Friday Night Special Edition Meme Roundup: Southern Style!
I was raised in the deep South. Yeah, I capitalized South. It’s more than just a geographic location. It’s a state of mind. It’s a culture. It’s a way of life.
Oh sure, there’s the North. There’s Mid-west. There’s West Coast. But there is no pride like Southern pride.
We’re Country. Even if we lived in the “city”, like I did. Albany Georgia. Went to Albany High. Home of the Indians. We played the Dougherty High Trojans, Monroe High Tornadoes, and Westover High Patriots. We listened to the local AM radio station, WALG, "Johnny Reb Radio"
Friday night dates were spent at the football games. Then to Burger Chef for shakes and fries. Most Friday nights ended up at Old Man Johnson’s pecan orchard. He always had a tree down somewhere. And he never minded when we would show up and start a bonfire to burn the old tree. It was a tradition started by his son, who graduated 4 years before me.
We spent Saturdays having fun. Redneck fun. Telling redneck stories. Doing redneck dares. We never minded the label Redneck. When you grow up with it, it’s not a put down. We were rednecks, and accepted it. But we weren’t white trash. We knew the difference. If you want to know the difference, the Robertson’s of Duck Dynasty are rednecks. Honey Boo Boo is white trash.
Southern, Country, Redneck. We grew up on sweet tea, corn bread, biscuits and gravy, peach cobbler, and pecan pie (pronounced “pee-can”). We didn’t cook dinner, we fixed supper.
No other region of the country has a symbol as galvanizing, unifying, or controversial as we do. You call it the Confederate Flag. We don’t. We call it the Rebel flag. To us it’s a badge. It identifies us as Southern. Country. Redneck. It shows up on our cars and trucks. I had a friend in high school who hung one from the back window of his truck. He had to replace it 4 times, as the sun was unkind to the colors. I had a Rebel Flag license plate on the front of my Ford LTD. My first car. I bought it from my uncle as soon as I got my drivers license. It was the first accessory I added. It stayed on that car all the way to Idaho. It never drew any disapproval. It was a badge. When I had a guy at an auto parts store help change a battery out, he looked at the plate and said “I knew you were from the South. That plate and the accent give it away. I used to live in Macon Georgia.” Another bond.
When I was growing up, the Rebel flag never stood for anything but Southern Pride. It was just a symbol of the South. It was prominent on the General Lee of the Dukes of Hazzard, a show that ran from 1979 to 1985. It was a plate on the front of the Trans Am in Smokey and the Bandit (as the Georgia Flag) and Smokey and the Bandit III. Nobody bitched about it then. It was more fun to just make fun of the Rednecks. At that’s okay. We don’t mind. It’s a Southern thang. Y’all wouldn’t understand.
But then some dumbass goes and shoots up a church. And someone finds a picture of him with a Rebel flag. And all of a sudden people lose their fucking minds. It’s offensive to them. And they can’t be offended. In their utopian world, anything offensive must be removed.
Because why? Because the Army of Northern Virginia used it as a Battle Flag? And because they were an Army of the Confederacy, that means the flag stands for slavery? If you believe that, you’re a Class A Number 1 Dumbass.
I’m not gonna argue the Civil War here. Because it doesn’t matter. I didn’t fight in it. None of my buddies who had it all over their cars and trucks in high school fought in it. We all had ancestors that fought in it. My namesake, JW “Judge” Tarleton fought for the New York Infantry. For the NORTH! I had others who fought for the South like my friends. But that didn’t matter. We were just Good Ole Boys from the South. Southern Boys. Country Boys. Rednecks. And we displayed our symbol. Our badge from the South. The Rebel Flag.
To us, it’s just that. A symbol of our Southern heritage. We were rebels. We did crazy stuff. Pushing the boundaries of safety, lawfulness, and even common sense. Famous last words of Rednecks: “Hold my beer and watch this shit!”
But you can’t accept that. You see only where the Rebel flag has been perverted. YOU associate it with racism and slavery. We don’t. But because you do, you think I have to take it down. You think that by showing it, I’m a racist. That I support slavery. I must, because YOU have decided that by YOUR perception of my symbol.
