The forbidden phrase....in Iowa

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

As I sat in class discussing the almost-tolerable movie Snow Falling on Cedars yesterday, I ran across this phenomenon.

I was pointing out that the defendant’s defense attorney does not reference any facts at all in his closing argument, nor does he even posit a plausible sequence of events that leads to the death that the defendant is accused of. All he does is make an appeal to not be racist in the verdict, say that humanity itself is on trial, prejudice is bad, and so on in that vein. Never does he give any reason as to why his client is innocent. The following dialogue ensues:

Professor: Well, the evidence was only circumstantial against him
anyways.

Me: Even so, he should still point out how the evidence is
circumstantial, and at least give a plausible sequence of
events that leads up to the guy being dead but not
murdered.

Professor: Well, theres the fact that the evidence should be
beyond reasonable doubt for them to convict.

Me: So, he should be explicitly saying that to the
inbred hicks of the jury.

Followed by several outraged gasps and everybody in the room staring at me. It was if I had yelled out “Hey, racial slur” in a room of people of whatever race is being slurred.

Now in my defense, as I said it I was only thinking of the Simpsons.

Homer: Your honor, I would like to defend myself.

Judge: Okay.

Homer: Inbred hicks of the jury…

I had no idea that this was apparently the forbidden phrase in Iowa. Somebody should teach you these things. They should have a list of forbidden or outrageous phrases in the college materials they give you. As it was, I scarcely escaped alive. Let it be a warning to any of you in or considering a visit to Iowa, to avoid the Forbidden Phrase at all costs.

2

You must be attending Iowa State.

3

Then again, the phrase “inbred hicks” is generally considered profane at most public functions and a few private ones to boot. However, my observation is most assuredly biased, as I currently reside in Oklahoma.

4

FWIW, the book was better.

Despite the obscure Simpsons reference, I would think it would have undermined your point to use the phrase “inbred hicks” in defense of your argument.

5

At best, “inbred hick” is impolite. At worst, it’s a racial/ethnic slur. I have to agree that it was a poor choice of words.

6

I think it’s funny. I certainly would have said it. Heh heh.

Oh, yeah …

Belgium.

7

Yep, sounds like Ames or Grinnell to me.

  • Jonathan ‘University of Iowa’ Chance
8

Inbred hicks aside, I expect that the movie was simply constructed that way for pacing purposes–ISTR they’d already established the sequence of events, so to restate it would have been redundant info for the average movie-goer.

Then again, it’s been awhile since I saw the film…

9

I don’t think it’s an Iowa thing, I throw it around at every available opportunity…now when I visit relatives in Kentucky.

10

…where the men are men, and the sheep are scared.

Go Hawks.

11

Cows, not sheep. Pigs maybe, but not sheep.

12

I think it was the word “hicks” rather than “inbred”… Iowans are touchy about being viewed as “hicks” by smart-ass New Yorkers, say.

13

Huh. Not often you see a mod do that redundancy thing. :stuck_out_tongue:

14

Go Hawkeyes!

15

GO 'CLONES!

16

I think the combination of “inbred” and “hicks” is not a good thing in most places and not restricted to Iowa.

I heard this phrase from some New Zealanders.

17

This reminds me of a story my biology professor told during the reproduction chapters. He was making the point in the lecture that the purpose of sexual reproduction was to increase genetic variation, except in [insert name of a specific rural South Carolina county here]. He explained that he used that joke every year, and one year, two students came up to him objecting to their home county being the butt of his humor. He apologized to them, then idly commented that the two students looked alike, and their reply was “oh, that’s because we’re cousins.”

18

You know, though, Homer doesn’t say “inbred hicks.” I assume you’re talking about the one where they go to Florida and (almost) kill the alligator. Homer says “Your honor, I’d like to represent myself. Drunken hicks of the jury…”

19

Ah so… I’m glad you corrected me lard. I still think that the reaction I got was extraordinary. To me, saying something like inbred hicks is like saying alienist or scribliner in that I didn’t think there’d be any around to be offended by the use of the word(s). Certainly, I use the phrase in my birth state all the time without a second glance.

20

since when is “inbred hicks” racial or ethnic? When are we going to stop arbitrarily assigning “-isms” to everything people say?

If I am a cat person but not a dog person, am I practicing dogism? Have I violated the civil rights of all dogs and their owners? Ridiculous…