The Southern Jokes

[Stella Johnson]

I have to admit I also participated in the thread that Antsmom started about Ant's current living conditions. I thought it was funny at first but it seems we have offended and hurt one of our members.

Some members on the board are not living at the height of luxury and do have mobile homes. It may or may not be by choice but none the less, it is hurting one of our members who is southern and lives in a mobile home.

Think we could all chill out on the redneck and trailer jokes for a while? I know others would be offended if any other race or part of the country were being made fun of on the board.

Steph

 

[Suz]

This is a good reminder. Thanks, Steph. I'm sorry if my words offended any of our beloved board members.

Suz

 

[Big Bad Kitty]

I know I got caught up in trying to be silly. Humor is my outlet, and in fact, my profession. I did not mean to offend anybody, and if I did, I offer my most sincere apologies. I hope this did not sway anybody away from this otherwise wonderful board.

 

[Hound dog]

Steph

I'm all for poking fun at my own level of poverty. (if you don't laugh all you'd do is cry) But it can go on to the point where it isn't funny anymore.

I hope I didn't offend.

 

[Suz]

It's kind of similar to my innocent (I thought!) thread in WC about *funny family names* that went somewhat awry when some of the members posted names that were inappropriate/offensive to others and had to get edited. I guess we all get carried away sometimes.

Like I said earlier, it is good to be reminded that not everyone shares our senses of humor. Thanks again for the reminder! :flower:

Suz

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

I am most sincerely sorry for causing offense. Please accept my apologies. I'm an expat Okie myself and have in the past been offended by some mean-spirited remarks made by ignorant people in my hearing, so I should've known better. I didn't mean for anything I said to be hurtful (more in a self-deprecating spirit, if anything) but that does not take away the hurtfulness.

:flower:

 

[Fran]

Threads that start with humor easily can go astray. It's a reason why I was so anal about topics of threads.
On the other hand, I hear not very kind comments about family's who have the ability to provide extra's or live in the northern states and a few others. Your income doesn't define character whether you don't have much or if you have enough.
It pains me to think someone feels bad on this site about anything so frivolous as that thread.
We have enough to feel bad about. It's good to hold that mirror up and ask yourself how you contribute to those stereotypical comments. Keep in mind how it feels to be on the receiving end when you are quick to laugh it off as people being too "politically correct"

 

[donna723]

Well, this IS a good reminder. And if anything I said was hurtful or offended anyone, I sincerely apologize. And I am probably the "least prosperous" of everyone I know, so I would never be making fun of anyone else for what they have or don't have.

I have lived in the South for the better part of my life, and I have come to realize that no one pokes more fun at Southerners than other Southerners! But it's done good-naturedly. And, for the most part, the "redneck" jokes, etc., are all based on myths and stereotypes, none of which are true. People here are no different than people anywhere else. What offends me is someone who has never set foot in the South, saying these things and really believing that they are true!

Again, if I said anything that offended or hurt anyone on the Board, I am very sorry.

 

[CAmom]

Well, just my 2 cents...I read through those posts and got a few great laughs (although I didn't respond) before reading the note regarding hurt feelings.

Being the half-Jewish child of my father who had at least a few relatives who were gassed during the Nazi occupation in Europe, I can certainly sympathize with "political incorrect-ness." Did I mention that I am also half "Southern belle?" Nonetheless, I didn't read anything in any of those posts (and I read through all of them) that offended me.

I imagine that many of us, or at least my husband and I, as parents of a difficult child, having dealt with what we have with our child in the past and mostly continue to do, have developed fairly thick skins in general and certainly appreciate humor regarding our and others' situations with them.

Well, bottom line, in my opinion, is that NO ONE is here to trash anyone else, but rather to take and offer support...

 

[Sunlight]

no harm meant to anyone. sometimes I have to use sarcastic humor or I would simply cry. today was a cry day. I took kaleb to see his dad. ant is not with the girl and her family anymore. seems she could drink ant under the table. he is still in his apartment in the bad area. it is just sad.

kaleb and ant both cried when I took kaleb and left after a two hr visit. ant said it is like when he was in jail and I would bring him to visit.

I wish his life would be better. he smelled like booze but was clean as usual. I brought some groceries. his life is not good. I do not care where anyone lives as long as they are living an honorable life.

 

[Fran]

Amen to that and I'm sorry it is a sad day. I know the feeling. They make their lives so hard.

 

[SunnyFlorida]

I didn't read any malice in any of the posts on this thread.

In a never ending journey of the absurd, a poke at humor is the only way one can survive.

