Thoughts on Clothing and Flags

Topic: Southern Clothing

There are many Southern clothing stores that flaunt the confederate flag and represent themselves as the Southern way to dress. A few days ago, one of my sorority sisters emailed us about a new clothing line that her friend just launched called Dixie Gentlemen. In her email she said, “his stuff was a hit at the Carolina Cup! So put your SoPro and Southern Tide today and check his line out.” This company has many clothing styles that are considered to be Southern such as Croakies and overalls. I never considered overalls to be Southern, because I lived in Israel when I was younger and every kid in my preschool wore overalls at least once. Croakies are something that I definitely consider to be Southern. I had never heard of Croakies before I moved to Atlanta. Many of the clothes sold at Dixie Outfitters have Confederate flags on them. At my friend’s middle school, Flat Rock Middle School, a few years ago, clothing with Confederate flags was banned. Many girls wore Dixie Outfitters clothing and people got offended leading the NAACP to get involved. What is your thought about Dixie Outfitters and its representation of the Confederate flag through the clothing that it sells? What clothing styles do you consider to be southern?

NASCAR

(the most exciting part of the hour long shindig)

It's All About the Crashes

Nascar...Okay let’s think about this.

I know plenty of folks back at home who love to spend their Sunday afternoons watching stock car races. I don’t really partake, but here’s the deal. Get a bunch of guys together on the weekend, and give them the opportunity to sit around, drink beer, and watch things blow up. That’s the point of Nascar.

I do not mean to undermine the skills of the drivers, though. It’s the anticipation of crashes that really makes things exciting. If you want pure driving skill, sure - go watch Indy. Follow these links for more information on NASCAR and Indy racing.

NAS What?

NASCAR is a sport that I am very unfamiliar with. I know what it is because I live in the south. I understand the point system because I watch sports center. Finally, I know the names of a few famous NASCAR drivers. I believe that it does take a lot to be a NASCAR driver. The drivers experience a lot of G-forces and have to drive in a cockpit that can reach scorching heats. On top of all this, they have to drive for hundreds of laps without losing focus. One small mistake could mean life or death. Even knowing all of this, I still consider NASCAR not to be a sport.

I feel that NASCAR is popular for one reason in the south. I may feel this way because of stereotypes in the south about rednecks and trash. I feel that NASCAR is popular because you tailgate before the event, during the event, and after the event. I have friends who are in no way rednecks or even souther but still love NASCAR. Regardless, I feel that the sport is watched by so many because it gives people an excuse to get drunk and eat a lot of food. These things are good but if its just a party, its not a sport.

This topic seemed really controversial to me, so I did a little research. Here is a link to a really entertaining debate about what makes a sport a sport and if NASCAR counts.

NASCAR

This week I want to propose a topic about the great American sport of NASCAR. Some people say the acronym stands for Non-Athletic Sport Centered Around Rednecks, which may be true since the sport did originate down here. The acronym really stands for National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing. It originated at Daytona Beach, but really caught on in North Carolina as some drivers drove fast because they were transporting moonshine during prohibition. The sport is also more popular in the South than it is in other parts of the country. The South's economy really relies on this sport as well. Why do you think this is the case? Why is it so popular in the south? Talk about your opinion on NASCAR and does your family watch it. Why you like or why you don't?

http://www.shacknews.com/images/generated/48e11a387bbb8_featured_without_text_Nascar.jpg

Southern Suburbia

I feel that the southern landscape is definitely diverse. This happens because of the vast size of the south. There is a variance between each area in rainfall, temperature, water features, vegetation, and human development. All of this makes every area in the south different. It is through this example that I have seen that the south can be many different places.

