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El manifiesto redneck rojo: o cómo sacar a Dixie de la oscuridad
The Liberal Rednecks—a three-man stand-up comedy group doing scathing political satire—celebrate all that’s good about the South while leading the Redneck Revolution and standing proudly blue in a sea of red.
Smart, hilarious, and incisive, the Liberal Rednecks confront outdated traditions and intolerant attitudes, tackling everything people think they know about the South—the good, the bad, the glorious, and the shameful—in a laugh-out-loud funny and lively manifesto for the rise of a New South. Home to some of the best music, athletes, soldiers, whiskey, waffles, and weather the country has to offer, the South has also been bathing in backward bathroom bills and other bigoted legislation that Trae Crowder has targeted in his Liberal Redneck videos, which have gone viral with over 50 million views.
Perfect for fans of Stuff White People Like and I Am America (And So Can You) , The Liberal Redneck Manifesto skewers political and religious hypocrisies in witty stories and hilarious graphics—such as the Ten Commandments of the New South—and much more! While celebrating the South as one of the richest sources of American culture, this entertaining book issues a wake-up call and a reminder that the South’s problems and dreams aren’t that far off from the rest of America’s.
Smart, hilarious, and incisive, the Liberal Rednecks confront outdated traditions and intolerant attitudes, tackling everything people think they know about the South—the good, the bad, the glorious, and the shameful—in a laugh-out-loud funny and lively manifesto for the rise of a New South. Home to some of the best music, athletes, soldiers, whiskey, waffles, and weather the country has to offer, the South has also been bathing in backward bathroom bills and other bigoted legislation that Trae Crowder has targeted in his Liberal Redneck videos, which have gone viral with over 50 million views.
Perfect for fans of Stuff White People Like and I Am America (And So Can You) , The Liberal Redneck Manifesto skewers political and religious hypocrisies in witty stories and hilarious graphics—such as the Ten Commandments of the New South—and much more! While celebrating the South as one of the richest sources of American culture, this entertaining book issues a wake-up call and a reminder that the South’s problems and dreams aren’t that far off from the rest of America’s.
408 pages, Paperback
First published October 4, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 399 reviews
October 10, 2016
What is immediately evident when you read this book is that you should never mistake the presence of a drawl and/or a twang in someone's voice for an absence of intellect. Point blank, these are some well read individuals. And they're funny to boot. The book is filled with personal stories and sociological data that drives that really drives home the experience of what it's like to grow up as a redneck and it's beautiful, heartbreaking, and absolutely eye-opening.
Granted, this book is decidedly liberal in its political leanings and its largely disapproving view of the church and religion might stick in your craw. But there's still so much to learn from it. For example, a lot has been made of how the war on drugs has affected black and urban communities, but this is the first book I've read that explains how such policies affected rural America. In particular, it takes a long hard look at the history of the opioid epidemic and its Appalachian origins.
This book is biting in its criticisms, incisive in its analyses, and brilliant in its humor. Crowder, Morgan, and Forrester put together an almost perfect book. It's an all-round solid first effort that should be on everyone's reading list. Or to put it in their terms, "This books just plain hits, so go read it"
Granted, this book is decidedly liberal in its political leanings and its largely disapproving view of the church and religion might stick in your craw. But there's still so much to learn from it. For example, a lot has been made of how the war on drugs has affected black and urban communities, but this is the first book I've read that explains how such policies affected rural America. In particular, it takes a long hard look at the history of the opioid epidemic and its Appalachian origins.
This book is biting in its criticisms, incisive in its analyses, and brilliant in its humor. Crowder, Morgan, and Forrester put together an almost perfect book. It's an all-round solid first effort that should be on everyone's reading list. Or to put it in their terms, "This books just plain hits, so go read it"
July 3, 2018
I remember exactly when I became a fan of Trae Crowder. OK, not exactly WHEN, but what led me to discover him, and that was his less than 2 minute long video on the topic of the ridiculous fear of transgender people using bathrooms. Since then, I've watched TONS of his videos, dragged my then-boyfriend to see the WellRed Comedy Tour, follow their podcast, follow them on Facebook, and I'd probably invite them to live with me if I had the space.
I'm a fan. Lil bit.
For those of y'all who don't know, I grew up in the South. Not the poverty-stricken rural small town South like these guys lived in... but not all that far away from it either. At one point, my mom and I lived in a housing development that was literally across the street from the most run-down trailer park I'd ever seen (up to that point). The kind where the 5 year old daughter of one of the residents couldn't go to school because she hadn't had her immunizations and wasn't even potty trained. At the time, my mom was dating a guy who had a 4 year old daughter, and they'd play together. The other little girl would come knock on our door after crossing the busy street, on her own, wearing nothing but a diaper, because "mommy is sleeping". All day. We would often have to feed her. I was 16, homeschooling myself, and essentially providing childcare for this little girl along with mom's-boyfriend's-daughter, because if I didn't do it, she'd be on her own, all day, every day. It was pretty heartbreaking. And then my mom moved to rural Virginia for a job, and I went to stay with an Aunt, until I moved to Virginia as well. I have no idea what happened to that little girl.
When I moved to southwestern Virginia, it was because my mom got me a job at the company that she went to work for. Sure, I interviewed for it, and I'm smart and was damn sure capable of working there, but my mom got me the job. And this right here is where I acknowledge my shitty ass privilege. Because, that job was one of only around 200 positions in a call center in an area where there were very few other options. And this was when OxyContins were starting to be a problem there as well.
I was living in Jacksonville, Florida at the time. I was working. Not a great job, but it wasn't terrible, and I could have moved up, gone to school, found something better, whatever. I lived in an area of growth and opportunity. Yet, at 19, I moved to a small town in the middle of nowhere Appalachia, and was basically handed a job that could have gone to someone who really needed it.
To be fair, since then, I have worked my ass off, and that job has turned into a career, and I was loyally with that company 11 years until they laid me off during an acquisition. But, looking back, I cannot help but see my taking that job as anything but a theft of opportunity for someone else who absolutely needed it more than I did. :(
The reason I mention this, and maybe just TMI'd the shit out of my personal hindsight revelation, is that these guys talk about privilege, and how opportunity is NOT equal. And they are right. I had the privilege of having the option of not taking that job. I didn't need the job. It wasn't a coveted position that could mean the difference between getting an actually decent paycheck or being on welfare. Not for me. To me it was just a step up in pay at the time. A small one. But someone else, it probably would have been life changing. Fuck, that makes me feel shitty.
