Real Final Post - Southern Plantation

Like Blake I will also write about a topic of my own choosing this week. I would like to expand on an earlier topic I introduced about finding the South because I think I may have actually seen it for the first time. This past weekend I visited Jekyll Island and saw some pretty cool things one of which I found particularly surprising. While on the island I saw an actual Southern plantation from the 1700s and it was nothing like I would have imagined. I had always imagined enormous and gorgeous homes when I thought of Southern plantations, but this one was seemed to be about the size of my dorm room and even more modest. I think that this is an excellent example of the actual South not lining up with the stereotypes and archetypes we have in our heads (especially as a non-Southerner). It is also an example of how diverse the South is. While I would bet that there are many plantations that are like the ones shown in Gone With the Wind, I also know that there are much more modest homes and not all plantations are the same everywhere in the South.

Final Blog Post - Southern Rock

Okay since I think everyone has already posted their final blog posts, I don't think anyone will be updating a topic for this week. Therefore I have decided to take the liberty upon myself to write about what ever I so please staying within the realm of the general topic of "the South." Therefore I'm going to write about my project group's theme for the year, Southern Music, and more specifically southern rock. Southern rock evolved from the genres of rock n' roll, country music and blues. Southern rock really reached its peak in popularity in the 1970's with the Allman Brother's Band. They were out of Macon, Georgia which is really close to Atlanta, only about an hour away. Another very notable band that falls under the genre of southern rock is Lynyrd Skynyrd with their most famous song "Sweet Home Alabama." If you have never heard this song before you aren't even allowed to call yourself a southern, hell you're probably not even allowed to call yourself an American. Enlighten yourself if you haven't:


Well there's a little crash course in Southern Rock.

My Southern Tradition- Final Blog Post

When I was little, a tradition that my family had was to go to my father’s tennis team’s matches. The neighborhood we used to live in had a pretty good tennis team for the ALTA (Atlanta Lawn Tennis Association) league. The matches would be held on Saturday mornings and I used to go with my little sister to the home games. I also went to away games once in a while. My mother would join me occasionally as well. Many families would come to watch one of their family members play and it was a very family atmosphere. The food at the games would be delicious; I was especially fond of the Subway sandwiches and cookies. Everyone there had fun eating and cheering on their particular team’s players and I would cheer the loudest for my father. The highlight of my father’s tennis team was when they were City runner-up’s in 2001 and you know that I was there for the final. Tennis is one of the fastest growing sports in the South and especially in Atlanta. This is probably because of the South’s ideal weather for outdoor activities. I do consider this tradition to be Southern because it is an outdoor activity where a lot of people get together to eat food and have a good time.

Response to Southern Hospitality

Southern Hospitality is a term we hear quite commonly but what exactly does it mean? As stated in Wikipedia, “Southern Hospitality is a phrase used in American English to describe the generalization that residents of the Southern United States are particularly warm and welcoming to visitors to their homes, or to the South in general.” As I have mentioned in some of my previous blogs, I have lived in suburban Atlanta most of my life and I have seen this aforementioned Southern Hospitality in my daily life. When I first moved into my house, my neighbors invited us over for dinner within two weeks. Southern Hospitality is also apparent when our neighborhood has annual pool parties at the swimming pool. The residents are very friendly and are always ready to strike up a conversation. I believe that the South’s distinct food also plays a role in Southern Hospitality. Barbeques are social events where everyone is friendly with each other and if you happen to be a guest, you witness the comfort and hospitality of Southerners. In cities like New York and Los Angeles, everything is much busier so there isn’t as much time to make small talk or to have conversations with others. Before the Civil War, wealthy Southerners were known for their lifestyle of proper ladies and good mannered gentle men. This way of living has continued to be emulated even in today’s society where you hear Southerners say statements like thank-you, your welcome, bless you, etc.

Favorite Blog Post So Far...

My favorite blog posts so far were all of the one's in response to the topic I created about finding a YouTube video of a southern stereotype and writing about it. The reason's these were my favorite because I wanted to get a general idea of what other people thought was truly stereotypical of the South. And as I expected almost everyone showed a stereotype that depicted southerners in a negative way. Rahul's video depicted southerners as racist, ignorant drunks. Kirsten's video showed a couple of southern kids performing and undoubtedly stupid stunt. Phillip's video however highlights a distinction between two different types of southerners. There are the two fast talking heavily accented southerners which you cant understand a word of what they're saying, a negative representation of southerners, and then two southerners who speak in a manner that anyone could understand. My point in this was trying to figure out why southerners are depicted to be so ignorant, racist, constantly drunk, and speak in a way undiscernable to any non-southern. I myself am southern yet display none of these stereotypes. I think the main thing to realize is there are many different classes that encompass the realm of "being southern." The one that is generally stereotyped negatively to depict all southerners is what me and my friends back home used to derogatorily refer to as "dirt kids." These depictions and stereotypes should not be applied to all southerners.

There is a distinction between class in the South. We aren't all the ignorant, belligerent drunks that we have somehow been stereotyped to be.





