O Brother, Where Art Thou

O Brother, Where Art Thou is probably one of my favorite movies in general and it's filled with images of what we think the South was or even is. It's actually based on Homer's Odyssey. For a complete review, check out the summary at Wikipedia. First of all, it's set in Mississippi 1934 during the Great Depression, so the setting, the locations, the images are all the director's interpretation of the South. Many of the songs in the soundtrack are typical Southern style of the time like folk music, bluegrass, and so on. Also, the main characters are entranced by the baptism they see by the river. So, this idea of religion and Christianity is definitely portrayed in the movie. Also, the KKK and the burning cross, Grand Wizard are further portrayed, and in a sense suggests that the South must be represented with these images. Of course, most, if not all the accents in the movie are the typical Southern drawl, which have to be included in the movie to make it a genuine Southern movie. And also, on a deeper level, the plot shows the transition of the Old South to the New South. The plot is three men traveling around trying to get to a valley and find the treasure and money one of them buried there before it is flooded by the creation of a hydroelectric power plant. And on the way to the valley, they go through the Southern farmlands and forest. So, the audience gets to ideas of the South, one of industrialization but also agriculture. You can check out this video of a song that the main characters sing here.

Stupid is as Stupid does

One of my favorite movies and the best example of southern stereotypes in movies is Forrest Gump. The most offensive stereotype is that southerners are all stupid, portrayed through Forrest who is slow, but a good-hearted southern boy from Greenbow, Alabama. When asked if he is "stupid or something" he comes back with "Stupid is as stupid does". He unintentionally teaches Elvis to dance, busts the Watergate scandal, meets John Lennon and John F. Kennedy, and becomes a "gazillionaire" through Bubba Gump Shrimp Company. However, Forrest is not the only with a low IQ. After enlisting in the army he meets Bubba, who is also dumb and talks about nothing other than shrimp and the family shrimping business all day.

Nothing in the South is bigger than college football. In Forrest Gump, Forrest is offered a scholarship to play at Alabama because he can run, but he is so dumb he runs the ball for a touchdown and keeps running through the tunnel, and Coach Bryant says "That kid may be the stupidest I have ever seen, but he sure is fast". However, this shows that anyone in the South can go to college and graduate if Forrest can.

Another common stereotype of rednecks and incest is shown through Forrest's best friend and true love Jenny, who runs away from a sexually abusive father. Her childhood drove her to run across country and finding escape through drugs and men.

In the movie, Forrest cuts grass for free because he loves riding the lawn mower so much. This refers to the stereotype that all southerners are rednecks with tractors and lawn mowers.
However, on the more positive side, the movie also shows that southerners are very hospitable and loving through Forrest's love and forgiveness for people. He loves Jenny and lieutenant Dan no matter how they treat him. Forrest Gump is a very entertaining comedy that I can watch over and over, even though it is poking fun at southerners and contributing to the stereotypes southerners are constantly trying to get rid of.

The Andy Griffith Show

I don't know about my favorite southern movie, but my favorite southern TV show would have to be the Andy Griffith Show. The show's main character, played by Andy Griffith, is a sheriff in the fictional town of Mayberry, North Carolina.

Most of the plot revolves around the sheriff's duties keeping the town in order while taking care of social problems. Both issues are always light, allowing humor and a happy ending.

Despite its great humor and storytelling, the show was still full of southern stereotypes. For example, the town is always peaceful, and the sheriff, Andy Taylor, doesn't even carry a gun, while his deputy carries a gun with only one bullet. The show tries to represent an image of a better time gone by similar to that of Gone With the Wind.

The show was also somewhat racist. It did not show blacks as inferior, because it hardly showed them at all. The show was aired during the height of the civil rights movement, yet there wasn't a single black person with a speaking part in the first five seasons.

Sweet Home Alabama

There are many movies that portray southern stereotypes, but one of my favorites is Sweet Home Alabama. I personally have never lived or submersed myself into Alabamian culture, but if I did I honestly think that it might correlate with the stereotypes seen throughout the movie. That is my stereotype of Alabama, whether it is true or not.

Even in the trailer for the movie, many southern stereotypes can be pointed out. The way that southerners view the north, the reenactment of battles fought in the south, the concept of having babies in a bar, rodeo type dances and the great outdoors filled with mosquitoes, all some type of southern stereotype, come into play throughout the movie. This movie is filled with southern stereotypes that can be followed closely throughout the movie. As soon as Melanie (Reese Witherspoon) leaves the north, the way she acts and her identity completely changes. There is an enormous difference between the north and south in this movie and is portrayed very distinctly. This shows the effect that the northern and southern cultures have on people and how they can change the way they act and talk.

