Why is it O.K. for liberals to casually use slurs like redneck, trailer trash, flyover state?
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Anonymous
| i.e. dog whistles for dumb white [republican] people. |
Anonymous
| It's not okay, and even my most extremely liberal friends who are state department employees or Harvard professors and live in Cambridge never do it. Not sure why this forum has so many who do. |
Anonymous
| What makes you think it's just liberals using those slurs? |
Anonymous
| It’s not. |
Anonymous
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I think the salient factor in the slurs we see online is not whether they come from liberals or conservatives, but that they come from anonymous writers. As long as we are not accountable, we can say whatever comes into our heads.
Similarly, if one is PEOTUS, and has explainers who can tell the world that your statements were sarcastic, hyperbolic, euphemistic, or (when VPEOTUS is explaining) never said, you can say whatever comes into your head, and have millions who admire you for it. |
Anonymous
When we read a negative post about conservative voting patterns, religious beliefs, institutions of higher learning, etc that also include derogatory terms, we're pretty confident a conservative didn't write the comments. |
Anonymous
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The term flyover state seems like it is unique to DCUM. DCUM was the first I saw it being used it, and is the only place I see or hear people use it. I think if you used it IRL, many people wouldn't understand the reference.
Trailer trash is extremely derogatory. Again, I have rarely if ever heard of someone refer to another person as TT IRL. Don't even see it that often on DCUM. Does an anonymous forum bring out the worst in us? I don't know. But folks who say this should be called out on it, because it is not okay. I'm liberal, but I would think a lot less of someone who called another person TT. Redneck is interesting, because it is not universally thought to be derogatory. I grew up in the very poor rural Deep South, and some people there refer to themselves as redneck, and are proud of that label. My ILs grew up, and still live in this environment. They are solidly middle class. Not wealthy, but not poor (2 teachers). But I have heard my FIL call himself a redneck. Often when putting us down for living in such a high COL area, with the traffic, competition, high housing prices, etc. and, FWIW, my ILs are strong, lifelong democrats. A lot of the white people who also attended my poor, rural Southern high school, and stayed in the down we grew up in also post "Proud to be a redneck" type memes on Facebook. So, there is a certain cohort of people born and raised in the South that embrace the redneck label as indicating they have simple tastes, live in a rural area, drive a pickup truck and are proud of Southern culture and heritage. Lots of folks think like this: https://nicholsoutdoors.com/2013/12/28/rednecks-vs-city-folk-why-i-am-proud-to-be-a-redneck/ Redneck isn't a term I would feel comfortable using, but you don't know a lot about the poor rural South if you think it is universally an insult. |
Anonymous
| ^ some blacks are O.K. with "ghetto" or "hood" too but I don't see any liberals dropping those at cocktail parties. |
Anonymous
Same here. In twenty years of adulthood I've only heard one person say "w.t." in person. I told her off and we aren't friends. I'm a highly educated liberal and nearly all my friends are too. |
Anonymous
| DH and I both went to Ivy league schools. I have heard many people from school, both conservative and liberal, use the terms redneck, white trash and flyover country. |
Anonymous
Flyover state is not unique to DCUM.  I first saw on Twitter and then news articles about poverty and drug addiction in rural communities.
New Republic https://newrepublic.com/article/117113/midwest-not-flyover-country-its-not-heartland-either The Iowa Informer http://iowainformer.com/category/blogs/flyover-state/page/4/ The Millions http://www.themillions.com/2015/09/the-slow-violence-of-the-flyover-states-on-joe-menos-a-marvel-and-a-wonder.html The Atlantic http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2016/03/how-america-is-putting-itself-back-together/426882/ The Washington Times http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/sep/11/drug-deaths-in-flyover-country/ Weekly Standard http://www.weeklystandard.com/sassing-the-donald/article/2001404 Small and large institutions use it. Liberal and conservative. |
Anonymous
| So is it okay when conservatives use those slurs? |
Anonymous
Exactly. |
Anonymous
Agreed, a lot of Southerners take pride in a term I wouldn't be comfortable using. Just like a fair amount fly the confederation flag (decals on their trucks, flags on their homes, t-shirts and hats with the flag logo) but don't considerate it a commentary on the racial past of the south but rather pride in their collective, defiant history (or that's what they say anyway). I wouldn't use either but the South has its own rurals. If you're from the midwest, just realize there are different rules and its not liberals that are taking a term and throwing it out their with hometown pride. |
Anonymous
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A white person making fun of another white person isn't racism. Classism perhaps, but not racism.
Redneck is typically code for small minded, poorly educated racist/homophobic gun-toting moron. If the shoe fits... Having said that, it isn't PC. Or, it wasn't unti Trump won the election by telling people that PC nonsense shouldn't be tolerated. As such, game on, no? |