OK. What I'm getting at is that... it's easy to take our situations for granted. I was born middle-class by an accident of luck. Some people are born better off, but many, many are not. It's easy to stand at these staggered starting points, face forward, and then run our race... thinking that it's the SAME race for everyone. It's not.
So this book is eye-opening, even for someone like me who generally tries to be empathetic and conscious of others' hardships and situations. To be fair, I've come a LONG way, social-awareness-wise, from my 19 year old self... but I've always thought of myself as being a person who valued fairness and equality. Don't get me wrong, I can be a cynical, judgemental asshole at times. But generally, if there's a way I can help, I will try to do so. And I'm trying to be less of a cynical, judgemental asshole, in general. Trying. It's hard.
Ugh. OK, enough about me. Shit.
So, my being a fan of these dudes already, I had a pretty decent idea of what to expect from this book, and I wasn't disappointed. They covered a LOT of ground, from poverty and racism, to sexism, to the Confederate Flag, to drinking, to food, to guns, and the opiate crisis, and more that I'm probably forgetting... and they managed to do it with empathy and understanding, and a good bit of humor, while at the same time calling out a bunch of bullshit that needs to change.
I learned a lot from this book. Honestly, I don't know whether to be surprised by that or not. I've lived in the South (different areas) from the time I was a toddler until I was in my 20s, and then I just moved up the Appalachian mountain range some... But I'm not Southern. I wasn't born there. Neither of my parents were born there (though my dad comes from a poor midwestern family that sure the hell does resemble some Southern families). So my experience is naturally not going to be the same as someone who has had generations of roots in the South. But even so, it's hard to live amongst it and not absorb some of the experience. Some, but not nearly all.
The fact is that there is a lot of history and depth of feeling about that history in the South, and there's a lot of pride in the history and roots of generations of families who have never given up, EVER. A lot of that pride is misguided, yes, but when that might be all you have to be proud of, it's hard to want to let it go.
And so, this book talks about ways to move forward, and help change the region for the better by letting go of the past and starting to think logically and economically. Vote for candidates that actually offer beneficial, viable policy, not just the one that shouts "Jesus" the loudest. Don't worry so much about people coming to take your guns every time a regulation is passed, to, say, prevent nuclear warheads from being sold out of the back of Jimmy Bob's van. The NRA/NSSF feeds (and feeds on) that fear - they are fucking vampires.
They call for people to acknowledge that gay people, transgender people, any "other" people, just want the right to live as themselves - nobody is trying to take any rights away. Support Planned Parenthood and stop voting to defund clinics that provide free healthcare to women on the premise that it's "helping" - because it's not. It's OK to be anti-abortion. It's your right to hold that opinion, but fucking grow a spine and own it, if you are. Don't hide behind the "safety" of women, when you're supporting removing access to clinics that provide affordable or free help to them in dozens of ways OTHER than the one thing you're against.
So much really great stuff in this book. They really cover a lot. They talk about their families, and oh man, Corey's bit about his Granny Bain had me in tears. Such a lovely tribute to a woman who clearly meant the whole world to that boy. RIP, Granny Bain. <3
If I had a complaint about this book, and I do, one single complaint: it's the layout. I found it frustrating to actually read, because there are a lot of asides and supplemental materials that interrupt the flow of the main narrative. They each of them have multiple "Porch Talk" segments throughout the book, usually on the topic of the chapter, as well as things like a flow chart on how to "launder" food stamps to get things other than food, or 4 pages of "Rebel Flag replacement" suggestions, ranging from Dale Earnhardt's #3, to Calvin pissing on Congress, and more. Funny, but when it interrupts page after page of the actual bulk of the text, it's a bit frustrating . There were times when I had to hold a finger in place for PAGES so that I could read through a section of the chapter, and then go back for the supplemental stuff. Then repeat for the next section, etc. Quite frustrating.
I do wish that they'd kept the supplementals and Porch Talks for the end of the chapter, or even the end of a section within the chapter, instead of literally interrupting sentences with big chunks of stuff. But, it's a small gripe. The book was still fantastic otherwise. Also, I enjoyed the hell out of the footnotes. Some funny shit there.
Anyway. I highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone. You don't need to live, have lived, have visited, or even seen the South on a map to get something out of this book. But any or all of those things certainly won't hurt. :) You don't need to be "Liberal" or a "Redneck". It won't bite or sting you if you're a conservative, either.
So much of this book comes from a place of love and understanding and empathy that I really do hope that millions of people read it. The comedy might not be for everyone, but I think their hearts are in the right place.
I'm a fan. Lil bit.
For those of y'all who don't know, I grew up in the South. Not the poverty-stricken rural small town South like these guys lived in... but not all that far away from it either. At one point, my mom and I lived in a housing development that was literally across the street from the most run-down trailer park I'd ever seen (up to that point). The kind where the 5 year old daughter of one of the residents couldn't go to school because she hadn't had her immunizations and wasn't even potty trained. At the time, my mom was dating a guy who had a 4 year old daughter, and they'd play together. The other little girl would come knock on our door after crossing the busy street, on her own, wearing nothing but a diaper, because "mommy is sleeping". All day. We would often have to feed her. I was 16, homeschooling myself, and essentially providing childcare for this little girl along with mom's-boyfriend's-daughter, because if I didn't do it, she'd be on her own, all day, every day. It was pretty heartbreaking. And then my mom moved to rural Virginia for a job, and I went to stay with an Aunt, until I moved to Virginia as well. I have no idea what happened to that little girl.
When I moved to southwestern Virginia, it was because my mom got me a job at the company that she went to work for. Sure, I interviewed for it, and I'm smart and was damn sure capable of working there, but my mom got me the job. And this right here is where I acknowledge my shitty ass privilege. Because, that job was one of only around 200 positions in a call center in an area where there were very few other options. And this was when OxyContins were starting to be a problem there as well.
I was living in Jacksonville, Florida at the time. I was working. Not a great job, but it wasn't terrible, and I could have moved up, gone to school, found something better, whatever. I lived in an area of growth and opportunity. Yet, at 19, I moved to a small town in the middle of nowhere Appalachia, and was basically handed a job that could have gone to someone who really needed it.
