# "White Trash"
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-trash/265149
**Category:** The BBQ Pit
**Created:** [September 20, 2004, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-trash/265149 "2004-09-20T16:14:20Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2004, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-trash/265149/1 "2004-09-20T16:14:20Z")
One of my fellow dopers on another thread used the term ‘White Trash.’ I am sure that, like most people, he did not mean much by it. I am sure I am being overly sensitive.
Still, I was born as ‘White Trash,’ and I sort of resent the fact that this racial term can be used against me and my family and if I complain, it is somehow my fault. I make an effort not to abuse you because of your race, religion or hat size, could you please do the same for me?
But ‘Paul,’ you say, ‘you are not WT. You are a smart, witty urbane man-about-town.’
‘True’ I reply, ‘why is it remarkable that someone born in West Virginia, the son of a real-live coal miner’s daughter can string two sentences together?’
Remarkably not all of us are stupid knuckle-draggers. Would you please stop lumping all of us together in the _Lumpenproleariat_.
Anyway, it is bedtime here, if I do not reply to your posts, please do not think I am ignoring you.
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### Author:  [@stpauler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stpauler)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2004, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-trash/265149/2 "2004-09-20T16:18:23Z")
There was a Great Debates thread about this a bit ago…umm… here it is:[White Trash, the only people left to insult](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=267075)
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### Author:  [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2004, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-trash/265149/3 "2004-09-20T16:19:50Z")
How can this term be described as a racial term? Just because it’s got white in it doesn’t make it so. Surely it’s a provincial term/insult rather than a racial one.
I always thought about it as more of a way of mind than anything else but I’m not from the US so probably have it wrong.
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### Author:  [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2004, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-trash/265149/4 "2004-09-20T16:23:40Z")
I use it but only for the people that live up to the stereotype. There really are some out there. I think it is a good descriptive tool for a subculture.
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### Author:  [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2004, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-trash/265149/5 "2004-09-20T16:27:20Z")
I always thought it was a bit dopey. The white doesn’t bother me as much as the trash. Of course “bother” is relative, I probably think about it for a nanosecond.
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### Author:  [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2004, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-trash/265149/6 "2004-09-20T16:39:05Z")
Can I still call 99% of Jerry Springer’s guest WT or should I just stick with moronic muppets 😉
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### Author:  [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2004, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-trash/265149/7 "2004-09-20T16:43:47Z")
I don’t know, that’s just the thing. If you act like white trash, I’m gonna call you white trash. If you don’t act like it, I don’t care where you’re from, I won’t call you that. For example, 99% of the people that go to the Christmas Tree Shop exhibit all the normal behaviors of white trash. I am not going to list them here as it will no doubt lead to me getting shot down so quickly I won’t know what hit me. But I could call them rude, insensitive, backwards jerks who think that snatching something out of a kids’ hand and making a beeline to the register to buy it for their own kid is OK, or I could call them white trash.
But a spade is still …(can’t say that anymore, can we?)
If the shoe fits!
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### Author:  [@Hyperelastic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hyperelastic)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2004, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-trash/265149/8 "2004-09-20T16:45:10Z")
Labeling people “trash” (i.e. worthless) based on their cultural/ethnic background is the essence of prejudice, is it not? The only thing interesting about these threads is the rhetorical calisthenics people will go through to argue otherwise.
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### Author:  [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2004, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-trash/265149/9 "2004-09-20T17:00:29Z")
> [@yojimbo](#):
>
> Can I still call 99% of Jerry Springer’s guest WT or should I just stick with moronic muppets 😉
Considering some of the people I’ve seen, “moronic muppets” wouldn’t be fair to Big Bird, et al.
Robin
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### Author:  [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2004, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-trash/265149/10 "2004-09-20T17:15:32Z")
> [@Hyperelastic](#):
>
> Labeling people “trash” (i.e. worthless) based on their cultural/ethnic background is the essence of prejudice, is it not?
Ah, but they’re not being labeled worthless based on their cultural/ethnic background. When the label is applied correctly, assuming it can be, it is applied to those who wallow in their slovenly surrounding. These are people who sit around and watch Springer all day, beat their kids and spouses on a regular basis, procreate like it’s going out of style, hurl racial epithets with abandon, bathe once a week and don’t got no time for no fancy book learnin’. I’ve taken to calling such people trash no matter what the color of their skin.