Well, I say, FUCK YOU. You know nothing about me. And I reject your interpretation of MY symbol.
So I display it proudly. Mostly because I know a few people don’t like it. And when I found out more of you were so offended by it, I kept it up. And changed it up. And watched you squirm.
And laughed my ass off. Why? Because:
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Red Box Rule: Don’t be Ugly (that’s a Southern term, means don’t get nasty).
I've never lived in the south, but have visited and passed through a few times, but as a northerner I have to say that I have honestly never met a single person who said something to the effect of "I wish I were a southerner". That sentiment simply does not exist, imo.
John, the old saying is, nobody retires and moves up north.
Bless your heart!
Uh, Bruce, old people don't retire to the south because they have a secret desire to be redneck.
And yet, they do.
and yet, so what? They crave warmer weather.
I know lots of Yankees that moved here and expressed that sentiment. My anecdote counters yours.
The battle flag of Northern Virginia flew in the service of a white supremacist organization, the Confederate States of America.
IMO, this is an INDISPUTABLE assertion. People who do dispute this fact have an "agenda". In this case, the agenda is the preservation of their youthful memories and allegiances to their own past.
Why doesn't the "south" develop or reveal some other symbols of regional pride, and put this symbol of the fight to preserve race based human slavery out to pasture once and for all? We can't change history, but we can recognize it and make amends.
And of course, to this day many racists fly the "battle flag" as a sign of racial superiority and racial hostility.
IMO, this is an INDISPUTABLE assertion
Like the Dude says, That's your opinion. Frankly, I do not recognize your authority to tell me that the symbol is racist or supports racism.
What it means to you is based on your visual perception, that is, you see it used by the KKK so it is racist. Sorry. You haven't lived the Southern life, therefore you do not know, nor can you perceive what it means to us. Your view is jaded by a literal view, and does not include the emotional element the symbol represents to us.
I understand this. Which is why I don't give a shit what you think of it.
Bruce, I do not base my opinion of the use of the confederate flag on what happened in Charleston, or any incident or string of incidents. I base it on reality.
The CSA was a racist, white supremacist entity. The southern states seceded in hopes of preserving slavery, and the CSA constitution enshrines slavery in it's states for perpetuity. It was unconstitutional for any CSA state to decide to try and end slavery within it's own borders.
There is an argument evidently that the "battle flag" represents something other than the CSA, and in some sense it does, as you have listed. But it also absolutely represents the CSA. Robert E. Lee , the leader of the Army of Northern Virginia, reported and answered to only one man, Jefferson Davis, the president of the Confederate States of America.
So the flag does represent a white supremacist idea. And even if it also represents other ideals such as you describe, it can't get out from under the unsavory one.
Y'all should find another symbol to rally your good 'ol boy selves around.
Noted.
John, consider this:
Bruce is in the top five of the least phony-baloney people on this site. His up-front in-your-face demeanor, although often times painfully caustic, is one of the things I like most about him. There is no ambiguity or sugar-coating when it comes to making his thoughts known. Do you honestly believe that if Bruce had a racist agenda behind his avatar, that he would deny it or hide it in any way whatsoever? Not for one instant would he run from it or hide it. He'd be so in your face with it that you wouldn't know whether to shit or go sailing.
There is also this to consider:
Legalized slavery was a concept so abhorrent to so many, that it doesn't exist any more. It took the cooperation of the majority of non-black Americans in both the North and South to make that happen. So the flag you are so against, was indeed flown by those who were more than willing to do their part to end slavery. Neither you nor Bob nor anyone else has the right to determine what another person's symbol of heritage means to them.
Neither you nor Bob nor anyone else has the right to determine what another person's symbol of heritage means to them.
People can fly confederate flags on their living room walls or in their rec room to their hearts content. They can fly it at their backyard barbecues. When they bring it out in public and fly it in parades and at schools and whatnot it is a different story.
As far as Bruce being a "stand up guy" or whatever - irrelevant.
He'd be so in your face with it that you wouldn't know whether to shit or go sailing.