Personally, I feel that the best landscape of the south is suburbia. When I imagine the perfect southern landscape I see a quite suburban town filled with green vegetation, a mild climate, and plenty of lakes. I imagine and endless amount of trees because they provide shade on those sunny days, they are the perfect place to nap, and to play. The mild climate provides the spring time all the time. Finally, I believe that the ideal southern landscape is suburban because it gives the perfect mixture between a city and rural area. There are plenty of people but not so many that it gets annoying. There are are still plenty of developed commercial areas for entertainment. Overall, a southern suburban town is the place for me.

Here is a link to a website that shows the vegetation growth or destruction in the Unites States. It's interesting that the South is the greenest area on the map.

Landscape

When I was young I lived in Jerusalem for several years and then my family moved to a suburb that was a half hour away from the City. This seemed like an extreme change in lifestyle, but when I moved to Massachusetts, I was surprised by how rural my town was. My house in Israel was in a neighborhood that was extremely crowded, and in Massachusetts I had my own mile long driveway and I lived in a house where I could only see trees and grass when I looked out the window. When I think of the north I think of a more urban place like New York City, or Boston, but when I think of the south I think of a rural area with farms, empty land, and houses that are spread apart over large pieces of land. This is only true in some cases, the cities in the north are very populated, but there are still places that are very rural. Before I first visited Atlanta I thought of the South as an empty place, but the south has both urban and rural areas. I have lived in a suburban area my whole life, and I think that it has many advantages. The school systems in suburban areas are usually better than many school systems in cities, and they have become a place for families with children. In the city everyone is close to each other and there is much less space, but in the suburbs people have their own yards where they can take space from their neighbors and community which helps form a stronger family relationship.

Southscapes

My Favorite Landscape

http://maps.google.com

I have lived in the south all of my life and in mostly suburban areas. Many aspects of country living are appealing like the large yards and the quiet lifestyle, but I enjoy having the necessities and activities right down the road. Living in the city has grown on me now that I am at Tech. When I was looking at colleges, I said I would not go to school in the city. When I came to Tech, the campus did not feel like it was in the middle of the city and there is always something to do. All of the different landscapes have appealing attributes, but I prefer the suburban environment. Even though the suburbs are associated with sprawl, the developing neighborhoods create a stronger community feeling. The great southern communities have nice neighborhoods, friendly people, green grass, large pine trees, and plenty of dogwoods and magnolias in the yards.

In my community in Charleston, we have some unique features that define our area as southern. There are the palm trees that are on the golf courses and in yards. Also, the marshland surrounding the city and the islands define the area as southern. I love the different landscapes of the south and the many beautiful areas the region has. This is a great scene below with the tree covered in spanish moss and the marsh in the background.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/195/501100612_9aa104b604.jpg

Topic - Southern Landscapes

Over the past few weeks, some different landscapes have come up in conversation through the blogs - rural country landscapes, cityscapes, and suburban areas. There are also the highly pedicured magnolia and azalea golf club spots as well (like the Augusta national). Of course, some of these are not unique to the South, but all are distinctly Southern in particular ways; that is, Southern cities are not the same as Northern cities, and so forth.

Each of these landscapes offers distinct advantages and disadvantages. Try to think of the particular features of each and decide which might be your favorite. Also, think of some ways which may make each of these landscapes distinctly Southern in one way or another and share your observations.

Landscapes

My "South"

I have noticed over the past several weeks that a topic of conversation in class and in other blog groups has been that of Southern identity - the notion of where, and what is the South.

In her last post, I really feel like Lior struck the proverbial nail on the head when she said that her “real” South is a sparse, spread out place, as indicated by her picture. Since I agree with her on this point, I have taken a similar picture from some of our property near Vidalia, GA.

In one group a few weeks ago, one person mentioned that they had traveled to many cities in the South but had never seen the stereotypical, rural, at-home South often alluded to in this course. I feel that since cities have such a high rate of immigration and emigration, that the stereotypical South isn’t as evident in many Southern cities. Instead, you must go to the rural areas. Drive an hour or two outside of the city; visit Tifton, Waycross, and Moultrie, GA; go somewhere where families have lived in that location for the past 3 generations - then you will see the “real” South.

