http://www.mountainx.com/opinion/2009/050609fighting_back

Except for perpetuating century-old hillbilly stereotypes, Molton is an excellent cartoonist.  Actually, his use of the name “Bubba” is in the universal “redneck” genre, but the remainder of his cartoon is pure cliched Appalachian “hillbilly,” which ought to produce as much outrage as did the shooting-the-stimulus-plan-gorilla cartoon.  Can you imagine the response if the cartoon were set in the outskirts of Atlanta or New York or Miami, or even Raleigh or Charlotte?  Or Biltmore Forest?  It had to be set in a place with “acceptable bigotry” regarding ignorance, laziness, and sex with barnyard animals; and therein lies the crippling “humor” that has defined us since the heyday of northern “local color” writers and cartoonists a century ago.

“Can you imagine the response if the cartoon were set in the outskirts of Atlanta or New York or Miami, or even Raleigh or Charlotte?”
  Betty, there would be no outrage, only puzzlement. In fact, the only outrage I’ve noticed is from the Daughters of the Confederatcy types.

http://www.hqudc.org/

I think Molton’s use of stereotype here is weak-minded, lazy, and ugly. It calls to mind the watermelons on the white house lawn images that circulated after the election. I’m not sure if Betty Cloer Wallace’s commentary in the same issue is supposed to provide some balance, but the Xpress comes off no better than a poorly supervised high school paper by running this. Finally, I can’t believe there are only three comments here. Disappointing all around.

Because animal loving is so cutting edge to the local hipsters.

Well, Eli, I regret to inform you that the “daughter-types” of our Southern Appalachian region to whom you refer are not “puzzled” by your blatant insult.  We are used to it.  By now, we have inherited and assimilated DNA from far and wide, but that is not the issue.  The far-deeper issue is ethnic and cultural—a century of media-inspired bias directed against our intelligence, both male and female.  Sorry, but gender has nothing to do with it.

Eli: There would be puzzlement because it is not an accepted, bigoted stereotype that people in those places are ignorant hicks. What if it was set in Miami and depicted a Cuban family as inferior? There would be outrage.

Are you saying that the Daughters of the Confederacy are ignorance hicks as well? Wait, what am I saying? They’re from the South, so they *must* be idiots.

Are you saying that the Daughters of the Confederacy are ignorance hicks as well? Wait, what am I saying? They’re from the South, so they *must* be idiots.

No, I’m not saying southerners are idiots or “ignorance hicks”, my people are from Trap Hill, N.C. and fought in the Revolutionary War(Delaware Blues) and the Civil War (Virginia Cavalry.)  But it wouldn’t surprise me if we had a few animal lovers in the family…

Its because it is ok to make fun of the locals here in they eyes of some people when its not very polite.

So sorry for my typo. I meant “ignorant” hicks. Not “ignorance.” And just so you know, the comma goes before the end quotation marks.

So sorry for my typo. I meant “ignorant” hicks. Not “ignorance.” And just so you know, the comma goes before the end quotation marks.

Please excuse my ignorance…

Of course, following our current cultural logic, this should cause outrage…

But it’s disingenuous to then whine when the made-fun-of-group is acceptable to attack.

It’s a hilarious cartoon, and we shouldn’t be scared to stereotype anyone.  All stereotypes contain a grain of truth.

The real travesty here is that Flatlanders are the ones known for pig fornication, not Hillbillies.

Get your stereotypes straight!

Some stereotypes do hold true. I have found that yankees from NYC tend to be rude, arrogant, and overly serious. And those accents. You talk about ignorant sounding, just listen to a New Yorker from the Bronx. For these people to look down on us is comical indeed.

Sandy: I think Molton’s use of stereotype here is weak-minded, lazy, and ugly. It calls to mind the watermelons on the white house lawn images that circulated after the election. I’m not sure if Betty Cloer Wallace’s commentary in the same issue is supposed to provide some balance, but the Xpress comes off no better than a poorly supervised high school paper by running this. Finally, I can’t believe there are only three comments here. Disappointing all around.”

Well said Sandy!

good god! Read Jeff Bigger’s book “The United States of Appalachia, Molton…geez.

The only thing worse than bigotry against another race. Is bigotry from ones own race….

Rhonda Velour is a sock-puppet for a “man” named Cullen Anderson.