VS

Re Rhaul and Rednecks

This post by Rhaul about a redneck women who was firmly against Barack Obama was a very interesting video for several reasons. The discussion however did make me feel a little uncomfortable. While it is true that the united states is in a war with Iraq and Afghanistan, it should not be undermined that a war with Iran is a possibility. I understand the angle that Raul is viewing the video from, but I also must say that this women, regardless of the fact that she is the classical redneck and apart from the fact that she made some mistakes, she never the less knows a thing or two more about who was the presidential candidate then many Americans who base their decisions on petty items.

Such as some people will vote for a candidate at the polls that they have no idea about, but simply because the candidate is of a certain party, race, or gender people will make their decision based upon that. I am not saying that we should expect people to identify their candidate based upon more significant factors, but we must look at the video and realize that the lady isn't as stupid as we believe she is.

In summary It was a good post and I can only think about all of the other rednecks out there.

Final Post

I found Phillip’s post in response to Southern hospitality very interesting. I was previously very unsure about what Southern hospitality really meant and his post helped me gain some insight. What I found particularly interesting is that a few of the specific examples of Southern hospitality he mentioned are things that I always do and not because I’m being Southern or hospitable. Phillip mentioned tone and voice when meeting someone. I believe that many people feign interest when conversing with others. Perhaps Southerners are supposedly genuinely interested, but I think it would be difficult to tell because many people, myself included, are very animated when talking to strangers even though we are not necessarily interested. Another point Phillip mentioned was the tendency to always say “please” and “thank you.” This is another thing I often say when talking to strangers. I feel it’s polite, but I do not believe I am being particularly hospitable. Finally, Phillip mentioned Southerners tendency to always remember and refer to you by name. This is one I cannot do because I can never remember a name. I therefore find it unfair to say that referring to strangers by name is evidence of Southern hospitality because people like me are just unable to do it even if we wanted to. The insight I gained from reading Phillip’s post therefore led me to question whether we just notice Southerners feigning interest more because they are supposedly more interested or if they are genuinely more interested.

Last Blog Topic!!!!!!!!

Alright! I am choosing the last blog topic for the semester. Since this is the last blog post topic, I would like this blog post to give our blog, Southern Times a sense of closure. I would like you guys to choose your favorite blog post from our blog this semester and discuss why. You may not choose one that you wrote yourself. You can choose a blog post because you thought it was humorous, gave good insight, helped you learn something about the South that you did not know before, or for some other reason.
For example, my favorite blog post was Phillip’s response to the blog topic, what sort of food was predominant in your household. Phillip is from Trinidad and Tobago, which is a country I am not familiar with. I didn’t even know where it was located until Phillip posted it on our blog’s map. This post helped me learn about the food that was predominantly eaten in Trinidad and Tobago and it was pretty interesting stuff. Their diet consisted of foods from many different nations and was very meat heavy. Trinidadians even eat iguanas, sharks, and agoutis, which is a type of rodent! One thing that surprised me was that Phillip’s claim that Arabic food has become very popular in recent years. Arabic nations are located vast miles away but somehow their cuisine has become popular with Trinidadians. Maybe, many Arabians have immigrated to Trinidad and Tobago recently. Another interesting fact that I learned from this post was that food is usually prepared with one major pot. I also learned a cool fact that the KFC in Trinidad and Tobago is the number one selling KFC in the world. Wow!! Who would have guessed?
Below is a picture of an agouti.



If you want to see the original post, go to http://southerntimesgt.blogspot.com/2010/02/trini-sweet-hand.html.

Southern Hospitality

For someone who's lived in the South all of his life and has not really ventured that far north it's kind of hard to discern exactly what "Southern Hospitality" really is, just because I can't really compare it to how people in other parts of the world act. So I was looking around on some websites for what southern hospitality exactly is and the website I found I think sums it up quite accurately and is pretty humorous. The website sums up the website as southern people being overly-friendly who will wave and smile at any person passing by. Generally in all mannerisms southerners act friendly and are capable of being chummy with people they hardly know. However I think this website also left out a huge aspect of what southern hospitality is. A huge part of southern hospitality is being able to offer up your home and all of its amenities to the full disposal of a guest. the phrase "Make yourself at home" was probably born from southern hospitality. I know for sure any guest of mine in my mother's home the first thing she always says to them is "The bathroom's there, the fridge is there, and the pantry is there. Make yourself at home and help yourself to whatever you like." From my own experience of growing up in the south I believe southern hospitality does indeed exist and is a dominating part of southern culture.

Southern Hospitality

Having grown up in Charleston, SC, the center of southern hospitality, I have always been exposed to this Southern Identity. The following website ranks charleston in the top ten because of TOP 10 "I love the South. The people are very friendly, the architecture is amazing and the food is fried! Not everything, but they don't pay any attention to dieting here. I only did 3 things while I was here - headed to the beach, hit the Farmer's Market and ate. OK, 4 things - I slept too ; ) Very relaxing."

I was recently having a QSO with an individual on HAM radio on the 2-meter W4DOC repeter and the person stated that "when they were in Charleston, they almost missed a turn off on the right when they were two lans over to the left. Once they turned on their turn signal, all of the trafic stoped and let the person cross over." If that isn't a representation of southern, more particularly Charleston hospitality, then I don't know what is.



The above video is made by a Cofc student and is partialy about southern hospitality.

I totaly agree that Southern Hospitality is still at the core of the south and our cultural identity.