To be fair, since then, I have worked my ass off, and that job has turned into a career, and I was loyally with that company 11 years until they laid me off during an acquisition. But, looking back, I cannot help but see my taking that job as anything but a theft of opportunity for someone else who absolutely needed it more than I did. :(
The reason I mention this, and maybe just TMI'd the shit out of my personal hindsight revelation, is that these guys talk about privilege, and how opportunity is NOT equal. And they are right. I had the privilege of having the option of not taking that job. I didn't need the job. It wasn't a coveted position that could mean the difference between getting an actually decent paycheck or being on welfare. Not for me. To me it was just a step up in pay at the time. A small one. But someone else, it probably would have been life changing. Fuck, that makes me feel shitty.
OK. What I'm getting at is that... it's easy to take our situations for granted. I was born middle-class by an accident of luck. Some people are born better off, but many, many are not. It's easy to stand at these staggered starting points, face forward, and then run our race... thinking that it's the SAME race for everyone. It's not.
So this book is eye-opening, even for someone like me who generally tries to be empathetic and conscious of others' hardships and situations. To be fair, I've come a LONG way, social-awareness-wise, from my 19 year old self... but I've always thought of myself as being a person who valued fairness and equality. Don't get me wrong, I can be a cynical, judgemental asshole at times. But generally, if there's a way I can help, I will try to do so. And I'm trying to be less of a cynical, judgemental asshole, in general. Trying. It's hard.
Ugh. OK, enough about me. Shit.
So, my being a fan of these dudes already, I had a pretty decent idea of what to expect from this book, and I wasn't disappointed. They covered a LOT of ground, from poverty and racism, to sexism, to the Confederate Flag, to drinking, to food, to guns, and the opiate crisis, and more that I'm probably forgetting... and they managed to do it with empathy and understanding, and a good bit of humor, while at the same time calling out a bunch of bullshit that needs to change.
I learned a lot from this book. Honestly, I don't know whether to be surprised by that or not. I've lived in the South (different areas) from the time I was a toddler until I was in my 20s, and then I just moved up the Appalachian mountain range some... But I'm not Southern. I wasn't born there. Neither of my parents were born there (though my dad comes from a poor midwestern family that sure the hell does resemble some Southern families). So my experience is naturally not going to be the same as someone who has had generations of roots in the South. But even so, it's hard to live amongst it and not absorb some of the experience. Some, but not nearly all.
The fact is that there is a lot of history and depth of feeling about that history in the South, and there's a lot of pride in the history and roots of generations of families who have never given up, EVER. A lot of that pride is misguided, yes, but when that might be all you have to be proud of, it's hard to want to let it go.
And so, this book talks about ways to move forward, and help change the region for the better by letting go of the past and starting to think logically and economically. Vote for candidates that actually offer beneficial, viable policy, not just the one that shouts "Jesus" the loudest. Don't worry so much about people coming to take your guns every time a regulation is passed, to, say, prevent nuclear warheads from being sold out of the back of Jimmy Bob's van. The NRA/NSSF feeds (and feeds on) that fear - they are fucking vampires.
They call for people to acknowledge that gay people, transgender people, any "other" people, just want the right to live as themselves - nobody is trying to take any rights away. Support Planned Parenthood and stop voting to defund clinics that provide free healthcare to women on the premise that it's "helping" - because it's not. It's OK to be anti-abortion. It's your right to hold that opinion, but fucking grow a spine and own it, if you are. Don't hide behind the "safety" of women, when you're supporting removing access to clinics that provide affordable or free help to them in dozens of ways OTHER than the one thing you're against.
So much really great stuff in this book. They really cover a lot. They talk about their families, and oh man, Corey's bit about his Granny Bain had me in tears. Such a lovely tribute to a woman who clearly meant the whole world to that boy. RIP, Granny Bain. <3
If I had a complaint about this book, and I do, one single complaint: it's the layout. I found it frustrating to actually read, because there are a lot of asides and supplemental materials that interrupt the flow of the main narrative. They each of them have multiple "Porch Talk" segments throughout the book, usually on the topic of the chapter, as well as things like a flow chart on how to "launder" food stamps to get things other than food, or 4 pages of "Rebel Flag replacement" suggestions, ranging from Dale Earnhardt's #3, to Calvin pissing on Congress, and more. Funny, but when it interrupts page after page of the actual bulk of the text, it's a bit frustrating . There were times when I had to hold a finger in place for PAGES so that I could read through a section of the chapter, and then go back for the supplemental stuff. Then repeat for the next section, etc. Quite frustrating.
I do wish that they'd kept the supplementals and Porch Talks for the end of the chapter, or even the end of a section within the chapter, instead of literally interrupting sentences with big chunks of stuff. But, it's a small gripe. The book was still fantastic otherwise. Also, I enjoyed the hell out of the footnotes. Some funny shit there.
Anyway. I highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone. You don't need to live, have lived, have visited, or even seen the South on a map to get something out of this book. But any or all of those things certainly won't hurt. :) You don't need to be "Liberal" or a "Redneck". It won't bite or sting you if you're a conservative, either.
So much of this book comes from a place of love and understanding and empathy that I really do hope that millions of people read it. The comedy might not be for everyone, but I think their hearts are in the right place.
December 31, 2016
YOU! You need to read this book. That's my start. Please read why I think so.
And when I say YOU? I mean my ultra-liberal Seattle friends. I mean my ultra-conservative Southern relatives. I mean ANYONE caught up in the us-versus-them struggle.
People don't believe me when I say I grew up in "Lower Alabama". But I did. While I didn't grow up in rural Tennessee, I grew up in the western panhandle of Florida, which is pure Redneck Riviera. I'm a southerner, if not quite a redneck. I'm married to one, I'm the stepmother of one, and I'm related to a bunch.
There are a LOT of great things about the South. It's an amazing place with amazing people and things. It's full of people who are proud of where the come from for good damned reason. Those of you who think Southerners are a nothing but a bunch of racist, uneducated, lazy hicks are elitist assholes who are just as guilty of stereotyping as those you look down on.