The trailer, as seen below, incorporates many southern stereotypes in order to draw in the audience and show the portrayal of the southern culture.

Sweet Home Alabama is one of my favorite movies. Maybe it is because it is a romantic love story, I am not really sure, regardless, I will watch it over and over. I find the southern humor relatable, even being from the south. I was not offended by its assumptions, even though they could have been directed towards me and my background. This movie does correlate with some of the stereotypes even I, a native southerner, think of when referring to Alabama. These may or may not be true, but if I, someone who lives in the south, thinks of those things, then non-southerns are definitely going to think the same. This movie portrays many typical southern stereotypes, from the way people talk and dress to how they view the north. But that is not why i love the movie. Most of all, it has an interesting and amusing southern plot, funny scenes, with a happy ending. What's not to love?

Topic

What is your favorite southern movie and what stereotypes throughout the movie make it southern?

Southern Accents

Everyone knows the stereotype of the slow southern drawl. But how common is it really? In my southern hometown, far less than half of the people I knew had what would be considered a southern accent. In fact, a large percentage of my high school was born outside of the south. I never even felt conditioned to the southern accent, if I heard someone with a heavy accent it would sound strange to me.

Of course, Tech is even more of a counterexample for the accent stereotype. Hearing Asian languages or accents is far more common than hearing a southern drawl. As the south is becoming more connected globally, we are seeing a disappearance of these stereotypical properties (which in some cases may have never existed at all).



Paula Deen embodies many southern stereotype, specifically that of the accent. Yet, if I heard her talking on the streets of Atlanta, it would sound very odd to me. I think this shows that in many places, the southern accent is a thing of the past.

Passion

The main reason why football is so dominant in the South, especially the SEC conference, is the influence sports have on families in the South. Parents sign up their children in sports at a young age. These parents pay for lessons and take them to practices and camps for that sport and sacrifice whatever it takes to make their child better. As the child grows up and the sport gets more competitive, the crazier the parent becomes, coaching and yelling from the sidelines, arguing with coaches about playing time, and bragging to everyone they know about how great their child is. Because children in the South start out in sports at such a young age they develop a love and obsession for the sport and will do whatever it takes to make it to the next level and play for their college. This love and dedication carries over to the team and makes southern teams dominant for their true passion.

Another important reason the SEC dominates sports is the fans and their passion for and dedication to the sport and their team. In the south, many children are brought up with a die-hard love for their team. These fans never miss a home game, even travel to some away games, wear crazy outfits or paint up for games, and fight any person trashing their team.

However, having been a die hard Tech fan since I was born and after all this talk about the SEC and how dominant it is I just have to say...GO JACKETS!!!! TO HELL WITH georgia!!!

The Dominate South

Ever since 2005, the Southeastern Conference (SEC) has dominated in football. In 2005 Texas claimed the national title, in 2006 Florida, in 2007 LSU, in 2008 Florida once again, and most recently in 2009 Alabama. Given there are other schools in other parts of the country that are very good at football, but the difference is that a vast majority of southern football programs can compete at a very competitive level with one another.

Why do southern states attract such elite football player? Are they just bred in the south? It's possible. But i think that the reputation that the south upholds, especially regarding football attracts the best players from all around the country. But many players come from in state. I think that this is because southern states start involving their children in sports at a very early age and make it a very large part of their lives while growing up. Kids learn to be competitive, to work hard at something and stay in very good physical shape.

It is interesting that southern states are dominate at certain sports like football. There is such a big emphasis on sports in the south. That could be for two reasons. One, because the athletics are so good and fun to watch that most people get really into supporting their team. Or that the large emphasis on sports cause parents to start their children in sports at an early age. Or it could even be a combination of the two. Regardless, southern sports, especially football in the SEC have been very successful over the years and been recognized as the top in the nation.

Blog Topic for the Week

Certain sports in the South seem to have much more value than in other, non-southern states, especially football. Why do you think that these sports seem to be most dominate in the South, like the SEC football conference? Discuss what causes you think could contribute to this

It has long been a tradition of my church youth to go out on Sunday nights to Olive Garden. Sometimes the whole family would come, and everybody would just have a good time. Although the food isn't admittedly Southern in any way, one of the most interesting Southern experiences happened nevertheless at this restaurant.