Southern hospitality, the science

Southern hospitality is typically referred to when speaking about the warmth and openness of southerners. More specifically their ability to make you feel like you belong. People that exemplify this hospitality are supposedly truly southern. This is definitely something that I think exists and have had first hand experience with. Surely it’s definitely more noticeable in certain places but there are many subtle things that make a world of difference. Starting with people’ tone of voice and expression when meeting someone and conversing with them. The excitement and interest they express makes people more comfortable and free. Many people hold strongly to “please and thank you.” Also, there is always respect in southerner’s voices. The people hold you up and make you feel special. Many of these things may be interpreted wrongly…. For example, the interest in what others have to say have been viewed as “Southerners are dumb and are always excited for knowledge,” or that their respect for people is because the other people are actually better than them. This is wrong; Southerners know what they are doing and manage their skills to appropriately manage visitors.

One factor that was brought to my attention years ago and has always stood out was their ability to remember people’s names and to always refer to people by their name. This gives an enormous but yet subtle amount warmth and feeling of importance. Another important part of southern hospitality is the willingness to have others in their home. They will always have their house prepared and keep the food ready and the best stocks available. Welcoming visitors to take part in old traditions or southern games and festivities is also another part of their hospitality that can go a long way.

Southerners truly know how to make the difference when it comes to keeping doors open and hearts warm.

I have encountered some of the most hospitable people in the world down here in New Orleans: the Coon-ass Cajuns

View New Orleans in a larger map

Southern Hospitality

As I’ve mentioned a few times already I haven’t really had any exposure to the “South,” this supposed southern hospitality included. I did a little research on the internet to find out what exactly people mean when they say southern hospitality and it surprised me that Atlanta, Georgia is traditionally included in major cities that have this southern hospitality. I haven’t really felt that people are more inviting any more than the people were back home in Florida. On the other hand my roommate from Massachusetts commented several times about how nice the people down here were, in the restaurants, etc. I didn’t really know what she was talking about; everything seemed normal to me.

In addition to looking up facts I also found a youtube video of Ludacris singing his song titled “Southern Hospitality.” However, after watching and listening to it though I have no idea how what was said connects to southern hospitality. I actually think that it may be that the south is clinging to the notion of having southern hospitality, but not really living it out as they may have used to in the past. Once again, that theme of the performance instead of the genuine thing.

topic for this Week (mar 30)

The South has a reputation or an old cliché of being “mannerly and proper.” We hear about the Southern gentleman and lady, of a southern belle and her suitors. More importantly though is the term “Southern Hospitality.” This is something people of the south seem to pride themselves on… Does it exist and how much of a factor is it in Southerner’s culture?

RE: Where is the South?

Where is the South? I think this question could be answered in two ways. There's your textbook geographical answer of Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, North and South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Texas, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas. Basically most states below the Mason Dixie line. However the answer I think you're looking for is more where are the stereotypical places that really exemplify the south like in the literature we've been reading.

First I'll address what I think about Maryland and Florida, two southern states you mentioned that don't seem southern at all. I've been to many cities in Florida and have been there multiple times, being it only a 30 minute drive from my home. As for Maryland I've been there once, I went to Ocean City, Maryland. From what I've seen I completely agree with you when you say they don't seem southern. However all the locations I've visited in these two states were primarily large cities like Jacksonville, Tampa, Ocean City, etc. From what I've seen really larges cities lose a lot of their, I guess, "southern identity." Take Atlanta for example, overall it doesn't seem very southern regardless of the fact that it is the capital of one of the most "southern" states.

From my general experience the small towns are the ones that seem more southern. I have family in several small towns through out Georgia and they are by far the most southern places I've ever been. I've got a Aunt in Tifton, Georgia, a Grandmother in Moultrie, Georgia, and a brother in Valdosta, Georgia. They are all roughly 3 hours south of here. I would say if you want to experience "The South" these would be prime places to do so. From the dining to the people its rather hard to visit one of those cities and still say you've never been anywhere "southern."

Where is the South? Because I Still Haven’t Found It --Topic for the Week of March 15th

We have talked a lot this semester about what constitutes Southerness and what it means to be Southern. However, I have not been able to personally relate to the majority this conversation. Despite visiting several supposedly “Southern” states, I’ve never seen anything Southern first hand like we have discussed in class. This brings me to the question, just where is the South? How far south does it reach? Does it include Florida? I would tend to argue no. I grew up in Clearwater, Florida and things like Southern food and Southern culture are completely new to me. On the other hand I look at Florida and see that it is also the birth place of NASCAR. I also cannot speak for the beachless central Florida. Maybe in central Florida there isn’t the flock of northern snowbirds and tourists that keep my city particularly Northern.

How far north does the South reach? In my current history class we learned that the capitol, Washington, DC, was chosen to appease Southerners because it was a more southern location. Does the south really reach that far north? I have also visited my aunt in Maryland who lives about 3 hours away from DC. I didn’t find anything southern up there either. Perhaps I was just north of the North-South border?

And how far west does the South reach? I’ve seen arguments to include Texas, to not include Texas. I’ve never been to Texas so I can’t argue for or against its Southerness; however, I have traditionally considered Texas just as Southern as Florida—not Southern at all. (Which is interesting because these two states actually lie the most south geographically.)

But I do not think bounding the South solves my problems either. I am currently living in Atlanta and have visited Cary, NC (see my previous entry) among a few other locations in pretty Southern states and I have still never experienced anything particularly Southern. Where do I need to go to actually find the South?