Also, see Wikipedia's article for 'Rural area.'

The Perfect Southern Landscape

Living in Charleston the past three years, I have grown to love the amazing make-up of the landscape. When I think of the south, I see the large trees lining a road with spanish moss dangling from the branches. The picture above reminds me of the back-roads around where I live. This landscape provides a scenic and beautiful drive that can be found in a few places in the south. Not only can you find this scenery along dirt roads, you can also find it on heavily traveled roads. The way the southern landscape is set apart from anything else is the rural/suburban scenery. Many southern urban areas like Atlanta or Charlotte aren't much different than that of Chicago or Cincinnati. There are tall buildings, traffic, and many activities, but not much sets the cities apart. Then you throw in Charleston, SC and Wilmington, NC and you can tell that you are in the south. The rural scenery is really what creates the difference in regions though. Out in the midwest, there are corn fields and rolling hills, and in the West there are large cliffs and desert/dry climates. The southern rural areas are like the picture above left or like picture above right with the large fields with acres and acres of farmland. The southern landscape is unique and something that I love.

My Southern Landscape Picture

Even though I currently live in Atlanta which is an industrialized southern city and have seen different parts of the South, I still think of the south as a place with plantations and farms that are extremely spread out. My roommate is from Tyrone, and when I went to visit her, I saw what I consider to be the "real" South. This picture is a picture of the landscape at my friends house. When I was younger I lived in Israel in an extremely populated town, so when I moved to Massachusetts everything seemed to be far, but when I came to the South the distance between neighbors and the amount of empty land was larger than anything that I have ever seem before. When I came to my roommate's house I was amazed by the way that her mile long dirt road driveway and the many farms in her street fit my picture perfect idea of the South. Her land consists of a hundred acres which seems significantly large compare to the amount of land that people own in the north. When I think of the South I think of large unpopulated land full of trees and farms.

The Land of the South

We have been discussing many topics when it comes to southern identity. So many things go into the dynamic of the southern culture. For this blog topic I was hoping we would look into the stereotypes that we already have in our minds but don't realize. When you imagine the south, more specifically the landscape, what do you see. Include a picture that you believe accurately portrays the image that you see when you imagine the southern landscape. Then describe the major aspects of the scenery and what they mean to you.

Above is what I see when I imagine the south. I think this image does a good job of describing my image of the south because it has a good mix of urban and suburban scenery. It's the kind of place where I live. There are lots of trees and plenty of green grass that I feel are vital to the beauty of the south. The only thing that this picture is missing is a nice neighborhood filled with playing kids. Some of you may not be from the south and it is those of you that are going to have the most interesting views of the southern landscape. I can't wait to see them.

"Southern Living"

I love living in the South. Yes, I have lived here my whole life, but the comfort I feel in this region is unexplainable. When I travel outside the south, I do not feel nearly as comfortable. I now live in Atlanta because I love the Georgia Tech campus and the city of Atlanta. There is so much to do in the city making it a desirable place to live. The Atlanta suburbs have grown drastically because of what the city has to offer and the affordable, family-friendly neighborhoods. I spent the first 15 years of my life in the Charlotte area where the southern twang isn't very evident, since Charlotte attracts many types of people. I then moved to Charleston for my last three years of high school and I felt my accent change slightly to more of a twang. Many people who live in the Charleston area have a "suthun accent" and hearing it everyday changed my accent slightly. I have also adjusted to the way many Charlestonians dress, like seersucker shorts/suits, white bucks, and visors. I am sure if I grew up in the north or out west my accent and style of dress would be different.

Living in the South

If you are reading this post now, you currently reside within what is considered the Southern United States, or more specifically, Georgia. According to the US Census Bureau, the South is the fastest growing geographic area. There are many speculations as to why this is, and probably many reasons why this is so. What is it about the South that is appealing to more and more Americans? Further, what isn't fitting about other regions that would make people relocate here?