It seems some of our difficult child's are so strong willed that they can't see beyond their noses and continue to live in absurdity and chaos. As parents...all we are trying to do is survive and dream of a life where our difficult child's just stay on the well beaten path of life.

 

[DammitJanet]

Look guys...Im going to explain this and maybe I shouldnt explain and leave well enough alone but Im going to explain anyway. Maybe Im just having a rough time or being too sensitive or my emotions are raw or whatever...I dont know.

Maybe Im just having a borderline moment...if so...Im sorry. Forgive me if I am and just chalk it up to reading the board through my perceptions ok?

This is what started me getting upset:

There was a time not too long ago that I wrote something about Cory buying a car from a "mexican" guy. I didnt say anything defamatory about the guy at all. I just said his nationality. To me that wasnt anything to get in an uproar about but my post was edited because it might upset members. But yet here this post about Billy bob and poking fun at poor people who live in "homes on wheels" and have flowers in tires and cars on cinder blocks went on and on and people were laughing for days.

I felt like there was a huge double standard going on. If it wasnt ok for me to say someones nationality was mexican then why was it ok to talk about someone living in a house on wheels as being funny or as something to look down at?

All this said I probably should have kept my mouth shut and not said a word to anyone and just fumed by myself at home. It seems ok for some folks to get their panties in a wad and preach about how parenting should or shouldnt be done.

Off my soapbox and off to take my medications. Dont mind me...I will be fine. I know none of you meant to hurt me.

 

[DazedandConfused]

Thanks for giving your perspective, Janet. It helps me understand better.

I didn't mean any harm, either.

I'm actually very proud of my Southern roots and all that entails-shoeless Grandmothers, trailer homes (My family of four lived in a travel trailer for a time), dogs on chains, and pigs for pets (not those wimpy potbellied ones, but REAL farm pigs living in the house-and yes, I know they are very smart).

For me, it's those parts that made (yes, unfortunately past tense) my family so endearingly wacky and fun. :smile:

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

Dear Janet,

Thank you for posting that. I understand what you mean. Very well put, and I don't think it's just you, at all. You have a very valid point. Thanks for bringing it to our attention.

 

[DammitJanet]

Normally I am the first one to laugh too. I dont know why Im off right now. Maybe its the stress of the past months. I am in pain and I am tired. My nerves are really raw. I probably should just leave things alone.

Everything is just hitting me very hard.

 

[everywoman]

Oh Janet, We all in the South are just so used to being made fun of! It is rather discouraging when people hear southern they automatically think "trailer park, uneducated, cousins marrying, etc." All most people see of the south is on televsion--"Git 'er done." I am sorry that you are feeling so touchy right now. I, too, felt a little uncomfortable with some of the humor---I just didn't say anything. I'm comfortable with who I am. I love my southern roots and all that it implies. A big southern hug and a YeeHaa from South Carolina.

 

[Kathy813]

I live in the south and really didn't take any offense. I think Jeff Foxworthy is hilarious and it is because everyone knows that he is using stereotypes and not making fun of real people.

I've heard people make fun of other parts of the country, too. I can think of the line in Terms of Endearment about a person who was being rude ~ "He must be from New York" ~ inferring that all New Yorkers are rude. And there is a current movie out (Georgia Rules) where Lindsay Lohan is acting like a difficult child and the grandmother explains to onlookers that "she was raised in California" as if that explains everything.

But if it hurt feelings then I'm glad the thread is gone.

~Kathy

 

[hearthope]

Janet sorry you are having such a rough time! We all have them and hopefully it will be better soon.

I am sure no one meant to hurt any one's feelings, we all were just enjoying a laugh, something the members here don't get to do too often.

I live in the deep south, one red light town. The entertainment here is once a mth people pay 10 dollars to drive jacked up trucks through a mud bog. It draws hundreds of people.

I also have lived in 2 battered woman's shelters, public housing where I was scared to go outside, and in many a mobile home. My sister and brother both live in mobile homes. Most of my friends live in mobile homes. Where I live, you buy land and buy a mobile home and build your fence and barn. That is the norm.

I would never post anything to hurt you. I had the impression you were laughing with us, sorry again if I posted anything that hurt you. We all love you and would never do it on purpose

 

[amstrong]

Hope anything I posted in response to the thread, didn't hurt or offend. As stated by other Southerners, we are used to having fun poked and tend to laugh at ourselves.

I in no way, ever mean to hurt or offend anyone on this board. You guys mean too much to me.

Hugs,