I grew up in South Louisiana. Most of the Cajun side of the family didn’t speak English until they were 5 or 6 years old and in school. We used laugh openly about stereotypes of Cajuns, and to this day my family still circulates Boudreaux jokes. Of course, we Cajuns are laughing all the way to the bank, as our recipes, music, festivals, historic landmarks, etc, rake in the cash. Incidentally, by far my two best teachers in high school were from Appalachia. Celebrate the positive stereotypes and ignore the ones you don’t like (or make movies out them).

And…I’m not sure I understand Patrick Broadway’s comment. Why is bigotry within one race worse than bigotry across racial lines?

September Girl…...  There is a glaring difference between the stereotypes of Cajuns and Hillbillies:  Cajuns are considered intelligent, while Hillbillies are not.  Big difference.  And our music, recipes, etc., are just as good as yours.

Thank you, though, for recognizing that your “two best teachers in high school were from Appalachia.”  That is not surprising.  Southern Appalachian residents have always valued education, and their early Presbyterian churches (which were numerous a century ago) spent more time on education than religion.

I believe that hatred towards any race is not right in any way. There are those in other races I don’t care for, but I don’t judge the race by a few bad apples.
I also believe that racism against ones own race is even worse. You mock the ones who came before you. You degrade the very prinipals, values, and honor and history “good or bad” of you race.
Red yellow black or white, I dosen’t matter.
There is nothing wrong with racial pride. There is good and bad in all races. But we should strive to make our race/races as good as it can be. No apologise For the past. None of us were there to do grievences to others. We should do just, to those who are here and now.

And Eli, your in need of some serious history lessons. Not the crap they taught us High school. That isn’t history. That’s propaganda to patriotize us to love and trust our Govrnment.
And we see where that’s taken us…Socialism.
The South has always had some of the finest institutions of higher learning this country has ever known. And most of the brightest minds.
I’ve seen just as many “bubas” up there as down here. I am a proud Southerner. I’m a proud “Hillbilly” And I’m proud of the “hillbillies that I come from. TN. Ms. N.C. S.c. Ga. and Ark. That’s just my daddys side.
I’m proud to be an appallachian from Kentuckey.
And proud even more to be raised up in Tx.
By the way. Both of my parents are collage grads. My mom is a Daughter of the Confederacy. So are my two older sisters. Also collage grads.
My dad was, and I am a member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans. I’m the black sheep of the family. I still need to finish up and get my degree. I guess my point is this…. A lot of folks today have forgotten where they came from, and who they came from. It’s not only wrong. It’s a shame…

How simple it is really. You have a guy from outside the area aiming his hostility towards stereotypes of local folks. I’d like to see him put up his cartoon on a 5’8’ poster and drive out to Flag Pond Tennessee, post it in a prominent place, then wait around for the reaction.

Betty, I don’t want to get into the “my stereotype is as bad as yours” argument, I wouldn’t have made the comment I did if the Cajun stereotypes were positive. I grew up being called a “coon-ass,” and when I traveled outside of Louisiana, I was OFTEN asked if I lived in a swamp and practiced Voodoo, and other misguided questions. On TV and in jokes, “coon-asses” were often depicted as toothless high school drop-outs. Appalachia has a rich culture: music, crafts, storytelling, homeopathy, the list goes on. Bluegrass and Old Time are every bit as marketable as Cajun music.

Patrick, the remnants of racial discrimination are still with us and still have to be addressed. There is no room for “racial pride” in an evolved society. Especially given that the races have been mixing for eons and we all share the same genes. Maybe you are thinking of cultural pride.

Well? We have posted our concerns and criticisms of Molton. This space for us to post is provided by the publisher and editor who employ Molton to draw cartoons for the MX. NOW, are these 2 fellows going to take action and speak to Molton about this? Perhaps ask him not to engage in bigotry again? OR? Will this just be an exercise in futility for those of us who object to such negative stereotyping?

I’d like Jon to post here that he has talked with Molton and say that this won’t happen again.