I drew a little inspiration from this article. You can too if you need some more ideas.

Response to "Patriotic Drunk Rednecks"

The title of my video is “Patriotic drunk rednecks”. This is a video that stereotypes southerners in a bad way. The video shows drunkenness, racism, smoking, southern accent, and just general stupidity. I have lived in the South for almost 13 years and I have never met people like this. However, I do know that there are a few people in the South who do think and act like this. This video was shot in Kentucky which is a very much a southern state. In the video, two men and a lady are sitting on a motorcycle and discussing why the American people should not vote for Obama. The lady is the main person speaking and she keeps claiming that Obama is an Arab because his middle name is Hussein. She repeats Obama’s full name numerous times throughout the video to emphasize her point. She says that when we are in war with Iraq and Iran, we should not elect an Arab president. Wow, we are not even in a war with Iran. The lady states that she thinks the Arabs are trying to sneak Obama into the White House in order to win the war. A person in the background even calls Obama by the n word which is extremely offensive. One thing in this video that differs from the common stereotype is that the lady in the video voted for Hillary Clinton. Rednecks are usually associated with Republicans. The people in this video are on a motorcycle, while smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol. It is sad that there are still people in the world like the ones in this video but it is not an accurate representation of southerners at all. However, Northerners must get a real laugh out of watching this video.

Southern Stereotypes

I have very little experience with the South; I have never really seen Southern people and culture first hand to know whether or not the stereotypes I have in my head are actually true. This YouTube clip that I have shows a pair of boys doing stupid “stunts.” The one boy wears a Stars and Bars cap and refers to him and his friend as “The Southern Hicks.” Both boys have pretty thick accents. The nature of this clip, however, is not really a portrayal or a parody, but real boys acting like real people.

One of the general southern stereotypes I think of is the stupid, reckless redneck and their stunts. This video seems to confirm that stereotype. However, I am not sure if these boys are acting stupid because they are southern hicks, or because they are young boys. I believe that the preconceived ideas I have in my head make me unconsciously attribute their immaturity to being a Southern redneck rather than the more likely reason that they are simply boys. I think this is often the case. I notice instances where Southerners fulfill my expectations and ignore when they are not like the general stereotypes I have come to know due to popular culture.

My You Tube Video

I selected a youtube video that didn't show the south in a stereotypical sense so much as the following video shows the difference between the stereotypical I guess Southerner who like NASCAR and the sort as opposed to the well bred southern who enjoys Bourbon and reading history. For background information, the following conversations are on what's called the 20 (14MHz) meter band where FCC certified amateur operators discuss information as opposed to the Citizens Band, where anyone who owns a CB radio can talk on.


The CB radio is used for the transfer of information and was particularly popular in the 70's and 80's the time before cell phones. CB radio's are still popular with southern buba's. Ever seen this, a truck with large antenna's?


The stereotypical southern CB radio operator is clearly highlighted in this brief youtube clip. I think the view intended in this video is not a over highlighted view of the south.

In regards to the question as to if I have personaly been exposed to this sterotypical view, It is indeed true. I am a FCC certified Amateur Radio Operator and I am glad that I do not have to share these bands with the other folk who talk in a rude manner and who also don't have to observe the rules that everyone else has to.

Blog Topic for Week of March 8

Find and write about a YouTube video that you think shows a stereotype or stereotypes of the south. Could be a video about anything (food, music, history, etc...). Include if possible if you've experienced firsthand the stereotypes showed in the video. Then talk about whether you think that stereotype is an over-dramatized representation or is generally pretty true of people in the south.

For this week

For this week I would like for the group to look at not only southern traditions such as hunting and recreational boating, but I would like for you to take this to the next level in looking at any traditions that you had when growing up and if you could term them as southern or not.

For an example in my household, we purchased a boat after my grandfather sold his from New York. I immediately associated boating with the sort of wild life and events that occur in the south. Additionally, we would go fishing and collect oysters with the boat, these traditions and changes were part of who I was when I was growing up and were in my minds view traditionally southern or at least had southern origins.

Going on long, offshore fishing trips has highlighted my childhood. These trips on boats 30ft or longer would leave at around 5am. I always remember that I am traditionally the one to wake up at 4am to get everything ready. I couldn't wake up for school at 7:30am, but those times we went fishing early in the morning I just woke up early. Since we usually went with a friend that had an older boat, it would take us 3 -4 hours to reach the fishing spot, whereas it took newer boats only about 2 hours and they would wake up later. We also had to leave the fishing grounds early to get home before the sun began to set. Even with radar and GPS the harbor mouth of Charleston is marked by the Jetties that provide a calm harbor, but also provide an obstacle that can sink ships. The Jetties are pictured bellow.
Click here to see the harbor enterance

My Experience with Southern Literature

I haven’t read that many books that I would consider particularly southern. In high school I read a couple books about ex-slaves and their children in the south—Beloved and Their Eyes Were Watching God. These two books gave me some perspective on some of the black slave culture both before and after freedom. However, the focus seemed more on the women’s struggles than on the southern culture. I suppose though that the flashbacks to life on the plantation at “Sweet Home” in Beloved during the protagonists’ years of enslavement do offer some perspective.

