Where does the term redneck come from, and is it derogatory? It goes back at least to the 1830s where it pops up in the Carolinas to refer to a farmer that works in the sun. Over time, people like listener Richard Ramirez of Fort Worth, Texas, have taken it as a term of pride, denoting their authenticity and work ethic. The reality series Here Comes Honey Boo Boo has furthered the cause with her call to redneckognize! As always, whether such a term is offensive depends on who’s saying it, and to whom. This is part of a complete episode.
Leave a comment
2 comments
More from this show
Scientists decided to name some newly discovered tree frogs in Madagascar based on the boops and trills they make, which reminded the researchers of Star Trek. Among the scientific names for these critters that belong to the rare Boophis frog genus...
The phrase fight the good fight, which means to “try one’s best” and “attempt to do what’s right” is inspired second of the epistles to Timothy attributed to the apostle Paul: “I have fought a good fight, I...
One of my favorite obscure folksingers from the ’60s and early 70s, Patrick Sky, wrote a parody of “Okie from Muskogee,” and when he performed it, told the audience it had been written by “Red Neckerchief.”
In Jacksonville, we had a recent flurry of news stories about an incident that illustrates the different interpretations of “redneck.”
http://www.news4jax.com/news/Report-Duval-County-schools-spokeswoman-called-husband-redneck/-/475880/18372716/-/p35yl0/-/index.html