It's also got problems. Kind of like every part of the country and every part of humanity. The reasons are varied and the solutions aren't easy. Some are of their own making and some aren't. But a lot of them are problems that we liberals would never DARE to look down on in other populations. Don't believe me? Read this book. Tell me the problems of rural Appalachia and the inner cities don't bear a whole lot of similarities.
These are self-professed proud, gun-loving, moonshine-drinking, NASCAR-worshipping, cussing, sons of the South. They're also liberal as hell, hate conservative assholes, and can't understand how anyone voted for Trump (though this book came out before the election). They're funny as hell and have a dialect all their own. SOME of their language will still come across as a bit misogynistic, but...
I told everyone how much I loved Furiously Happy. I love this book just as much. I think more people need to read it. Please.
And when I say YOU? I mean my ultra-liberal Seattle friends. I mean my ultra-conservative Southern relatives. I mean ANYONE caught up in the us-versus-them struggle.
People don't believe me when I say I grew up in "Lower Alabama". But I did. While I didn't grow up in rural Tennessee, I grew up in the western panhandle of Florida, which is pure Redneck Riviera. I'm a southerner, if not quite a redneck. I'm married to one, I'm the stepmother of one, and I'm related to a bunch.
There are a LOT of great things about the South. It's an amazing place with amazing people and things. It's full of people who are proud of where the come from for good damned reason. Those of you who think Southerners are a nothing but a bunch of racist, uneducated, lazy hicks are elitist assholes who are just as guilty of stereotyping as those you look down on.
It's also got problems. Kind of like every part of the country and every part of humanity. The reasons are varied and the solutions aren't easy. Some are of their own making and some aren't. But a lot of them are problems that we liberals would never DARE to look down on in other populations. Don't believe me? Read this book. Tell me the problems of rural Appalachia and the inner cities don't bear a whole lot of similarities.
These are self-professed proud, gun-loving, moonshine-drinking, NASCAR-worshipping, cussing, sons of the South. They're also liberal as hell, hate conservative assholes, and can't understand how anyone voted for Trump (though this book came out before the election). They're funny as hell and have a dialect all their own. SOME of their language will still come across as a bit misogynistic, but...
I told everyone how much I loved Furiously Happy. I love this book just as much. I think more people need to read it. Please.
September 1, 2017
I first heard of The Liberal Redneck Manifesto on Bill Maher, where co-author Trae Crowder threw down and made me laugh... and then think. And the book made me laugh harder and think deeper.
It starts with a shocking revelation: the south is poor. Infact the ten poorest states in the nation, save NM, are southern. and blue-collar southern people represent a more complex culture than they are generally portrayed in the media, where you get violent, xenophobic rapists ala Deliverance or ignorant racists. The Liberal Redneck Manifesto goes out of its way to dismantle those notions. In fact, because of the humor, this book "hits" (an expression these good ole boys use often). It's like Hillbilly Elegy and White Trash, two more serious explorations of the white underclass, but made human, humane and funny as hell DESPITE being serious as all get-out.
Crowder and his co-authors, Drew Morgan and Corey Ryan Forrester, love the south. They love to hunt and shoot. They love SEC football. And fried chicken. And farm parties. But they call their country brothers and sisters to task.
They call them out on racism. They cede the fact that the Stars & Bars doesn't celebrate southern culture — sweet tea and drinking beers with friends at a NASCAR rally. Instead, they're clear about the history: the Confederacy fought to protect their right to own other humans. Refreshing, to say the least. Since I'm a blue-collar Yankee. But I grew up jamming to Lynyrd Skynyrd and Johnny Cash, and rooting for the Duke boys to defeat Boss Hog. And yet, I often scratch my head when I hear people defending Confederate monuments in multicultural Meccas like New Orleans.
The authors go further. They dissect evangelical culture, redneck culture's dismissiveness of learning, and the human tragedy that opioid and alcohol abuse unleash in the south and Appalachia.
And they point out that southern GOP politicians have been using and abusing these people for decades. By priming voters against "the others," whether racial minorities, gays or abortions, these "conservatives" win elections. And then pass legislation that hurts these people. There are rural counties with over 70% of the population is on some form of welfare, but vote 90% Republican. Thing is, the GOP reps cut their constituent's benefits, and these people need help. to improve the lives of the rich coastal elites, who don't need it.
Why would a block of poor rednecks vote for people supporting who harmed them while helping the very coastal elites? The authors, near as confused as I am, have an an answer, of sorts.
Because Jesus andBruce Kaitlyn Jenner and some empty "States Rights" slogan.
The authors intended The Liberal Redneck Manifesto as a wakeup call to southerners, but it works very well to give northerners like me a window into the culture. Since I come from blue-collar roots, but my family are yanks. Irish with roots in the Philly area, my grandparents settled in Cleveland. But many people near me had Appalachian roots. In fact, many of my best gradeschool and highschool friends had Appalachian roots. And we shared similar ancestry: Irish/ German Americans.
ANd yet, our outcomes were different. My siblings (six) and I all have degrees. All save two have masters work. And my sister is a PhD candidate. While my friends with Appalachian roots don't.
Same neighborhood, same schools, same basic influences. We played sports together, had Happy Days and Evil Knievel lunch boxes, went to the same high schools as we did. But with divergent outcomes. They drink more than my sibs and I. They party more. They have more divorces, etc. It has to be a cultural thing is all I can guess. And The Liberal Redneck Manifesto is both a window into that culture and a template of how to win their hearts and minds.
After all, rednecks are decent, hard-working people. Who do jobs that few want to do. So we owe them more than our scorn.
Highly recommended, Fast read. Funny. And I hope the DNC reads it, since it'll "learn them to talk to the real people" instead of just running a boring policy wonk like Hillary Clinton.
It starts with a shocking revelation: the south is poor. Infact the ten poorest states in the nation, save NM, are southern. and blue-collar southern people represent a more complex culture than they are generally portrayed in the media, where you get violent, xenophobic rapists ala Deliverance or ignorant racists. The Liberal Redneck Manifesto goes out of its way to dismantle those notions. In fact, because of the humor, this book "hits" (an expression these good ole boys use often). It's like Hillbilly Elegy and White Trash, two more serious explorations of the white underclass, but made human, humane and funny as hell DESPITE being serious as all get-out.
Crowder and his co-authors, Drew Morgan and Corey Ryan Forrester, love the south. They love to hunt and shoot. They love SEC football. And fried chicken. And farm parties. But they call their country brothers and sisters to task.
