Mode of Program Participation
Academic Scholarship
Participation Type
Paper
Presentation #1 Title
That's Not What Redneck Means: From Political to Pejorative, an evaluation of media influence on the transformation of the term
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
Now, the term redneck for the majority of America conjures very specific images of individuals living in squalor, who indulge in questionable pastimes, illegal activity, and who have no manners, education, or culture to speak of, and they think that anyone who tries to claim the term as a symbol of pride must be embodiment of the archetype. But for a long time, it was used as a political marker, a symbol of pride and solidarity among groups on both sides of the fence who saw their location, occupations, and economic status as factors that united them in purpose and in goal. This paper is an examination of the aspects of the media portrayal of the 'redneck' archetype in its various forms, from the Li'l Abner comics of the middle of the century to recent the surge of 'redneck reality' programs like Duck Dynasty, Moonshiners, & Here Comes Honey Boo, and how these stylized and exaggerated caricatures have shaped the redneck narrative. I will also be addressing the various attempts at reclaiming redneck as a point of unification and how they have played out over the last few decades.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1
Kira Cope is a graduate student at Marshall University. She is currently working on her master's thesis examining the way portrayals of vigilante justice in popular media shape the perceptions of real world vigilante justice.
That's Not What Redneck Means: From Political to Pejorative, an evaluation of media influence on the transformation of the term
Now, the term redneck for the majority of America conjures very specific images of individuals living in squalor, who indulge in questionable pastimes, illegal activity, and who have no manners, education, or culture to speak of, and they think that anyone who tries to claim the term as a symbol of pride must be embodiment of the archetype. But for a long time, it was used as a political marker, a symbol of pride and solidarity among groups on both sides of the fence who saw their location, occupations, and economic status as factors that united them in purpose and in goal. This paper is an examination of the aspects of the media portrayal of the 'redneck' archetype in its various forms, from the Li'l Abner comics of the middle of the century to recent the surge of 'redneck reality' programs like Duck Dynasty, Moonshiners, & Here Comes Honey Boo, and how these stylized and exaggerated caricatures have shaped the redneck narrative. I will also be addressing the various attempts at reclaiming redneck as a point of unification and how they have played out over the last few decades.
