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Stereotypes Of South Essay

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Stereotypes Of South Essay
Olivia Beck
Rough Draft People from the southern states are put into a group called Southerners. People are stereotyped as soon as you find out where they’re from, from Virginia to Georgia and over to Tennessee, people from the Southern region are referred to as “Rednecks.” They have an image of being a person with bad personal hygiene, drive old beat down trucks and spit chewing tobacco. Southerners have had this reputation since the early 1900’s when slavery was prominent and the stereotype is still strongly alive today. There are two different stereotypes of Southern people, one as the dirty, illiterate, and one as the well-mannered southern gentleman
Southerners are known to be illiterate, dirty, racist, old fashioned and violent along with
…show more content…
Studies show that “fourteen of the top fifty schools in the nation are located in the South.” One third of Miss America winners come from southern states, as well as the majority of early presidents too.
The other stereotype that someone may think of when they picture a Southerner would be the classy, clean dressed family. They are pictured to live in old, historical homes that may have been an old slave plantation. Rich Southern families are known to have a love for sports such as tennis, golf, and or polo. The family should be hospitable, referred as “Southern hospitality”, quiet living, and pride in their ancestry. The men in these families are referred to as “Southern Gentlemen” and the females as “Southern Belles.”
There are still movies and shows today that present the Southern Stereotype. Movies that do so would be Sweet Home Alabama, The Dukes of Hazzard, The Blindside, and Forrest Gump. Major TV shows that show the stereotype as well are Beverly Hillbillys, The Waltons, and Mama’s Family. These examples clearly show the Southern stereotype as the poor, dirty family like in Forrest Gump or the rich, polite family like The

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