However, the most southern book I have ever read is probably the first four chapters of Bastard Out of Carolina. The imagery in those four chapters hit on nearly every stereotype I think of when thinking about the south. The characters spend a great deal of time on porches drinking iced tea, the weather is hot, and the boys are rough—one is even missing his teeth. The diner serves chicken-fried steak and collard greens, people drive trucks, and Bone is a bastard.

I looked up the trailer for the movie version of Bastard Out of Carolina too and saw some more of that southern imagery. A lot of the same elements can be seen—trucks, fighting, scorched southern scenery. And of course, the accents are pretty prominent too.

Topic for the Week of February 22

The topic I would like our blog group to write about for this week is which movie or book do you guys feel best represents the South. It can be a book or movie you read in high school or something you read or watched in your free time. You guys can even choose The Moviegoer, if you feel it represents the South the best. And don’t be afraid to choose Forrest Gump since Dr. Hoefer despises it, if you think it represents the South then go ahead and discuss why.

Chevrolet Silverado

When I think about vehicles in the south, I think about pickup trucks. More specifically, I think of the Chevrolet Silverado. The Chevrolet Silverado is a full-size pickup truck from General Motors. Ever since I was a little kid living in Atlanta, I have watched numerous Silverado commercials that clearly associate the Silverado with the South. Many of the Silverado commercials include the song “This is our Country”. This song is in the country music genre which is a form of music that is commonly associated with the South. Many of the testimonies in the Chevy music commercials are by southerners with their cowboy hats and their southern accents. So these advertisements help associate their truck with the South. The Chevy Silverado also includes a commercial with popular, retired football player, Howie Long. Living in Atlanta, I know how popular of a sport football is in the South and Howie Long being in the Silverado commercials strengthens the fact that the Chevy Silverado is a southern vehicle.

So why is the pickup truck so famous in the South? A reason for this maybe because the pickup truck symbolizes masculinity, a character trait that is valued highly in the American South. A pickup truck is considered to be a man’s vehicle, which means the vehicle is physically strong. Another one of the Silverado’s commercials is “Like a Rock”. In this commercial, the Chevy Silverado is depicted as being very tough, which would appeal to the Southern ideal of being masculine. Pickup trucks are also associated with hunting. Hunting is a popular American pastime, especially in the South so this could be another reason why we relate the truck with the South.

Southern Trucks

There are three main parts to the south that I think of when someone mentions trucks. There are the trucks that are used to haul stuff around and are used for their capacity. Such as the one pictured bellow.


These small to medium size trucks are the backbone of consumer transportation and freight hauling. Vehicles such as the Ford Ranger, the Dodge Ram, and the Toyota Tacoma are the staple trucks used for hauling wood, tools, and other mainstays.
I think that trucks are a symbol of the south because of the large distances between houses and the stores.

The second group of trucks are used to drive off-road and participate in an unique favorite past time called "mudding" in which people take their trucks and throw them at the back roads in an attempt to get dirty and have fun.



Mudding takes skill and patience to cross the areas. Originally, it was just farmers crossing their property and since then, it has been turned into a sport and hobby.

The final type of truck that represents the south is a Monster Truck. Originally developed by Bob Chandler in the 1970s with his vehicle called Bigfoot, today it has turned into a major sport for both spectators and drivers. Today the trucks are no longer lifter pickups, but purpose build chasis and drivetrain to handle the abuse from air stunts and riding over cars.



The picture is that of one of the versions of bigfoot. This one is not designed for stunts but merely to show how large one of these vehicles can become.

And finaly, I couldn't help but show the redneck extreeme of trucks. This picture shows a redneck making a pool out of his truck. Another use for something created by the backwoods of the south.

The Most Southern Place I Have Been to...

View Larger Map
Being a foreigner I most likely have a very different view of what constitutes the South… The Old South and The New South. Sometimes it may seem that the south is just modern day sprawl with delicious but unhealthy cooking, drinking, trucking, hunting and holding on to some old traditions of old. This is not to say that holding on to the past is a bad thing but is strange to see the mix. The most southern place I think I have ever visited is the Texas panhandle. I was fortunate to stay in the first and only remaining ranch house in Pampa. This was quite amazing to experience the history first hand. I stayed in the house of the renowned civic leader in Pampa, who may have made the single largest contribution to its development. The sheer heat and lack of moisture let me know where I was. It was strange though because although this was an ancient town, the Taco Bells and Mickey D's that lined the streets were misleading. It was quite an experience though once we drove out of the town for a few minutes. I was able to see an older Texas, miles of empty farmland. We drove all the way to a magnificent canyon where I saw the play ’Texas’ which seemed to really capture the hardships and ideals of the Old South.

I think my favorite and most identifiable artifact for the trip was the billboard for the 72 ounce steak: “if you can eat all of it its free!”

Southern Transport - Trucks

I don't believe trucks are the main mode of transport in the south and I think it would be incredibly wrong to say so. Trucks do have a lot of functionality in rural parts of the country or for transporting/towing heavy stuff like four-wheelers and boats. However trucks are used all over the country for their functionality so its wrong to associate trucks with the South. However oddly enough its not so wrong to associate southern people with trucks. Almost every "southern" boy wants one thing when they turn 16: a pick-up truck. Where this trend began however is a complete mystery. All I can do is mostly generalize based on the area I grew up.