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### Author:  [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2004, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-trash/265149/11 "2004-09-20T17:16:50Z")
> [@Hyperelastic](#):
>
> Labeling people “trash” (i.e. worthless) based on their cultural/ethnic background is the essence of prejudice, is it not? The only thing interesting about these threads is the rhetorical calisthenics people will go through to argue otherwise.
Bingo.
Is there “black” trash btw? I’ve seen some people exibiting the same characteristics as the white guys (no mullet fro though) 😛
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### Author:  [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2004, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-trash/265149/12 "2004-09-20T17:18:52Z")
Yes, World Eater. They’re called _ghetto_. Feel free to use it. Living in Baltimore, I use it a lot.
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### Author:  [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2004, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-trash/265149/13 "2004-09-20T17:26:50Z")
> [@UrbanChic](#):
>
> Yes, World Eater. They’re called _ghetto_. Feel free to use it. Living in Baltimore, I use it a lot.
Yeah but if white trash is acceptable, then Black trash should be as well. All or nothing I say. Ghetto can be anyone.
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### Author:  [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2004, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-trash/265149/14 "2004-09-20T17:32:04Z")
If white trash got together with a redneck, would they give birth to a pinko?
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### Author:  [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2004, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-trash/265149/15 "2004-09-20T17:35:14Z")
Well, I for one am shocked that anyone would think of applying such labels to you, **Paul**. Smart? Witty? _Urbane??_ That’s just crazy!
😉
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### Author:  [@Chastain86](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chastain86)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2004, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-trash/265149/16 "2004-09-20T17:50:52Z")
Well, it’s like comedian Alonzo Bodden said when Mrs. Chastain and I went to see him recently.
“ **White trash?** You mean to tell me you guys just flat-out ran out of people to **hate** , you gotta start in on yourselves?” 😉
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### Author:  [@Who\_me\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Who_me_1)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2004, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-trash/265149/17 "2004-09-20T18:08:59Z")
> [@UrbanChic](#):
>
> Ah, but they’re not being labeled worthless based on their cultural/ethnic background. When the label is applied correctly, assuming it can be, it is applied to those who wallow in their slovenly surrounding. These are people who sit around and watch Springer all day, beat their kids and spouses on a regular basis, procreate like it’s going out of style, hurl racial epithets with abandon, bathe once a week and don’t got no time for no fancy book learnin’. I’ve taken to calling such people trash no matter what the color of their skin.
Bullshit… stereotype much? I label you worthless based on your ignorant post. (Actually I don’t, but by your standards I could)
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### Author:  [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2004, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-trash/265149/18 "2004-09-20T18:11:06Z")
Paul, I know that you tool around Saudi in your Camero with the naked chick mudflaps on the back wheels, listening to ( Insert irritating music here) at full volume. Your mullet blowing in the hot desert air.
Yeah, that is so _you_.
Please note that sarcasm was used in the above post.
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### Author:  [@Abbie\_Carmichael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Abbie_Carmichael)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2004, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-trash/265149/19 "2004-09-20T18:11:49Z")
Paul, while you know more about your childhood than I do, the term “white trash” couldn’t possibly apply to you.
Being/becoming white trash has nothing to do with where you grew up, what you lived in, how much money you had or what your family name is. It’s about how you conduct yourself. Yes, WV has some white trash, unfortunately. Hollywood, however, is full of it.
You’re a prince, and I know I’m not the only one on these boards who thinks so.
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### Author:  [@tremorviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tremorviolet)
#### Post date: [September 20, 2004, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-trash/265149/20 "2004-09-20T18:13:57Z")
White trash is offensive because as it was orignally used in the South, the scale of respectability ran: black folk, white trash, white folk. You were designating them as “trash” because they acted like it was assumed those black folk did. Which is why you didn’t need a term like “black trash”. It was given. The point was satirized in a famous short story by I think maybe Flannery O’Connor that has the thoughts of an obviously bigoted middle-class white woman thinking about class while sitting in a doctor’s waiting room. (I wish I could remember the name of the story; it’s in a lot of literary anthologies) She’s ruminating on how some of the “colored folk” are so well-behaved, they’re almost as “good” as the worst of the white folk. That was a common old-school Southern viewpoint.
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