10 U.S. Metro Areas With Highest Numerical Growth: April 1, 2000-July 1, 2006

Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, Ga.	890,211
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas	842,449
Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown, Texas	824,547
Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, Ariz.	787,306
Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, Calif.	771,314
Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, Calif.	584,510
New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, N.Y.-N.J.-Pa.	495,154
Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, D.C.-Va.-Md.-W.Va.	494,220
Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Miami Beach, Fla.	455,869
Chicago-Naperville-Joliet, Ill.-Ind.-Wis.	407,133

(take a look at the figures above and note that half of the fastest growing metropolitan regions are considered to be Southern.)

Why do you live here? Think about it for a moment. Where you live defines who you are as an individual; it shapes and creates your personality and affects your view of the world. Why do you live here? Whether it be "because my family has always lived here" or "I'm just here for the education," you live here for some reason. Further define why you live here and how it has affected you as a person, or if you feel it has even affected you very much at all. How long would you have to have lived in one place to describe yourself a "Southerner" or a "texan" or a "Northerner?"

Suthun Twang

The Southern Accent

Ilove the southern accent. I think that it is extremely welcoming and that it plays a part in the idea of southern hospitality. When I think of the southern accent I think of phrases such as y’all and ma’am. These southern phrases are welcoming and bring a sense of respect. In the north everyone seems to be in a hurry and if someone called me ma’am I would look at them like they were speaking a different language. I think that people tend to over generalize accents. Accents vary greatly between towns, cities, states and countries. For example, I am from Boston but I still pronounce my r’s. Furthermore, I have friends from North Georgia that have different accents from my friends who live in South Georgia. They both have what is considered the “southern accent,” but when they talk next to each other, their accents sound completely different. When I researched the history of the southern dialect I found out that the migration of African Americans had a large influence, which is why the northern accent is very different. I think that dialect changes based on influences by people who migrate from one place to another and since accents can be acquired at a young age, ones accent depends on where they live and the accent that they people around them have.

It's a Southern Accent

I sure do love the sound of a Southern accent, especially compared to a sharp New England accent. One is just inviting, warm, friendly, while the other lashes out at you.

Of course, when the British colonized the states, I imagine that differences in regional accents didn’t really exist. However, in the more than 200 years since we broke off from Britain after the American Revolution, different regions of our country has received immigrants from different parts of the world - in particular, African slaves imported into the Southern states.

This Wikipedia Article on Southern American English does a good job of giving an overview of Southern American dialects in general. The article does a good job of highlighting that there are many sub-accents in the South, something that many folks often don’t realize.

Tom Petty and Johnny Cash say it best in Southern Accent.

Topic of the Week: The Southern Drawl

Don't you love walking into a store or a restaurant and hearing someone say, "How y'all doin today?" That phrase makes me feel welcome compared to the New York phrase "how ya doin." The southern drawl is very pleasing and easy on the ears. People often make fun of the southern accent saying it makes people sound uneducated, which is not helped by Larry the Cable Guy. Our country was founded by the British and the language of the U.S. from the beginning was English. The strange thing is I am sure the early American's spoke with British accents. How can a dialect change from one way to another? Was it that these new Americans were rebels and they wanted to change how they spoke? Different regions in the country also have different dialects, like the New York, Ohio, and California accents. Areas in the south also have different dialects, New Orleans and Charleston are examples. The question I want to pose for this topic is why and how do you think the southern accent came about? Talk about your view of the southern accent and also other accents of different regions.

