Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Redneck, White trash or Trailer trash....

I wondered if these terms are interchangeable so I did a little research. Very little. In reality, I wonder if I've been in any of these categories at one time in my life. I lived in Alabama for a few months during my post Vietnam Army time. I shared a trailer with two others, one who was married (primary trailer owner who's wife was in Mississippi giving birth to their first child.)

A Redneck is a disparaging term that refers to a person who is stereotypically Caucasian and of lower social-economic status in the United States and Canada, particularly referring to those living in rural areas. White trash is a term referring to individual or groups of lower social class Caucasian people that are considered to lack social status. You know who they are. It is most frequently used as a slur to describe financially, economically or culturally disadvantaged Caucasians. Trailer Trash is a derogatory description for person who seems well-suited to residential life in a mobile home park and is distinguished by poor hygiene, foul language, slovenly or slutty clothing, and general ignorance. Recreations include drinking malt liquor in lawn chairs under tattered R.V. awning and teenage pregnancy. Although generally assumed that trailer trash refers to Caucasians this term can be applied to minorities as well. Talk about stereotyping! Then there are the classy parks such as . . . . .
and this one somewhere in the south. GA? I reckon you have to use your imagination to see
this park in better conditions. When I stayed in one I didn't think anything negative about it. Carol's family lived in a trailer (Mobile Home, ooops) for a while and she turned out ok! =-)
So, now you know...

4 comments:

Joan said...

Remember Mary Lou? She lived in a very nice trailer in the 70's (last I saw, the park had gone down hill) She drove a Cadillac! - spoke of how nice the neighbors were, that they all watched out for each other, nice folks there then. Some trailers are really luxurious ya know, altho "trailer trash" would for sure apply to some!

Carol Swift said...

That trailer park looks a lot like the one I lived in so watch it buddy!

Emily said...

Finally, someone did the research we were all waiting for! Interesting differences; I had been using 'white trash' and 'trailer trash' interchangeably but now thanks to you I won't confuse the terminologies!

Linda said...

We did live in a trailer. They didn't call them mobile homes back then...at least I only remember trailer. We had to take our laundry to the laundromat too! We've come a long way baby!