They call them out on racism. They cede the fact that the Stars & Bars doesn't celebrate southern culture — sweet tea and drinking beers with friends at a NASCAR rally. Instead, they're clear about the history: the Confederacy fought to protect their right to own other humans. Refreshing, to say the least. Since I'm a blue-collar Yankee. But I grew up jamming to Lynyrd Skynyrd and Johnny Cash, and rooting for the Duke boys to defeat Boss Hog. And yet, I often scratch my head when I hear people defending Confederate monuments in multicultural Meccas like New Orleans.
The authors go further. They dissect evangelical culture, redneck culture's dismissiveness of learning, and the human tragedy that opioid and alcohol abuse unleash in the south and Appalachia.
And they point out that southern GOP politicians have been using and abusing these people for decades. By priming voters against "the others," whether racial minorities, gays or abortions, these "conservatives" win elections. And then pass legislation that hurts these people. There are rural counties with over 70% of the population is on some form of welfare, but vote 90% Republican. Thing is, the GOP reps cut their constituent's benefits, and these people need help. to improve the lives of the rich coastal elites, who don't need it.
Why would a block of poor rednecks vote for people supporting who harmed them while helping the very coastal elites? The authors, near as confused as I am, have an an answer, of sorts.
Because Jesus and
The authors intended The Liberal Redneck Manifesto as a wakeup call to southerners, but it works very well to give northerners like me a window into the culture. Since I come from blue-collar roots, but my family are yanks. Irish with roots in the Philly area, my grandparents settled in Cleveland. But many people near me had Appalachian roots. In fact, many of my best gradeschool and highschool friends had Appalachian roots. And we shared similar ancestry: Irish/ German Americans.
ANd yet, our outcomes were different. My siblings (six) and I all have degrees. All save two have masters work. And my sister is a PhD candidate. While my friends with Appalachian roots don't.
Same neighborhood, same schools, same basic influences. We played sports together, had Happy Days and Evil Knievel lunch boxes, went to the same high schools as we did. But with divergent outcomes. They drink more than my sibs and I. They party more. They have more divorces, etc. It has to be a cultural thing is all I can guess. And The Liberal Redneck Manifesto is both a window into that culture and a template of how to win their hearts and minds.
After all, rednecks are decent, hard-working people. Who do jobs that few want to do. So we owe them more than our scorn.
Highly recommended, Fast read. Funny. And I hope the DNC reads it, since it'll "learn them to talk to the real people" instead of just running a boring policy wonk like Hillary Clinton.
January 12, 2021
Un exhaustivo repaso por el sur de los EEUU: de sus costumbres, música, comida, racismo, drogas, uso de armas, religión etc. Contado desde dentro por tres monologuistas autodenominados liberales (izquierdistas en USA) orgullosos de su paletismo intolerante. El lado oscuro rojo del imprescindible también Manifiesto Redneck de Jim Goad. Muy divertido y argumentado: en una palabra necesario para entender como se las gastan por las américas.
November 4, 2016
This book seriously pissed me off. Joking about getting sorority girls drunk so they can be fucked at parties? Ok, maybe that's just too new an issue....how about describing minute-by-minute pawpaw's day of leisure, but mawmaw's day consists only of "love you," despite the oblique references (contained elsewhere, in stories about not mawmaw) where she (in her "retirement" that doesn't exist) continues to keep house: bake, make, sew, mend, cook, clean and, yes, love. Fuck these hypocrites. They're perfect examples of how systemic sexism can force the woman's role to be invisible. There is no rest for the women that these writers claim to love and respect; the men run off to their girlfriends and second (third, fourth, fifth) wives, and it's hi-LAR-ee-us that they skip out on alimony, meanwhile the mother is stuck with babies 1, 2, 3 and 4. And this talk about the "division of labor" (their words, sure as shit not mine) that means the woman is doing 90% of the labor for 100% of the invisibility. Asshole chauvinist liberal wannabes....
September 25, 2019
Despite being a humor book, this is a great window into what makes the (white, male) Southerner tick. From guns to booze to music to food, this book covers all the usual Southern stereotypes, plus one I was unfamiliar with ("pillbillies", known for abusing pharmaceutical drugs). For the most part, the authors are well aware of the contradictions (Jack Daniels is produced in a dry county, for example) and how ridiculous it all is. They truly do want to "drag Dixie outta the dark" in all but one thing.
That one thing is sexism. Despite a chapter on how hard life is for the women, and supposed affection given toward said women, there is an undercurrent of sexism running throughout the book. One glaring example is in the proposed new Dixie flag. In the chapter on how the Confederate Flag has become a symbol of racism and ought to be abolished on that principal alone, one of the proposed new flags to replace the Stars and Bars has a scantily clad woman holding guns in the center. Behind her are two silhouettes of woman you've probably seen on mudflaps. And in case you missed the message, underneath the image is a note that this flag works for the South because it features two things Southerners love: titties and guns.
MALE Southerners may love titties and guns. Women? Not really fans of being objectified. The fact that the sexism stands in the book where the racism has been forcefully denounced shows how casually it is accepted in the culture, even by supposed "liberal rednecks".
That one thing is sexism. Despite a chapter on how hard life is for the women, and supposed affection given toward said women, there is an undercurrent of sexism running throughout the book. One glaring example is in the proposed new Dixie flag. In the chapter on how the Confederate Flag has become a symbol of racism and ought to be abolished on that principal alone, one of the proposed new flags to replace the Stars and Bars has a scantily clad woman holding guns in the center. Behind her are two silhouettes of woman you've probably seen on mudflaps. And in case you missed the message, underneath the image is a note that this flag works for the South because it features two things Southerners love: titties and guns.
MALE Southerners may love titties and guns. Women? Not really fans of being objectified. The fact that the sexism stands in the book where the racism has been forcefully denounced shows how casually it is accepted in the culture, even by supposed "liberal rednecks".
May 29, 2017
Three southern comedians take on everything the South is rightly & incorrectly known for with some straight talk and a healthy dose of humor. From slavery and the Civil War, fried foods to great music, sexism, racism, the 2nd Amendment, and the drug epidemic that has decimated the region. They shy away from nothing, call foul when they see it, and crack some jokes along the way. Great fun to listen to or read, and you might just look at things a slightly different way by the time you finish.
