re: Is Southern Culture Dying?

Depends on what you mean about southern culture. We are losing rural culture but that's a pretty universal thing. What I mean by that is less of us are raised knowing how to work around granny or another relatives farm. Many of us never broke beans or shucked corn and thankfully working the tobacco fields (nasty work) is over for most. Some of us with connections to the more rural areas were exposed to these things but many of us weren't. Either way outside of the really rural places canning, farming, etc. is dying.

That said, I went to a political event in a rural county last night that made me feel like I stepped into a movie. They had a live band (a good one too), all the candidates, food everywhere, kids running around the park with balloons and watermelon in their hands - it was so painfully southern it was unreal.

I don't know about the rest of the South but in East, TN the differences between the rural counties, the somewhat rural counties (places that have more city/population), and the non rural counties are huge but then again there's always been a difference between these various forms of southern culture. We've just grown to idealize rural culture, imo.

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so painfully southern it was unreal

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Sounds like a good time! I would have loved to have been there.

Mizz-SEC
The way you feel about southern Missouri is the same way I feel about northern Missouri

Considering the south was as close to a 3rd world nation as this country ever saw during the reconstruction to the end of the great depression.... I can only see this as a good thing.

Yes, it is slowly dying.

ALL culture is dying.

Because mainstream.

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In fairness, the plot of Mississippi Burning is not comparable to race riots, I get your overall point though

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Was not meant to be. I was merely pointing out that Hollywood puts out movies continuously portraying the south as racist, bigoted and haters.....in reality, the north was just as guilty. When's the last time you saw a movie about racism in the North? yet, it was prevalent up there, too. Crap, most people have no idea about the race riots in the North. Why? Because most people are illiterate and rely on Hollywood to spoon feed them their "history".

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And despite the unavoidable mainstream borage that kills all culture, you all have yourselves to blame in part for losing southern culture.

Most of you don't even know or understand your own history.

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And to a large degree you are right. however, we have been made to be embarrassed by our culture. And certainly, there are aspects of our culture we SHOULD be embarrassed about. but a drawl in our speech, shucking corn, eating grits, cornbread, greens and sittin' on the porch visiting neighbors are NOT things we should be embarrassed about. neither are manners, sipping lemon aid, ice tea or helping out a neighbor in need. Old fashioned values are good values and nothing to be ashamed about.

But you watch TV or movies and Southerners are portrayed and simpletons, racists and....and....and....guess I better get down off my soapbox and shut up!

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Because mainstream.

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Am I the only one who doesn't view mainstream as an inherently bad thing?

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Depends on what you mean about southern culture. We are losing rural culture but that's a pretty universal thing. What I mean by that is less of us are raised knowing how to work around granny or another relatives farm. Many of us never broke beans or shucked corn and thankfully working the tobacco fields (nasty work) is over for most. Some of us with connections to the more rural areas were exposed to these things but many of us weren't. Either way outside of the really rural places canning, farming, etc. is dying. That said, I went to a political event in a rural county last night that made me feel like I stepped into a movie. They had a live band (a good one too), all the candidates, food everywhere, kids running around the park with balloons and watermelon in their hands - it was so painfully southern it was unreal. I don't know about the rest of the South but in East, TN the differences between the rural counties, the somewhat rural counties (places that have more city/population), and the non rural counties are huge but then again there's always been a difference between these various forms of southern culture. We've just grown to idealize rural culture, imo.

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This post really sums it up. I guess I was really speaking about rural culture. I went into the local, family owned, Ace hardware the other day and was like, this is the way it's supposed to be. It wasn't a giant warehouse, it was a store. The grandma working the counter. Then I was listening to Bill Monroe last night and thought, will my kids kids know about this music or the people that made it? Will they know the peace of sitting on a porch swing stringing beans? Will they know what it's like to make music on that same porch? I don't think so.