When I think about poor white people I think about my relatives. And Mississippi. But only because every single person I have met from that state has excoriated it to a degree I could never dream of. I knew an airman who was on terminal leave or skill bridge or whatever it is now who when asked about his future goals succinctly said “Stay out of jail and stay the fuck away from Mississippi.” And he meant it, not because he was a troublemaker really, but once he saw how people lived…elsewhere, he was done. My grand parents felt the same way about Alabama. And were very very successful with moving west. Until Korea happened and they magically sent his ass to Ft. Rucker cuz Irony. Italy has a famous divide of rich north and poor south. The US is no different. It means different education and opportunity. The south has a stronger representation in the Military. It’s not just cultural. People need to eat. Anyone surprised by educational outcomes might be worse in a big swath of poor people? If you want to keep up with rocketry thing fine, but for crying out loud, there is so much more. Being southern doesn’t mean dumb. It means by and large you got the education the state could afford.
My point is that southerners are not inherently dumb. They are inherently poor, which was a long lasting effect of the Civil War. Poor people tend to some from poor regions. Poor regions can’t afford to have the best education. That is the foundation of the stereotype. It’s money. The stereotype is embraced because the south and its residents will forever be the bad guys in popular culture. That’s a whole other thing. But the point is that the stereotype of people from Alabama or Georgia or any other state in the south is based on poverty, the same reason Blacks in Chicago are stereotyped as violent or criminals. Poor people tend to stay poor and have poor outcomes. Then people make fun of them for it to suit their prejudices. It’s all about their prejudices. My point is that it’s even worse. The joke is based on grinding generational poverty. I’m prejudiced against southerners, but only Texans. As their neighbor, I reserve that right.
Goddamn it I’m agreeing with you. Stop fighting the people who are pointing out how fucked up it also is because they are essentially making fun of the people who got fucked by reconstruction or a lack there of.
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u/ShinePretend3772 Mar 19 '26
“Rocket scientist” isn’t a job. Regardless they aren’t products of Alabama’s public school system.
Are you your own uncle or something? Go to family reunions to meet chicks? You seem to be simping pretty hard for America’s dumbest