August 7, 2017
4.5 stars, y'all.
In their words, this book hits.
"Men claiming superiority over women because men make more money than they do is like claiming you're stronger than a lion that you tranquilized and put in a cage. Sure, you're in a better spot now- but how 'bout you unchain the beast and see what happens?" (p. 229)
Review to come.
In their words, this book hits.
"Men claiming superiority over women because men make more money than they do is like claiming you're stronger than a lion that you tranquilized and put in a cage. Sure, you're in a better spot now- but how 'bout you unchain the beast and see what happens?" (p. 229)
Review to come.
January 30, 2021
While not a perfect book, this was an extraordinarily good book. It was a necessary book.
I was unfamiliar with all of these men until I saw a clip of Corey Forrester on CNN eviscerating the Capitol rioters. I'm glad I saw the clip and I am so glad I read the book. I grew up in the South, and I often struggle with the same things these men describe -- shame vs. pride, frustration vs. total exasperation, etc. While I was by no means poor or affected by many of the hurdles these men faced, I was drowned in exposure to the exact politics they are trying to "drag out of the dark," and I am still very much working hard o recover from the damage that did to my worldview.
Crowder, Forrester, and Morgan provide funny, personal insights into why the south is the way it is. This book isn't a catchall and it isn't a purely academic, heavily researched tome: but what I think it very succinctly, and rowdily, does is put into perspective the South (for elite liberals who refuse to acknowledge that the South is, in fact, part of the USA and cannot be discounted) and progressive politics (for the "rednecks" the authors speak of who probably need to hear it like it is from men who sound like them, look like them, grew up like them, and enjoy their hobbies).
Particularly poignant are chapters that discuss just how southerners view and value things like guns and the confederate flag; the authors do this with nuance, with understanding, and with humor, but also do not at any point try to argue :well it means something different to them" -- no, the explain what the different meaning us, but the final line drawn is "Look guys, I don't care if you love the flag 'cause a Skinnard concert is dope, it's racist: TAKE IT DOWN, BURN IT."
The 4/5 stars comes from the fact that to has some blind spots when it comes to women and gay men -- a lot of the jokes interspersed rely on strippers/whores/sex acts as demeaning acts as the punchline, and I don't think that was very necessary or equalizing. But no book is perfect, and so much of what else was said here was relatable (to me, to any liberal who has come out of the south), and hopefully will be able to literally drag some "rednecks" out of the dark. What's important is that at many points, these guys are painfully honest about not being experts, about the fact that they literally cannot speak for or to certain experiences, and that they were giving both a humorous and a personal viewpoint, not a scientific or philosophical one.
I think where these guys really nailed it is in how they target all of these problems and then, instead of framing them as "Well, what about poor WHITE people!" (like people like JD Vance sort of did), these authors come down hard and say "Look, racism makes this worse for others than for us - but bottom line, we are all in it together against the corporations, the rich, who hurt us because they have us pitted against each other." - and THAT is the kind of unity message that needs to be pitched right now.
Skeeeewwwww!
I was unfamiliar with all of these men until I saw a clip of Corey Forrester on CNN eviscerating the Capitol rioters. I'm glad I saw the clip and I am so glad I read the book. I grew up in the South, and I often struggle with the same things these men describe -- shame vs. pride, frustration vs. total exasperation, etc. While I was by no means poor or affected by many of the hurdles these men faced, I was drowned in exposure to the exact politics they are trying to "drag out of the dark," and I am still very much working hard o recover from the damage that did to my worldview.
Crowder, Forrester, and Morgan provide funny, personal insights into why the south is the way it is. This book isn't a catchall and it isn't a purely academic, heavily researched tome: but what I think it very succinctly, and rowdily, does is put into perspective the South (for elite liberals who refuse to acknowledge that the South is, in fact, part of the USA and cannot be discounted) and progressive politics (for the "rednecks" the authors speak of who probably need to hear it like it is from men who sound like them, look like them, grew up like them, and enjoy their hobbies).
Particularly poignant are chapters that discuss just how southerners view and value things like guns and the confederate flag; the authors do this with nuance, with understanding, and with humor, but also do not at any point try to argue :well it means something different to them" -- no, the explain what the different meaning us, but the final line drawn is "Look guys, I don't care if you love the flag 'cause a Skinnard concert is dope, it's racist: TAKE IT DOWN, BURN IT."
The 4/5 stars comes from the fact that to has some blind spots when it comes to women and gay men -- a lot of the jokes interspersed rely on strippers/whores/sex acts as demeaning acts as the punchline, and I don't think that was very necessary or equalizing. But no book is perfect, and so much of what else was said here was relatable (to me, to any liberal who has come out of the south), and hopefully will be able to literally drag some "rednecks" out of the dark. What's important is that at many points, these guys are painfully honest about not being experts, about the fact that they literally cannot speak for or to certain experiences, and that they were giving both a humorous and a personal viewpoint, not a scientific or philosophical one.
I think where these guys really nailed it is in how they target all of these problems and then, instead of framing them as "Well, what about poor WHITE people!" (like people like JD Vance sort of did), these authors come down hard and say "Look, racism makes this worse for others than for us - but bottom line, we are all in it together against the corporations, the rich, who hurt us because they have us pitted against each other." - and THAT is the kind of unity message that needs to be pitched right now.
Skeeeewwwww!
January 22, 2017
This is not the type of book which I normally read but after seeing one of Trae's porch talk videos, I was intrigued enough to download the audio book.
All three of these men are intelligent, well read and innately hilarious which surely makes for an entertaining comedy show. The book has moments of this, interspersed with personally poignant reflections and recollections, a modicum of scientific and sociological data and research and opinions about what can and should be done differently both by rednecks and everyone else.
The book is at its best when each of the three men recounts personal stories from their lives in the south and Trae's story and his indignation that anyone would think it's manufactured is especially moving. The passage most moving to me personally was an explanation of how many parents in the south assume that success at sports is the best way to break the cycle of poverty countered with the simple statement "books work too." It's obvious from their stories the importance that books played in the lives of each of these men.
All three of these men are intelligent, well read and innately hilarious which surely makes for an entertaining comedy show. The book has moments of this, interspersed with personally poignant reflections and recollections, a modicum of scientific and sociological data and research and opinions about what can and should be done differently both by rednecks and everyone else.