Football: The Passion of the South

When I look at the culture of the south, I think about the food, the hospitality, the people, but more importantly high school and college football. The hotbed for football talent is in Texas, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and California (four of the five mentioned are southern states). Almost every year the best football players in the country are from the south, proven by an image in the 2009 Sports Illustrated article "The State of Recruiting" by Andy Staples. For college football in general, the Southeastern Conference (Teams include: Alabama, Auburn, Ole Miss, Miss. St, South Carolina, Florida, LSU, Georgia, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Kentucky, Arkansas) is usually the best conference in Division 1 football. It is also the conference with the most passionate fans and biggest tailgaters. I read the book "Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer" by Warren St. John a few years ago, which composes actual stories from St. John's travels with Alabama tailgaters. There are some unbelievable people in the book who give up everything for six months to follow the Alabama football team to every game in their RV's. St. John describes how he went to talk to fellow Alabama fans at their different tailgate parties and before he knew it, he was offered some beer and food. It is unique that St. John was able to walk over to a stranger's tailgate and strike up a conversation just because he was an Alabama fan. I can't tell you how many times I have given high fives or fist pounds to strangers around me at football games. Just like Lior said in her topic intro, Southern hospitality is included at football games because they allow strangers to become immediate friends.

I recently came across an article online, Football: North vs. South, which compares the two regions and the difference football has on each culture. My favorite part of the article is:

Getting to the stadium

North: You ask, “Where’s the stadium?” When you find it, you walk right in.

South: When you’re near it, you’ll hear it. On game day, it becomes the state’s third largest city.

(from http://www.collegecharlie.com/fbnvs.html)

I find this humorous because on game days in Morgantown, WV, at the University of West Virginia, a sold-out game will make the stadium the biggest city in the state. Check the article out to read some funny, but true comparisons between both regions.

I think the main reason football is so huge in the south is we have one of the best climates in the country. Our mild climate allows a November day at a football game to be enjoyable because the temperature is usually in 60's or higher. A fan can make a football game an all day event if it is warm or cool outside in the south, but not many people want to tailgate and freeze all day if 40 degrees is the high temperature for the day. The south also has the greatest tradition with football. There are programs like Ohio State, USC, Michigan, and Nebraska with great traditions, but football in the south is where the roots of this great game exist. Get that passion back... Spring ball is just around the corner!!

Throw the Pigskin

Football, especially college football has become an intricate part of southern identity. It represents the passion of a group of people, the history of amazing athletes, and provides stories for generations to hear. College rivalries create competition between the people in the south and the connection that some fans of the same college have creates an instant connection between people in the south. Football serves as a catalyst for many things. Football is the sport of the south. The SEC and ACC represent the two college conferences of the south and thereby represent the teams that most of the south is affiliated with.

I remember here at Georgia Tech I met a friend who could relate to me through football. Both of our parents went to the University of Tennessee. As soon as both of us realized this connection we began to tell the stories our parents told us about the, "good old days" of Tennessee Football. We were both Yellow Jackets now but because of the strong emphasis that football plays in the south the stories our families had passed down were similar. Our families came from completely different backgrounds but because of football we had something in common.

Economically football is a good thing for the south. The emphasis that is placed on football in the south makes a majority of the teams in the region strive for excellence. This means that more tickets are sold and more revenue is made. Here in the south one of the largest aspects of football comes in the form of tailgating. The amount of money spent on tailgating is ridiculous and because of it a lot of money is spent and made. Football is not only and intricate part of the culture and tradition of the south but also the economy.

Here is an interesting paper on the economic impacts of college football on Michigan. It's interesting to see how much money is being spent and made.

Topic: Southern Sport

Football is a sport that is mainly played in America, and it seems to have become part of the southern culture. It is respected spectator sport that is present in many colleges and has both brought both money and publication to the schools. There are a few Northern schools that have successful football teams such as Boston College, but when I think of a football school I think of schools in the South. People seem to live from one football game to the next as they cheer for their favorite teams and follow their statistics. Football players are extremely respected in the South and many college football players get scholarships due to their athletic achievements. The SEC and ACC football leagues are the most competitive college football teams and they seem to have an affect the South as a whole. In my view, football has promoted the idea of southern hospitality in the South. People bond over the football games. Many people have family gatherings and hosts parties to watch the game together and meet people through tailgating before games. Furthermore, football brings a sense of pride to the South and to the people who have grown up following college football. When I was at my friends house for the Super Bowl, a few Georgia Tech football players came with us and her aunt, uncle and grandparents told them stories about football back in the days and the great experiences that they had watching the sport. Whenever I talk to my friends at Georgia Tech and their parents, they have memories that revolve around football and their love for the sport. It seems that it is creating history.