-Blake Bauer

Southern Truckin

When I think of Southern transport the first thing that comes to mind is definitely the stereotypical pickup truck. Usually I think of the red, perhaps beat up bedded truck, but something like this second photograph does not surprise me either. Also important are the bumper stickers on the back. In the second photo there are stickers honoring NASCAR drivers, proclaiming “Rebel,” one mock North Carolina Terrorist Hunting Permit, and even a surprising Obama sticker. The attitude given off by the driver of this second truck from this article is also strictly Southern. He could not care less if someone had a problem with either the Confederate flag or Obama sticker attached to his truck.

The image of the pickup truck I see when thinking about the South is mostly the image I relate with rednecks. I have never given much thought to what types of transportation the other general Southern stereotypes I think of would drive. I suppose it would not surprise me that the rural south might drive tractors or the upper to upper-middle class might drive cars like everybody else I know.

However, trucks and truckers is a fairly large indication that we are dealing with the South. For example, the very Southern band, Drive-By Truckers with the Album title "The Dirty South," associates trucking with the South.

Topic for This Week (Feb 15)

The topic for this week is southern transport...
What does one think of when they think of The South and vehicles? Trucks? Tractors? or maybe Hybrids?

Why is the South so great?

This is a good question. I think the people who think the South is great are the people born and raised in the South. Even though I am southern, I by no means the redneck or hillbilly stereotype that is often associated with people from the south. I feel like ignorant people whose impression of the South is being this backwoods place overrun with hillbillies and rednecks are those who hate it. And likewise the people from the south who still haven't come to terms with the fact that the confederates lost the civil war are the ones who hate the North. Since the people I normally hangout with and interact with on a regular basis share the same ideologies as me, we tend to think the same way. I personally harbor no hate towards the North and have never really met anyone who is extremely opposed to the North or South.

Blake Bauer

Topic for this Week (Feb 7)

People from the South seem to really love the South. But if the South is so great, why is there so much hate for it? Do you or does anyone you know hate the South? Or, do you are does anyone you know hate the North in return? Why?

Fort Sumter

The most southern place that I can think of that I have been to is Fort Sumter. Known as the fort that the first shot of the civil war was fired is truly a place of the south.



The fort has large battery guns still stationed but plugged since the war. There are a variety of guns everything from parrot guns to the smaller mortars that were used for coastal defense. The battle at Fort Sumter started April 12, 1861. The batteries fired for over 35 hours.

Finally at the end, Fort Sumter surrendered because their supplies had been cut off and their guns were over worked.

The fort today is a large tourist attraction and the inside has been transformed from the old ruins to having modern buildings in the center, displaying their wares and artifacts from the battle.

My Most Southern Destination: Mexico?

Trying to decide on the most Southern place I have ever been to is extremely difficult. This is not because I simply cannot decide, but because I have never been to any place that I feel could be considered truly Southern.

Growing up in Clearwater, Florida the phrase that goes around is “So south, we’re north,” and I agree. I have never really experienced any of the Southern-type things that we have discussed in class. All of my family is from the north, Canada even. All of my friends, too, are either Northern or not American.

Often I do visit family in North Carolina. However, we visit Cary (with the backronym "Containment Area for Relocated Yankees.") The only “Southern” places I know of are from television and movies. I do not know whether I am deprived. Since coming to Atlanta I have thought of maybe one day visiting Stone Mountain, but I cannot say that I really do care.

On the other hand my roommate has often expressed with some contempt some differences she has noticed here in Atlanta from her home town in Massachusetts. I'll often hear her say something such as "Well, we are in the South." I usually agree with her, but I don't really notice as much as she does. I guess I live in this weird place in between the North and the South despite its geographically very Southern location.

Stone Mountain

The most “southern place” that I have visited is Stone Mountain, Georgia. I have actually visited Stone Mountain numerous times and whenever we have out of state visitors, we usually take them there. My experiences at Stone Mountain have been fun. I enjoy many of the activities such as riding the sky lift to the top, climbing on the top of the mountain, riding the train, and watching the laser light shows at night. My favorite visit to Stone Mountain was on the 4th of July. Because it was Independence Day, the place was more festive and the laser light show included lots of fireworks.

Even though Stone Mountain is now modern looking and makes good use of technology, there are many reasons why I feel it is the most southern place I have visited. The first southern characteristic of Stone Mountain is that of the Confederate Memorial Carving. The carving is of General Robert E. Lee, President Jefferson Davis, and Thomas J. Jackson, three Confederate leaders of the Civil War. The carving is one of the main features of Stone Mountain and every time you visit it, you are reminded of these past Civil War heroes. Stone Mountain also reminds people of the South’s ugly past. The infamous KKK used to hold rallies at Stone Mountain. Stone Mountain reminds us that the south is a much better and much more accepting place today than it was in the past. Another reason why Stone Mountain is the most southern place I have visited is because of the restaurants there. The restaurants there mostly serve fried southern food. My favorite restaurant was Miss Katie’s Sideboard Restaurant, a classic southern sounding name for a southern restaurant.

Topic for week of Feb. 1

For this weeks topic everybody talk about the most "southern" place you have visited and your experience there. Utilize the map to show where these places are.

