I was surprised at how much Dollywood made fun of hicks, people from the south, hill billies, etc.
Here is one example:
or do you see it another way?
The people that worked at Dollywood were dressed up to look old fashioned, basically like the people in this picture, complete with bonnets or hats.
It just seemed odd in this day & age that they would make fun of people like this. I also saw it at the dinner show we went to, they had these automated bears they were "hill billies" Here is a picture of them:
Always one strap on the over-all pants~
Missing teeth~
One strap on the overalls here as well. This was a statue outside of the dinner theater Black Bear Jamboree.
Seemed odd that making fun of a steroetype southern person should be entertainment.
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Comments: 32
It's like a heavy person being made fun of....is it ok if they make fun of other heavy people?
As far as making fun of hillbillies--or anyone in the South, for that matter--it doesn't matter that much when one of the demographic group (born and raised here, mind you) pokes fun but there is a definite chip on the regional shoulder the size of the Appalachians when the rest of the country does it.
Jeff Foxworthy has done this for years but he's from here, so was Lewis Grizzard...and then there's Ron White and Larry the Cable Guy. In those instances, the rest of the country is laughing WITH us, not necessarily AT us.
Sorry I have not been around but enjoy your articles when I do stop by :)
Hope your having a wonderful summer!
The first time I said "back yonder" in front of my hubbys friends I think they fell off their chairs lol!
Now they completely understand my lingo LOL!!
I used to watch the old Hee Haw show and liked it, I thought the other Hillbilly Shows were all stupid and as far as the bears - iffn the southerners don't object, I sure won't:) It's silly - it's a show, I'd be more concerned about the show being silly, when real bears are dangerous and cantankerous and I wouldn't want my child to think they were little huggy bears.
True backwoods southern people will understand that it is intended to be comic relief and accept it as such. Mainly because Dolly is one of them.
Most of the backwoods people would be offended if they took any of it seriously just as a New York Bronx dweller would if truly being ridiculed as a person. It is when one personalizes such that offenses are experienced. IMHO.
i think people have gotten overly sensitive over the last few decades. now if they made the employees at Dollywood wear KKK robes, then it would be another story, and if your gonna complain about Dollywood's choice of "theme" as being degrading and slightly racist, then you may as well complain to Disney for all their "themed" areas, which really aren't much different. i do believe they still have the area with the mechanical bears just like above. i have some pictures of me as a kid with them somewhere from their Briar Rabbit display.
So, how do you know it's time to participate in the cash for clunkers program? Because you don't have room for any more cars-on-cinderblocks in your front yard.
Amanda, I didn't realize you were from around these parts. ;-) Actually, I had a conversation with someone about that once; where he's from, if your car is on blocks, it's because it's been stripped.
Sometimes, you have to laugh about stuff. Otherwise, you will just end up crying. That's true whether it is about the state of rural education (it's better than the stereotypes, but many rural public schools are still pretty appalling) or the fact that there are shootouts in your neighborhood (as is the case with where one of my close friends is currently living).