There was a certain waiter there that was very inviting, smiling. He was probably born and raised a Southerner, because he had the accent and was full of that Southern hospitality. However, what makes this experience so special is that the waiter started to get to know us more and more and before we knew it, he was learning the Romanian language (because we are Romanian). He was greeting us and taking our orders and conversing with us in Romanian, in our very own language! He is the nicest waiter I have ever met, and his manners and politeness is more than a facade; he really is the real deal. It is ironic that in the South, we don't meet such people very often.

Pizza Hut

A few years ago, a Pizza Hut opened in my hometown of Franklin, Tennessee just a few miles away from my home. I was excited, because I love pizza.

So, fast forward to two years later. The "historic committee" of my town somehow got the information that an army general *may* have died on the Pizza Hut land. Note that this was highly speculative because they didn't have much land and there really wasn't anything to distinguish this land from the land 500 feet away from it. So what did the historic committee do? Well they forced Pizza Hut out of course. They demolished the building and built an old style fence around the property with a little sign next to the street.

I think this is a great example of when the reminiscence of the Old South goes too far. The fact that we have a group of people that just get together and decide that what parts of the town do not properly emulate the Old South image seems to be too much for me.

A Southern experience..or not

Write about an experience of yours in the South and how does it fit into either the traditional Southern culture or the new Post-modern South culture.

Favorite Icon of the South

My favorite icon of the south would definitely be fried chicken! My ethnic background is Romanian, and if you guys know any other Romanians, but we just love to eat, and one of the greatest contributions of the American South to the world was its fried chicken. According to wikipedia, apparantly, the American South was not the first culture to prepare "deep frying" foods; there is evidence of deep-frying cooking techniques in Europe during Middle Ages, Vietnam, and Africa. Although the South probably borrowed the idea, they definitely made fried chicken popular, resulting in today's love for fried chicken. I had fried chicken for dinner last night, and it was good!

My favorite southern icon is Elvis Presley or "The King of Rock and Roll". Elvis started his singing career in 1954 with the legendary Sun Records label in Memphis. Some of Elvis's most popular songs included "Hound Dog", "All Shook Up", and "Jailhouse Rock". A list of other Elvis songs includes: "Suspicious Minds", "Mystery Train", "A Little Less Conversation", "Heartbreak Hotel", "Suspicion", "That's All Right", "Blue Moon", "It's Now or Never", and "Love Me Tender". Elvis was known for his stage presence and controversially suggestive hip movements. He was the most popluar musician ever with thirty-eight top ten hits, which has yet to be challenged. He sold over one billion records globally, and earned gold, platinum, or multi-platinum awards for one hundred thirty-one different albums and singles. He received fourteen Grammy nominations, including three wins, and the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award from the National academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Elvis's home, Graceland, is one of the most visited homes in America today, attracting over 600,000 tourists a year. It is the most famous home in America after the White House, and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991. Elvis Presley's talent, good looks, sensuality, and charisma made him one of the most important figures of twentieth century popular culture. Elvis died at his home, Graceland, on August 16, 1977.

The Ryman Auditorium

When I think of a southern icon, I can't help but think of the country music at the Ryman Auditorium in downtown Nashville. The auditorium began as a large church in downtown Nashville. In 1943, it became the home of the Grand Ole Opry, a live show that was broadcast over the radio every week. The Grand Ole Opry became famous as the best country music radio show and the home of country music. In the 1970s, the show was moved to a new home, but it still plays at the Ryman for a few months each year.

I have seen multiple shows at the Ryman. The auditorium is a perfect size;
it is just small enough so that you feel close to the stage regardless of where you are sitting. The last show that I saw there was a Christmas show by Alan Jackson. Looking back, I find it ironic that the show was of a country singer singing gospel songs in an old church famous for its country music. I think this shows how closely related country and gospel music really are.

The Romantic South

"Gone With the Wind" is one of the most famous southern movies of its time and still remains that way today. When I think about "Gone With the Wind" I see the romantic south, the southern gentlemen suitors looking for love in the southern bell. I think most girls from the south wish that they were Scarlett, courted by every man imaginable, having whatever her heart desires. The idea of men chasing after you is very appealing to girls, every girl wants to be wanted and I think that is one of the reasons women love this movie. It gives hope that the romanticism of the south still exists and that it continues to exist today.

This picture tells me so much more than what the name of the movie is. It tells me that there is love and passion in the south, that the beauty and serenity of the country engulfs you and that love is one of the greatest things you can find.