Trini Sweet-hand

When it comes to Trinidad and Tobago they are known by most for two things; partying and FOOD!!!!. Caribbean food in itself is well known for being delicious but out of the whole West Indian chain of islands Trinidad stands out the most. Growing up in any household one is exposed to a collection of food as though the world was condensed into a single place. Trinidadians are known for their “sweet-hand,” a term that is the food equivalent to the Midas touche. In my household I would regularly eat curries and stews, roasts and BBQ, mashed potatoes and steak, things from all over the world. Recently Arabic food has exploded onto the scene and like everything else “Trini’s” will take every seasoning and make it work on every meat. The meats are also an interesting aspect of Trinidadian cuisine, we will have the conventional beef and chicken, fish and pork but it is not strange to find people having ‘lap,’ iguana, ‘agouti,’ goat, etc.

In Trinidadian cooking there is rarely a piece of meat that is spared….

A major aspect of Trinidadian cooking and its culture it the use of the ‘pot.’ There is often a gathering with one major pot that everyone will help prepare and serve himself or herself from, providing an immense sense of community. Many styles of cooking also involes one major pot that has t be tended to at all times, so you will often find food stall with an old lady (tanty) tending to the pot.

Foods one needs to try while in Trinidad include, shark and bake
View Southern Times in a larger map, corn soup, double, a roti, peleau, and the list goes on. Even KFC, very different style to the US, is the number one selling KFC in the world!

Indian Food

The type of food I ate while growing up was Indian. I am part of an Indian family so it is obvious that the food prepared at home is Indian. Indian food is usually spicy consisting of rice and some sort of vegetable dish or a non vegetarian curry item. I eat rice almost every day. Eating Indian food has shaped who I am today significantly because eating spicy food has resulted in me having a spicy personality. I am just kidding. In all seriousness, I do not thing the food that I eat shapes my personality. It did however, shape my food preferences immensely. My favorite places to go out to eat are Indian restaurants. I enjoy going to both vegetarian as well as non-vegetarian Indian restaurants. My favorite vegetarian and non-vegetarian restaurants in the Atlanta area are Udipi and Zyka. My favorite dish that I enjoy eating is butter chicken with naan.

My diet does not consist of beef because I am a Hindu. Cows are sacred in the Hindu religion. This poses a problem sometimes like for example, eating at Brittain Dining Hall. At Brittain, lot of the specials include beef. Overall, however, abstaining from eating beef is a positive thing because beef is unhealthy for the body. Even though I am Indian, I have lived in Atlanta for the past 12 years. In these years, I have become quite fond of Southern food like fried chicken and chicken sandwiches. I love eating at Chick-fil-A and luckily for me, Chick-fil-A does not serve any beef so nothing on their menu is off limits.

Southern Food

As a young lad I was rather fortunate to grow up in what some would call a "traditional southern" home. Belonging to a "traditional southern" home my mother often delved into the sacred arts of southern cooking. Some may smirk at my last remark but anyone who has ever had a home-cooked southern meal should be able to agree that the art that southern food is, is indeed sacred. Southern food encompasses a whole realm of food that can't be listed in one single blog post. To give a general idea of what I'm talking about when I say southern food I'll list a few of my favorite southern dishes: chicken fried steak(depicted to the left), green beans, corn bread, fried chicken, collard greens, mashed potatoes and gravy, and so on. Growing up eating southern food has definitely shaped my preferences in food. Obviously I prefer to eat southern food when at all possible. Has it shaped me as a person? Not really, well I guess physically it has, eating a lot of greasy delicious southern food has led to me being slightly overweight.

Blake Bauer

Topic for This Week

For this week I would like our blog group to investigate the following topic, When you were growing up in your household, what sort of food was predominant. For an example would you eat Mexican or Southern food, and did this selection of a food style shape who you are today and your eating preferences. The answers can also reference articles or recipes describing the certain style of food that one is accustomed to.

Home of Flavor

by. Phillip Miller

When it comes to the south, several things come to mind; the sun, farms, blue jeans, blondes, big trucks and ‘huntin.’ More importantly than anything for me, I think of the food!!! With large amounts of historical and present immigration the food in the south has been morphed, molded and mastered. At the thought of the variety and flavor of all the foods available my stomach grumbles. The image I have here is of a chef holding up his fresh of the pit ‘rack o’ ribs’ at Dreamland Bar-B-Que in Tuscaloosa, Ala. These mouthwatering babies can be found in almost every town in he south. With each bite into a southern mean you travel through time. You start of with the spices in your mouth that tells you more than one country has had their hand in this; spices from all over the world are here in your mouth. Then we enter the meat itself and its style of cooking, where did it come from and how has it changed. There are meals that can take days of preparation for that explosion of flavor and utter satisfaction. This cannot be attributed to one person, one people or one country. All of these meals, from fried chicken to mama’s gumbo, they are all products of time, terrain and diversity.