The book is at its best when each of the three men recounts personal stories from their lives in the south and Trae's story and his indignation that anyone would think it's manufactured is especially moving. The passage most moving to me personally was an explanation of how many parents in the south assume that success at sports is the best way to break the cycle of poverty countered with the simple statement "books work too." It's obvious from their stories the importance that books played in the lives of each of these men.
October 16, 2016
While insightful and funny, at times this book meanders and re-explains points that perhaps should have been paired down before publishing. But if you want to see how different the Well Red Comedy Tour is from the Blue Collar Comedy Tour, this is an excellent view into how the South is more diverse than people give it credit for being.
The south is a curious place. It's nice to see my experiences living in Arkansas off and on throughout my life reflected in this book and know I'm not the only southern liberal out there.
The south is a curious place. It's nice to see my experiences living in Arkansas off and on throughout my life reflected in this book and know I'm not the only southern liberal out there.
December 22, 2016
Badly edited, poorly written, and just scattered. I was hoping it would be good and am disappointed by it.
Want to read
September 7, 2020How have I missed this? MY PEOPLE!!! WE DO EXIST, HOLY SHIT.
June 15, 2024
Three southern comedians take on the foibles of their heritage for laughs. And serious commentary.
January 3, 2018
I love this book! Here are my thoughts why, in no particular order.
1) It is hilarious! These guys are comedians, so that makes sense, but they are also intelligent, kind, and well-spoken.
2) It's even funnier if you are hearing the words in Trae's southern accent. His videos have gone viral for a reason. If you haven't watched one, do that first! Trust me, it will make the book even better if you hear it in the 'twang as intended.
3) It's hilarious! Oh, I said that already. But it's true. There are a lot of footnotes that you absolutely shouldn't skip (like I know you did in school) because those are some of the funniest parts.
4) You WILL be offended at some point. I can't tell you why because offense is a very personal matter, but I can guarantee that at some point in this book you will be offended by something. Could be minor, could be major, but it will happen. But that's okay. People (definitely including myself in this!) need to get out of their bubble more frequently and see how other people live.
5) I lived in the South for 12 years after high school (well, Tampa doesn't really count as the "South", but Tallahassee does) and I found myself nodding along with the laughter as I pictured the people I knew that matched what was in the book. They are not making these things up just to be funny.
6) The South has a lot to be ashamed about, but it also has a lot of reasons to be proud. Which is true for the rest of the country as well, so don't think us Yanks are so much better. This book reminds us of that and tackles some pretty heavy subjects with knowledge and humor. We should all be open to what is being said and act accordingly.
I really loved this book, y'all. (Which is actually a great gender-neutral term that I think we should start using more frequently. A group of men don't want to be referred to as "you gals", so why do we call a group of women "you guys"? Y'all covers everyone equally!)
1) It is hilarious! These guys are comedians, so that makes sense, but they are also intelligent, kind, and well-spoken.
2) It's even funnier if you are hearing the words in Trae's southern accent. His videos have gone viral for a reason. If you haven't watched one, do that first! Trust me, it will make the book even better if you hear it in the 'twang as intended.
3) It's hilarious! Oh, I said that already. But it's true. There are a lot of footnotes that you absolutely shouldn't skip (like I know you did in school) because those are some of the funniest parts.
4) You WILL be offended at some point. I can't tell you why because offense is a very personal matter, but I can guarantee that at some point in this book you will be offended by something. Could be minor, could be major, but it will happen. But that's okay. People (definitely including myself in this!) need to get out of their bubble more frequently and see how other people live.
5) I lived in the South for 12 years after high school (well, Tampa doesn't really count as the "South", but Tallahassee does) and I found myself nodding along with the laughter as I pictured the people I knew that matched what was in the book. They are not making these things up just to be funny.
6) The South has a lot to be ashamed about, but it also has a lot of reasons to be proud. Which is true for the rest of the country as well, so don't think us Yanks are so much better. This book reminds us of that and tackles some pretty heavy subjects with knowledge and humor. We should all be open to what is being said and act accordingly.
I really loved this book, y'all. (Which is actually a great gender-neutral term that I think we should start using more frequently. A group of men don't want to be referred to as "you gals", so why do we call a group of women "you guys"? Y'all covers everyone equally!)
March 22, 2018
I’m participating in a reading challenge this year, and I have a checklist of genres and categories in which to read throughout the year. One of them is “A book from a theological perspective you disagree with.” So for me, “The Liberal Redneck Manifesto” is that book. There is a lot—A LOT— here that I am opposed to. The Liberal Rednecks, a three person comedy team, are profane, hard drinking, pro-pot legalization, pro-LGBT rights, and very anti-Christian. Or at least Trae Crowder is anti-Christian. The other two are slightly more ambivalent about religion, provided “you keep it to yourself.”
But the Rednecks are also smart, insightful, and, at times, really, really funny. With chapters on food, drink, race relations, the church, gun rights and gun control, the opioid epidemic (new word: Pillbillies!), music, Southern women (Pat Summit as the “hitten-est” southern woman of all) and the role of Mamaws and Papaws, there is a lot to chew on, laugh at, and ponder.
Make no mistake. The language is rough. But regardless of which side of the Mason-Dixon Line you were born on, or where you live now, this book will give you a lot to think about. And even if you are 100% opposed to everything in the book, it’s not a bad thing to occasionally step out of the echo chamber of your personal Facebook feed and preferred news channel, where the only thing you ever read or listen to are the things you already agree with.
Two last things: the audiobook is worth it because it is read by the authors. Made the drive from Atlanta back to Prattville really enjoyable.
Second, you should read this either right before or right after JD Vance’s excellent memoir “Hillbilly Elegy.” One feeds the other.
But the Rednecks are also smart, insightful, and, at times, really, really funny. With chapters on food, drink, race relations, the church, gun rights and gun control, the opioid epidemic (new word: Pillbillies!), music, Southern women (Pat Summit as the “hitten-est” southern woman of all) and the role of Mamaws and Papaws, there is a lot to chew on, laugh at, and ponder.