What do you think? Describe a personal experience that shows how football has affected the atmosphere and culture in the South? Do you feel that it has become a main part of people’s lives? Additionally, how does football affect the South economically?

Plantations

Living in Charleston, South Carolina, I have noticed the preservation of the southern plantation home. The South has tried to get rid of its history of slavery and racism, but they still preserve places that are affiliated or linked to those topics. In Charleston, plantations are huge tourist attractions. For example, Drayton Hall (pictured left), is one of the most popular in Charleston and people are willing to pay $15 to see it. That blows my mind because the house is the only neat attraction on the property. The tour shows the visitors some of the slave huts and marshland, but it is not worth $15 dollars in my opinion. Plantations are historical in both good and bad ways. The good is that the south has always been a major contributor to agricultural production. In the 1800's the economy and country depended on the plantations for vegetables, tobacco, cotton, etc. The country, today, still needs the south for agricultural production. To whites, this property represents history of early agriculture in the south. To African-Americans, these properties remind them of what their ancestors went through. I guess that is why most of the plantations visitors are white and not african-american. If cities had to get rid of whites only signs and integrate schools, why do plantations still exist? I am not against having them at all, but they do represent slavery. Plantations are a main of southern culture and history, which is why they remain a popular tourist attraction.

The Confederate Flag

A holdover that I have noticed since attending a school in the south is the presence of the southern pride and history through the Confederate flag. I was not exposed to the history of the South in high school, but when I went on a trip to several southern states a few years ago, I saw cars with Confederate flag bumper stickers, Confederate flags on peoples porches, and people wearing clothing displaying the Confederate flags from popular stores such as Dixie Outfitters. The mission statement on the Dixie Outfitters website states, “Dixie Outfitters is proud to be Southern and proud of our ancestors who fought and died in the War for Southern Independence.” This store is trying to educate people about the flag and is keeping this flag present in order to advertise their feelings about it. The Confederate flag still exists in many television shows and there are even people in the North who wear clothes with the Confederate flags from Dixie Outfitters. When I lived in Massachusetts I would see people wearing clothes that displayed the Confederate flags from Dixie Outfitters because they thought that they looked cool, but they did not know about the flags origin and what it stands for. The Georgia flag was changed due to its connotation with racism, discrimination and slavery, but many people in the south fight to bring back the original flag. In 2003, Georgia changed its state flag again to a flag that is very similar to the original Confederate flag. Some people believe that the Confederate flag is a sign of the southern history and the right of the people to govern themselves. Even though it is not the Georgia Flag anymore, people still display it in order to raise awareness and show that they still support their idea of what this flag stands for. People claim that this flag represents all confederates regardless of race and gender.

Topic of the Week - Holdovers from Years Past

In the past weeks, we have discussed a number of social and societal characteristics of the South, some of which are historical holdovers still in existence in one form or another today. For example, Southern hospitality is still with us, whether it be through daily life in the South or through representations in advertisements or magazines, such as Southern Living.

Other properties of the South, such as slavery and associated Jim Crow laws, have largely been eradicated in the South, as well as the rest of the United States. Additionally, stereotypes of the South exist, many of which stem around racism and ideas of “dumb rednecks” and are oftentimes either outdated or grounded entirely in fiction, rather than reality. A good example of this would be the inbred backwoods rednecks depicted in the movie, Deliverance. Having been born and raised in south Georgia, I have seen my fair share of ignorance and signs of inbreeding, but nothing coming anywhere near the depictions illustrated in Deliverance. A good example of pitiful stereotyping can be taken from our readings during the first week of class - the AJC article on Senator Voinovich and Mencken’s analysis of the South in Sahara of the Bozart.

