.S. antidiscrimination rules. Thus, verbal assaults based on race, ethnicity, national origin, gender (or gender orientation), and disability would be looked at very carefully. > > Verbal assaults based on a profession, height or weight, conomic status, food-preferences, etc etc, are not considered “hate speech.” This would seem to answer your OP, but if you have a different reading, let me know. ---
**Author:** ![MadTheSwine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MadTheSwine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MadTheSwine)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/redneck-is-a-racist-term/488053/19 "2009-03-02T21:11:37Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > But the term itself is clearly a class-based insult, not a race-based insult. Wrong. Do a search on this message board. It is CLEARLY used as a racist term. ---
**Author:** ![Terrifel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@Terrifel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrifel)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2009, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/redneck-is-a-racist-term/488053/20 "2009-03-02T21:19:25Z")
‘Redneck’ does not refer to the entire white race. St. Thomas Aquinas, for example, was not a redneck. Alfred Hitchcock was not a redneck. The Smothers Brothers are not rednecks. Karl Gauss was not a redneck. John F. Kennedy was not a redneck. Emily Post was not a redneck. Al Gore is not a redneck. Leonardo da Vinci? Not a redneck. Stephen Hawking. Douglas Adams. Gloria Vanderbilt. Vincent Price. Catherine of Aragon. Thomas Jefferson. Beatrix Potter. Franz Liszt. Rachel Carson. Bill Gates. Jane Goodall. Fred Rogers. Barbara Stanwyck. Loren Eisley. David Attenborough. Carl Sandburg. Richard Nixon. Erwin Rommel. Walter Cronkite. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/redneck-is-a-racist-term/488053.md?page=2)