I have been in hundreds of online arguments and shitstorms. There is no such thing as an online personality that awes me. The concept is ridiculous.
As far as Bruce being a "stand up guy" or whatever - irrelevant.
There is no such thing as an online personality that awes me. The concept is ridiculous.
You are far too intelligent to have missed my point to such an embarrassing degree. #paydirt
I don't think I missed the point at all, but if you do, fine.
I think all this talk , which goes on fairly regularly here, about the specialness and uniqueness of the South is a hoot.
A box of cigars on me Sister!
Neither you nor Bob nor anyone else has the right to determine what another person's symbol of heritage means to them.
I do not pretend to know what anything means to any particular person. Someone somewhere may see a portrait of Stalin and interpret it as the Christ. They're sadly mistaken, of course.
I don't care how Bruce interprets the Confederate flag. If he wants to maintain a la-la-land -- an imaginary all-is-sweetness-and-light image of the Antebellum South, that's his problem. I don't care. But as soon as he -- or anyone -- tries to present that image to the general public as "truth", then they must be met. Because that is a lie.
The South was not sweetness and light. It was chattel slavery. It was obedience enforced with whips. It was children born as property.
That isn't opinion. That is historical fact. If Bruce wants to delude himself, imagining a genteel culture of mint juleps and honeysuckle... that's fine. But if he tries to sell that nonsense as reality... I will do my best to refute him.
So what? The Union was white supremacist as well. What's your point?
You post fiction, Bruce...
I post reality.
Ah, Bruce...
Do you think that there's a cream that will assuage hanging?
Are you really making fun of lynching?
Is that "Southern heritage": murdering Blacks is fun??
Southern heritage....
Bob - your pics are disgusting and are not designed to be shared on a discussion topic.
This one goes to the mods.
Southern heritage , 1st!
Sincerely hoping you get banned for the pots you have filled these past few weeks. If anyone deserves it, you do.
Oh... and there's another Southern heritage :
You attracted the troll, Bruce. Like a moth to a bug-zapper...
And of course
Or this
Got any photos of French heritage and the guillotine?
How about this,1stWarrior? Native Americans were enslaved, too!
No, Bruce... This has nothing to do with me...and you know it. It has to do with the South... a society based on racial discrimination.
Every single "charming" aspect of "Southern charm" is founded on chattel slavery.
Your "culture" is whips and chains to keep slaves in their place.
So charming....
No one has called for banning anything, 1st.
But I do intend to insist that the principal heritage of the South is "Whites should own Blacks".
You need to decide if you are on board with "Whites should own... other races..." because if Whites can own Blacks, you know who will be next...
Are you truly ignorant of the fact that slavery was practiced in the north too?
Gerenkov, are you one of those morons who claim that the Civil war wasn't fought over slavery ?
rofl
Yes Bob - I have called for you to be banned for intentional violation of the CoC through the use of your images/memes as a means of wantonly inciting other members.
And Southern history is full of "charm", too
Idiotic
A Southern hero
How's your "Southern heritage" theme goin', Bruce??
I'll be glad to dance any time...
Looks like it's been very successful. One of the most active I've seen in a while.
Have to agree. But we have to give Bob some credit. It wouldn't have been as much fun without his butthurt.
You have a very interesting sexual fixation, Bruce. Does it arise from some childhood experience you had? Adolescent experience, perhaps?
Does your fixation on anal sex explain your gun fetish?
A special message to Sandy Vagina Bob: You've been trolled.
When I changed my avatar, I did it with Randy and John in mind. Because I knew they didn't like it. Not so much John, since I do enjoy actually debating with him on some topics. Mostly Randy. Because, well, he's so easy.
But when you made your personal attacks about it, I told you that you were off topic. Truth be known, I didn't call Perrie into the article. Someone else did. This was about the time that I gave you official warning that you were off topic. Per the CoC, your comments got deleted. This has been covered in BF's article.
So I posted another article. With RBR. Just to see if you would take the bait. And you did. Hook, line and sinker. Per the CoC on RBR, your comments again were deleted.