One very interesting, controversial, and thought-provoking holdover from Jim Crow laws of old actually involves gun laws in Georgia. I considered omitting this, as gun laws are always a controversial topic, but being an avid firearms enthusiast, I always find it amusing (reads: annoying and exasperating) when people refer to the “loose” gun laws of the South. In this report, the history of how Georgia’s gun laws are rooted in racism and why they are surprisingly strict still today is explained in sufficient detail, including an objective explanation of the 1906 Atlanta Race Riots. For anyone interested, it is a good read.

For this week’s blog discussion, I would like for each of you to try and find some property or characteristic of the South - either good or bad - which exists today as a holdover from the past. Feel free to elaborate on any of the broad topics I have brought up, but try and find a few specific examples to reinforce your argument.

Influential Artist: Johnny Cash

Welcome to the Future

In true Southern fashion, I think I’ll be polite and refrain from comment on Usher and his Braves cap collection. Not a word.

I’d like to focus on Brad Paisley’s Welcome to the Future, a song which really reflects on the transformations of the United States, and in particular, the South, over many decades. He brings up so many great images, from childhood recollections that really bring out how far technology has progressed (and how technology can make you feel really dated), to other experiences which highlight the breaking down of cultural boundaries, noting WWII and Japan in particular.

I feel like this song is particularly relevant to the South, as Southerners often gets a bad rap, IMHO, for being dumb rednecks, generally. This type of a message coming from a Country music singer is at the least, a statement.

The one thing about this song that really bugs me, though, is when he says, “Wake up Martin Luther.” Clearly, he’s referring to Martin Luther King, Jr., but his effort to make that particular passage rhyme makes me grit my teeth, because he’s technically calling out the M.L. of the Protestant Reformation, rather than MLK, Jr. We get the point, though.

Can you Hear the Change?

When I consider my knowledge about the south, I see that I know some things really well and others not at all. The topic when it comes to southern identity that I feel I know least about is southern music. The south was home to many famous singers that have made an impact on not only the country but also helped define southern identity. Try and pick one singer or songwriter that you believe has greatly influenced music in the south and has helped to define southern identity. Explain why you picked your choice.

Another aspect of southern music that I also would like some opinions on is the transformation that is going on in the south. I feel as if the current south is changing from the usual country music listening region into a more diverse music scene filled with hip-hop, rap, and R&B. You may not feel this way, but explain why or why not a new transformed musical south is forming. If you believe that a transformation is occurring or has already occurred explain what this transformation is and why it happened.

I think the south was this...

But now is also this...

But wait, I forgot about Jazz...

"Sweet Southern Comfort"

When I think of the south, I think of sweet tea, country music, and southern hospitality, just to name a few. Hospitality is one of the many great aspects of the south and it is highly praised. I once heard on an NPR newscast that Japanese and Southern people smile the most compared to the rest of the world. Every time I travel outside the south, I immediately notice the difference in how people act and treat a stranger. The youtube video exaggerates how many southerners act, but people do go out of the way to acknowledge or smile at a stranger on the street. When I walk into a restaurant in the south, I usually get a smile and "Hey, how are y'all doing today." I do not feel the same when I travel to another region like the north, but maybe I have a biased view, since I have lived in the south all my life. Just look at Buddy the Elf in his visit to New York City and how the people ignore his friendly nature.

Generally, the south has a laid back culture and I believe it translates into how we treat one another. The north has more of a blunt and quick paced culture which translates into how they converse with people and how they drive their cars. Since the south has a warmer climate year round, I think that translates into warmer and more friendly people. I work at a coffee shop back home and over winter break I served a lady from Akron, Ohio. While I was making her drink, she asked me a few questions. When I answered them, I responded with a yes ma'am or no ma'am before every question. She stopped after one question and said, "I enjoy coming to the south because I love hearing ma'am, sir, and y'all. Up in Ohio, you never hear any of that." Since I serve many northerners every year, I enjoy showing them some true southern charm.