Thanks, Bill, for your comments and questions. In today’s issue, the publisher and I respond to two letters about the Molton cartoon. You might find the answers you’re looking for in that response—or, you might not. But we do try to explain our calculus when it comes to potentially touchy cartoons. You can read that response here:

http://www.mountainx.com/opinion/2009/hypocrisy_on_hillbillies

Best,

Jon Elliston
Managing Editor

September Girl wrote:  “I don’t want to get into the ‘my stereotype is as bad as yours’ argument,” and “I grew up being called a “coon-ass,” and when I traveled outside of Louisiana, I was OFTEN asked if I lived in a swamp and practiced Voodoo, and other misguided questions. On TV and in jokes, ‘coon-asses’ were often depicted as toothless high school drop-outs.”

Well, I agree that every cultural group has its detractors, and all southern American groups have far more than their share, but the bottom line is whether racial/cultural/ethnic slurs affect the group to such a widespread degree that the economic stability and livelihood of the group (jobs, educational opportunities, environmental abuse, etc.) is negatively affected.  Therein lies the difference between the “hillbilly’ and “coon-ass” slurs. 

How many people worldwide have heard the “hillbilly” slur?  And how many people worldwide have heard the “coon-ass” slur?  And how many people worldwide consider one group or the other intelligent, or stupid?

I thought the cartoon depicted the Asheville area perfectly, not the content of the cartoon but the smugness of Asheville in general.

If it oinks like a pig, maybe it is a pig. Methinks you protest too much. I don’t think you have to be from the hills to be a hillbilly. There are inbred white trash types all over the country. (Look at Texas for christs sake) By the way, the civil war is over and you lost. Get over it!

“Methinks….” Get a proper grasp of the “American” English language then make your comments to me. This isn’t England or the thirteenth century…

It’s only 1-0 halftime. And It’s far from over.

Get a proper grasp of the “American” English language then make your comments to me. This isn’t England or the thirteenth century…

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Actually, almost all the so-called “bad English” used by natives of Appalachia was once employed by the highest ranking nobles of the realms of England and Scotland. Our isolated ancestors kept their dialects from the British Isles, and we still use and understand much of it.

A lot of us Southerners still use our Slang. I say aint. I say yer instead of your. I say y’all, and the list goes on. But…Like most of the rest of the country, we Southerners can progrees too. I feel that if one can not at least write proper grammer how can one be taken serously. I’m in no way trying to insult you or call you less than intelligent. Yes, the Southern dialect is the truest form of the original English language. I too study Southern history. And I’m also Scottish and Irish.
I don’t remeber the authors name. But you might like the book, “Cracker Culture.”
But my true gripe is this. I’m sick of the rest of the country thinking, we of South/Appalachia are just a bunch or racist Rednecks. Uneducated and so on….B.S. and applebutter. I’ve been to N.Y. Penn. and W.Virginia. The cartoon could just as easily speake of some of those people as well. I have seen with my own eyes some deeeeeeep inbreeding up there too. And I’m sure there are a few animal lovers there as well.
Read the history written by those who know the people the best. Or at least by someone not bias, like most Northern writers. They won the shooting war. this is true. So they get to write the history the way they want the world to see it. From theirs and only their way of seeing it. So you have today, after 137 years of being portrayed as the bad guys. Uneducated. Backwards. Inbred. Animal lovers. Stereotyping. There’re country bumpkins up there too.

So be careful how you speak of those of the south, you might have a hillbilly or two in your family tree. We all do.

Susannah G wrote:  ” The most useful response to insult is to ignore it (Pigdemic cartoon), rise above it, and move on- think how many more people have seen this cartoon now that there has been an outcry- if there had been no controversy it would have been forgotten in a day.  How many more people have heard the phrase “nappy headed ho” because of controversy in the media, versus the number of people who would actually have listened to Don Imus’ radio program in the first place?”

Remember, Susannah, that Imus was fired for making that “nappy headed ho” comment, and he will certainly not be so blatantly racist in such a manner again.  It will happen again, of course, but his firing did dampen the racism coming out of many mouths.  Same thing with Kramer’s racist language in the LA comedy club.  Same thing with the closing of the old Sambo’s Pancake Houses.

Southern Appalachian people have tried to overlook blatant cultural stereotypes for over a century to no avail.  Trying to ignore the insult and taking a “step-n-fetchit” response has reinforced it and perpetuated it in the minds of so many people that they think it is all right to continue the insult.

Simply ignoring it and allowing it to continue in such a blatant manner is an awful legacy of submission to leave to our children and grandchildren.