Which of course brings me to BF's article. You see, when you posted your first article about my avatar (don't try to sugar coat it, you know damn well that's what it was), and then you posted the second one, everyone knew that you were butthurt. You got comments deleted and you didn't like it. So you posted meta and near meta articles about it. Your transparency showed through, and everyone knew you were whining. So BF decided to troll you. With a blatant troll article. And you took the bait in that one too.
Which brings me to this article. I usually post a weekly meme roundup on Saturdays. But I decided to troll you with this article, folding Southern heritage into a meme article. Designed to get you to show your butthurt and crybaby attitude again.
I'd say it was an overwhelming success. A success because you again took the bait, and posted your bullshit about Slavery, lynchings, and Southern Heritage.
There's only one problem Bob. I don't give a shit. I don't care what you think of my avatar. I don't care what you think of my heritage. My level of care is based on three metrics: You don't sign my paychecks, you don't sign my leave papers, and you don't give me blowjobs a cook breakfast for me in the mornings. So in my world of care, you're not even a blip on the radar.
You've been trolled Bob. You've posted comment after comment about what you think about Southern Heritage, and I don't care.
You've said you'll be glad to dance any time. Well, you'll dance alone. Because I don't care. If you comment in anyone else's article I show up in, I wont respond. Because I don't care. If you comment in my articles, make sure you're on topic, or they will be deleted. Make sure you get a good supply of butthurt cream.
I am glad that you are pleased, Bruce.
Okay folks, the article is locked. It will of course die a quick death and fall off the front page.
This article was written for one purpose: to troll the trolls who didn’t like my avatar.
Let’s look at that for a second. As Perrie has said in several comments in other places, I have a right to express myself through my avatar. Freedom of expression. The avatar is going to stay. And some trolls on here who want to put it to a vote in the next CoC revision need to remember that they themselves have a history of using controversial avatars at times.
Some would say that the issue is the ability to criticize someone’s avatar. No one is saying you can’t. But you must do it in the proper setting. Such as this article. And you cannot do so with personal attacks.
Bob, if you had tried to debate me from the beginning about my avatar, this may have turned out differently. But you didn’t. Instead, you came out of the gate with personal insults and attacks by calling me a slaver. Once you attack, debate is not an option. You can’t go back and expect someone to engage you in discussion when you have insulted them.
You started this with your personal attacks. You dug yourself a hole, and had your comments edited and deleted. You lost. You got mad about it. And you tried to pin it on Perrie and the CoC. You lost there as well.
This article was a trolling article to bring you out and let you show your ass. It’s evident that it was successful.
For everyone else, let’s not forget the basic premise for this whole troll: Freedom of Expression. Many of you are upset at the posts Bob has made. Bob has intended to show a Southern Heritage of Hate. I cannot deny that it is part of the history of the South. Never mind that it is actually the history of the entire US. Never mind that lynching occurred in just about every state in the Union. Never mind that Blacks have had to fight for civil rights throughout the US. Just as Native Americans. Just as Asians. Just as every minority in the US. The simple fact is, I don’t care what Bob, or anyone else thinks about my heritage. It’s that simple. Don’t like the avatar? Get over it. But don’t insult me for it, or you will be dealt with in accordance with the CoC.
But we cannot scream for Bob’s pictures to come down when we are championing the right to post an avatar of our choice. Freedom of Expression applies to all sides. As Perrie has said, that freedom will mean having to see and hear things we don’t agree with or don’t like. Bob has just as much right to post his pics as I do in posting a Rebel Flag.
Besides, for anyone who looks at this and knows the history of the troll, they pics are needed to show the troll. They stay.
Bruce is painting himself as some sort of hero, which is ridiculous.
I have a simple issue with the confederate flag. It represents the white supremacist Confederate States of America, not to mention it's more modern uses as a symbol of racism and racial hostility. Bruce wants to make it sound like it is all about his first amendment rights. Boo hoo.
Find another symbol to use to show pride in your southern identity.
Bruce's claim that no one will debate him is silly. I have seeded and written multiple articles on this topic, as have other people.