Three years ago I moved from Davidson, NC (about 45 minutes north of Charlotte) to a community thirty minutes outside of Charleston called Seabrook Island. Seabrook is a hot bed for retirees, especially those from northern states like Ohio and New York. When we moved into our neighborhood in Davidson, our neighbors came over to introduce themselves and they usually brought a baked good with them as well. When we moved to Seabrook, the exact opposite occurred. Only one or two of our neighbors came to introduce themselves. Last year we met a neighbor who lives two houses down and they had not realized that we had been in our house for two years. That shows the effort she made in knowing the people around her. I believe that not knowing your neighbors takes away from the community feel and makes you feel isolated. If Seabrook was a typical southern community, I would know all the neighbors around me and their names. I enjoy traveling to other regions of the United States, but I always look forward to coming back home to the south. I love southern hospitality and I hope it continues to improve.

My Idea of Southern Hospitality

When I think of southern hospitality I think of my life in Israel. I lived in Israel up until fourth grade and then I moved to Massachusetts. We were friends with all of our neighbors and when a new neighbor moved in we always made baked goods and gave them a housewarming gift. If anyone ever needed a place to stay the doors were always open and there were always people willing to help. Furthermore, before moving to America I did not know that TV dinners existed. There was always a home cooked meal where ever I went. When I moved to Massachusetts, no one came to welcome us, and till this day I do not know most of my neighbors. When I go over my friend’s houses their parents order takeout and are much more distant. Their doors are not always open, and it is a lot more difficult to ask for a favor. People are always in a hurry and don’t have time for anything. When my mom and I first came to visit Georgia Tech, we were amazed by how nice people were. When we went into a store people asked us how our day was going and if we asked someone for directions, several people stopped to help. When I think of southern hospitality I think of big dinners, neighbors helping each other, and people welcoming their friends and treating them as family. A few years ago, I went on a trip to several states in the south and we stayed with host families. When we were at their house we became part of the family and the community. If anything was wrong they were there to help, and they cleared up their schedule to spend time with us. I have not experiences hospitality like this since I moved to Massachusetts. I still keep in touch with the families. I think that southern hospitality still exists and people who practice this meet people who they would not have met otherwise, and form long lasting connections.

Southern Hospitality: More than a Phrase

When I hear the phrase, “southern hospitality” I see visions of people welcoming people. I see people bringing food for neighbors who have moved in, lending a hand on those everyday tasks, and welcoming people they have just met into their homes. Southern hospitality is something that I believe could change the world if everyone adopted it.

The south was built on old southern values. Southern hospitality stems from the strong sense of community and respect. Some sociologists do say that southern hospitality is just a way to brush away the bad history, but in my opinion even if it is true it doesn’t matter. Even if the phrase was just used as a PR response, it has become part of the south. People in the south are hospitable and that makes it one of the nicest regions in the U.S.

I have seen southern hospitality, but I have only seen it in small towns. In the bigger cities this word is just another phrase thrown around to describe the old south. The new large southern cities have become machines. There is no need for this much emotion. The cities have become dog eat dog. Traditionally the north has been urbanized and has never developed this hospitality.

I remember being in the small town of Shelbyville, Tennessee and seeing southern hospitability in progress. I saw a man carrying a large amount of building materials out of the local Home Depot and another man was walking in. He saw the first man couldn’t handle all of the material and volunteered to help him carry his materials back to his truck. I’ve seen someone help the casual wonderer pick up something, but to help the person load it into their vehicle I think is just another small glance into southern hospitality. I know it’s more than a phrase because I choose to live my life with southern hospitality in mind.