I believe that whenever people look at the image, they see the South. This movie has been a southern icon ever since it was released. The love and passion of the movie gives the audience the idea that that is what the south is truly like. I love this icon because of the idea of the southern gentleman and the southern bell. I will admit that I do wish I were a southern bell, being laid on hand and foot, falling in love, and everything that comes with it.

Whenever people think of southern movies, "Gone With the Wind" is one of the first to pop up. It is a classic that will always be there to remind us of what people perceive and idealize the south the be like. Personally, I would love to be apart of the south that has the gentleman, the hopeless romantic who pursues the woman he can't live without. The romantic south is one that I believe most girls want to be apart of. Maybe it is true for some parts of the south and not for other, I am not really sure, but nonetheless, the icon still holds a special place in my heart.

Topic

Be it internationally recognized or just something local, what is your favorite icon of the South and why?

Maybe it's because I am from Texas so it has a little bit to do with my home state pride, but either way, I love the Alamo. When you visit it, it may not look like all it's built up to be, but to me, it still represents something great. It was the turning point for Texas during its fight for independence. The Alamo represents courage and faith. With only two survivors, the Alamo flipped the switch in the Texas and gave them reason to fight with all they had against the Mexicans. They were fighting for the people who bravely faced the Mexicans during the battle of the Alamo. Even though the Texas lost the battle of the Alamo, it was the battle that gave the Texans incentive to win the war.

For some reason this historical landmark sticks out to me. It shows me how much a state or country cares about its residents and how each soldier was willing to give up their life for the well being and overall goal of the entire country. Personally, I think that I am partial to Texas. It's said that if you live in Texas, you love Texas and everything that comes along with it. I am extremely proud to claim that I am from Texas and I believe that every single person who fought in the battle of the Alamo would claim the same thing.

Today, the Alamo is a popular tourist stop in San Antonio. Many go to see the infamous fort and see where the bloodbath took place. It has become quite the Southern landmark for Texas. To Texans, this represents a pride in our state, something that we should all look at and see courage, and bravery, and a symbol of why our state is the one we know it as today. I am proud to say that Texans fought at the Alamo and that Texas was able to declare its independence from Mexico because of the courage and character that each of the soldiers proved when fighting and dying in the battle of the Alamo

Fun at Stone Mountain

Stone Mountain located in Gwinnett County in Georgia is one of my favorite historical landmarks in the South. The mountain is more than five miles in circumference and offers a great view of the Atlanta skyline, Kennesaw Mountain, and sometimes the Appalachian Mountains. Tourists can reach the top of the mountain by the walk-up trail or by skyride. The carving on the mountain depicts three Confederate leaders of the Civil War, President Jefferson Davis and Generals Robert E. Lee and Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson (and their horses, "Blackjack", "Traveller", and "Old Sorrel".

Stone Mountain park is Georgia's most popular attraction with activities including tennis, river boats, pedal boats, hiking, boating, fishing, golfing, and bicycling. One of the most popular attractions is the laser show on the lawn with special effects and music. Families arrive early in the day to get good seats, picnic, and play on the lawn. Stone Mountain also offers museums and The Crossroads, which is a simulation of a town in the 1870's with everything from candy making to glass blowing. Stone Mountain's newest attraction and one of my personal favorites is Snow Mountain. Stone Mountain Park's Laser Lawn is transformed into a seasonal family snow park, featuring a 400-foot tubing hill and a 30,000 square foot play area in snow at least two feet deep. Because snow in Georgia is very rare and two feet of snow is almost impossible, snow mountain is fun for all ages and it is local and convenient. Stone Mountain is a popular tourist attraction and has entertainment for the whole family.

The Biltmore Estate

My favorite landmark in the South has to be the Biltmore estate. The Biltmore is a mansion built by George Vanderbilt from his wealth, which was amassed from several businesses as well as large inheritances. The house was finished in 1895, and despite his large sum of money, it is thought to have used up a majority of his wealth.

When I visited the Biltmore, I found it fascinating because of it seemed old yet at the same time it was so revolutionary at the time. It is an odd mix of an old house an a luxurious home. For example, it has a swimming pool, a two story library, and even a bowling alley. It was truly revolutionary with features such a an intercom system, an elevator, and centrally controlled clocks. It is massive as well; the tour that I took a few years ago took well over two hours. It is hard to imagining living in anything close to the size of that house.

The gardens around the mansion are not to be ignored, either. The grounds were designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, the same man who designed Central Park. All of the greenery is still very well tended to today because of the large amount of tourism that the house sees.

The estate is still very alive, with tours happening everyday and hotel rooms (on the grounds but in a separate building) that cost $600 or more per night.