The meal is an important part of southern culture. Except for the food being amazingly delicious, mealtime is especially important family time and social gatherings. Even the neighbor bringing a pie to the new resident is locked into time as southern. Southerners take pride in their culture as well as their ability to cook. There must be hundreds of thousands of ways to make barbecue sauce in the south and mostly all are delicious. Southern food has taken up residence in chain restaurants that have spread throughout the world but most families seem to hold onto their traditions and recipes proudly. Food is the south…

"Song of the South" - Loss of Southern Identity After the Great Depression

Saints Fans Shoot a 60 inch Television

The artifact above is of a video clip on YouTube of a bunch of Saints fans shooting a 60 inch television. The owner of the television is Wayne Spring of Albany, Louisiana. He made a bet on Facebook with his football friends that if the Saints beat the Redskins, he will let his friends shoot his television. The Saints do beat the Redskins 33-30 in OT to stay undefeated. So after the game, his friends as well as Wayne Spring himself shoot the TV. This video says a lot about the South, more specifically Louisiana. It is a combination of two cultures, the rural south with the modern technology era. This video shows the rural, country side of the South by the accents of Wayne and his friends (one of Wayne’s friends calls the TV purdy instead of pretty), the fact that they are madly in love with football (a guy had the logo of the Saints tattooed on his head), and the fact that all of them had guns. Characteristics of the modern technology era in this video are that Wayne Spring uploads this video onto YouTube, makes a bet with his friends on Facebook, and that Wayne has a 60 inch TV. I think this video is a fairly accurate representation of the South. The people of the South still cling on to their pastimes like football and hunting but they, like the rest of the country, have a lifestyle revolved around technology as portrayed by their use of social networking sites like Facebook and YouTube.

Rahul Shetty

An Alternate View On Southern Culture and Identity

I do not believe that a proper representation of the South can be offered by any single artifact. Even the typical Southern stereotypes are far ranging from well-mannered gentlemen and their southern belles to poor, fried chicken-loving, trailer park-dwelling rednecks. The artifact I chose to investigate is the (non)sport of NASCAR.

The history of NASCAR is uniquely Southern. During the days of Prohibition some men (called runners) drove fast cars in order to outdrive the law and deliver illicit stores of moonshine. When not on the road transporting liquor, informal races were held in order to determine who the fastest runner was. By the late 1940s these races had become an organized sport with standard rules for racing being established in 1947 in Daytona Beach, Florida. This was the birth and beginning of what would become the immensely popular sport of NASCAR.

The fans of NASCAR are incredibly loyal. The revenue generated by NASCAR merchandise sales is in the hundreds of millions. But NASCAR merchandise and extreme loyalty are not the only things fans sport while at the races; Confederate flags and Southern pride are also common sights. Although the Confederate flag has been banned from appearing on any NASCAR licensed product, the image is still seen regularly amidst the fans. Some people, like myself, question why some fans are so passionate about such a controversial symbol. Rebel flag supporters retort “it’s not hatred, it’s heritage.”

The NASCAR culture makes up an interesting facet of Southern identity. The history involved is uniquely Southern and evokes great Southern pride. However, NASCAR, like the South, is slowly becoming more national, even more global. Sixty percent of NASCAR fans live outside of the South. More and more raceways are being built in the north and exhibitions are taking place around the globe. The disappearing Southerness of NASCAR mirrors the disappearing sense of Southerness in general. The New South is in some instances hardly recognizable from the North. NASCAR, too, is gaining a greater diversity of followers. Both, however, have rich histories with proud and loyal people. This artifact is therefore an accurate representation of at least some facets of the South and Southern identity.

The above video plays the song White Knuckle Ride by Lynyrd Skynyrd. The song is Southern Rock and is about the present love and nostalgia for racing cars. The inclusion of this artifact is appropriate because it emphasizes the importance of car racing in the South as well as the importance of remembering one's roots and where one came from.

Kristen Hannukainen

Southern Culture and Identity

The first thing I think of when I hear the question "what offers a representation of the south," I immediately think of Sweet Grass Baskets.

The above image or artifact is taken on market street in Charleston. The picture shows a black lady weaving a sweet grass basket with the ones she has finished in front of her for sale. The art of making the baskets can be seen as a representative of the south, however it is also a representation of the strong black culture that is still prominent in today's society.

The above picture also conjures up the language spoken by many blacks in the area around Charleston, and the language being Gullah, which is based heavily on English and several West and South African dialects. The language is dieing off relatively quickly recently because of the expansion of public education. Most Charlestonians have heard of Gullah or have their own idea of what the language is to themselves.

The following is an excellent video done by etv that shows some of history of sweet grass basket making.

Another facet of the artifact is that it is a representation of how crucial tourism is to Charleston. The baskets are predominantly bought by tourists; however, that is not to say that locals in Charleston do not buy the baskets. If one walks down market street on a busy Saturday, you will see many baskets and several of them look the same from one vendor to the next. However, what most tourists and people don't realize is that basket weaving is still an artform in this modern day of machine made products. A hand made basket will differ from other local artisans and there is a reason why one basket that looks identical to another one might cost 25% more. Typically the craftsmanship is more ornate and better produced with the more expensive one. Each basket will reveal a unique difference as they are a form of art.

The sweet grass baskets are an accurate representation of the Gullah/Charleston identity and will contiue to be untill this artform is lost. Currently it is threatened by a generation that doesn't look well upon the past and the decrease in tourism. I have spoke to one of the basket weavers about what the future looks like for this cultural art, and she responded that the kids of the current generation for the most part are too involved in the new black identity of removing themselves from the past.

Overall sweet grass baskets are a representation of Southern/Gullah identity and of the tourism that is Charleston.

Jason Baron