Make no mistake. The language is rough. But regardless of which side of the Mason-Dixon Line you were born on, or where you live now, this book will give you a lot to think about. And even if you are 100% opposed to everything in the book, it’s not a bad thing to occasionally step out of the echo chamber of your personal Facebook feed and preferred news channel, where the only thing you ever read or listen to are the things you already agree with.
Two last things: the audiobook is worth it because it is read by the authors. Made the drive from Atlanta back to Prattville really enjoyable.
Second, you should read this either right before or right after JD Vance’s excellent memoir “Hillbilly Elegy.” One feeds the other.
October 27, 2016
I first saw Trae Crowder in his Liberal Redneck videos, which were made on his porch and quickly went viral. I love this guy, he's funny and smart. When I saw this book, which he wrote with the two other comedians on his WellRED Comedy Tour, Drew Morgan and Corey Ryan Forrester, I decided to pick it up. Now, I rarely read humor......I'll start one, read a couple pages, chuckle a bit and be done with it. Having said that, I LOVED this book. There were parts that literally made me laugh out loud (and I mean laugh out loud, not LOL) which is really an odd thing to do when you're reading in a room with just you and the dogs and cat. But this book isn't just a funny book. It's so smart, and to the point, and there was actually one part that brought me to tears. These guys talk about anything and everything about the south: Dolly Parton (an angel), racism, (there's not as much in the south as you think) beer (don't drink watered down stuff unless you're going to be outside a lot), guns (they love them but don't want the mentally ill or violent to be able to get hold of them), poverty, pillbillies, the Confederate flag, gay marriage, and Lynyrd Skynyrd (best damn band ever! seems to be the consensus) and tons of other stuff.
This is a great book, and whether your neck is red or not, you should read it.
This is a great book, and whether your neck is red or not, you should read it.
July 9, 2017
Some great points made by the authors. As another reviewer stated, "It is NOT progressive to hate, mock, and dismiss poor Southerners because Republicans make you mad." Okay, that is true and I am guilty on occasion of this myself. I apologize. I do agree with a theme presented that rednecks and the religious consistently vote against their own best interests and this frustrates me (and the authors).
One major flaw is that the authors are extremely prejudiced against mental illness and the mentally ill. This is interwoven throughout the book. It is not okay to make fun of the mentally ill or mental illness (which is known as "stigma"), and it is abundantly clear that the issue is misunderstood by the authors who have little experience with it. Between equating Disability for mental illnesses ("the Crazy Check") with welfare to their views on the mentally ill being violent as a group and so should be disallowed from all Second Amendment rights, they are ignorant and wrong.
I liked much of the book and admire them for going against the flow. I subtract 2 stars from a really entertaining and thought provoking read because I see how in one particular area they can be so completely off the mark that it throws away credibility for me on some of the other important issues they discuss, even if I somewhat agree with the theme.
One major flaw is that the authors are extremely prejudiced against mental illness and the mentally ill. This is interwoven throughout the book. It is not okay to make fun of the mentally ill or mental illness (which is known as "stigma"), and it is abundantly clear that the issue is misunderstood by the authors who have little experience with it. Between equating Disability for mental illnesses ("the Crazy Check") with welfare to their views on the mentally ill being violent as a group and so should be disallowed from all Second Amendment rights, they are ignorant and wrong.
I liked much of the book and admire them for going against the flow. I subtract 2 stars from a really entertaining and thought provoking read because I see how in one particular area they can be so completely off the mark that it throws away credibility for me on some of the other important issues they discuss, even if I somewhat agree with the theme.
November 22, 2016
Trae's book *hits* like Mawas skeets and gravy. Depending on what ya'll like, some will like the food chapter, some the music chapter, everyone will like the women chapter, and no one will like the racism chapter, which is why y'all ort read it.
I must confess, I knew almost nothing about the *culture* of the modern south before reading this book, and now I know something, and I had a good laugh learning it. I knew history, geography, and whatever the mainstream media had chosen to show -- and none of that was either richly human or positive in any way. Like JD Vance, these 3 Southern men share their language, personal life experiences, and their dreams for a better future.
This book, and their shows and videos, continue to help bring the country together.
I must confess, I knew almost nothing about the *culture* of the modern south before reading this book, and now I know something, and I had a good laugh learning it. I knew history, geography, and whatever the mainstream media had chosen to show -- and none of that was either richly human or positive in any way. Like JD Vance, these 3 Southern men share their language, personal life experiences, and their dreams for a better future.
This book, and their shows and videos, continue to help bring the country together.
January 2, 2017
I think this book has potential to open up conversations that otherwise just aren't happening. It's funny, too, of course - but, for real, we need to be talking about this stuff. Once your southern family realizes that you have liberal/progressive ideas/views, the conversations tend to just stop. Somehow we have to move past that. I'm as guilty as anyone, because it's easier. But we gotta do better.
March 3, 2020
Great book. A letter of love to the Southland, a kick in the ass to get their kin to be proud of the good parts of Southern culture (food and music) and to reform the less cool bits (racism and opioid addiction). At the same time, Yankee liberals are put on notice that dismissing an entire region and its people as unreformable hicks is not exactly an enlightened attitude.
May 26, 2019
Absolutely loved it! Trae, Drew, and Corey are a hoot!
January 15, 2021
I know it's very out of character for me to rate a book by three male comedians this highly, but I think the book was pretty necessary for me at the time of reading it. I was a first-year in college and had grown up in Northeast Ohio, wherein I'd internalized a lot of pretty harmful misconceptions about the south. Obviously, "The South" isn't a monolith -- and I hope you don't expect to understand every single person from a huge fuckin' region of the country by simply reading one meander-ey book written by three white dudes who do stand-up comedy. HOWEVER, this is an enjoyable read that has pretty solid politics, and some emotional stories to boot! The "Porch Talk" about Corey's meemaw midway through the book is particularly emotional in my humble onion. Anyways, if you're a capital-D Democrat, I'd especially suggest this book to maybe get a better understanding of why we lose all the goddamn time. Leftist politics are more popular than you think, and this book is just one of many examples of firsthand testimonies of such thinking. Try it out!
Read
September 27, 2023...this is one of the more interesting places tiktok has lead me. The authors definitely write from a perspective largely absent from my (or anyone's) reading. I liked spending time with them and found their point of view refreshing. I'm glad they exist. I'm not sure how wide-reaching their audience will be as the book seems to be drifting between distinct genres/modes.
November 10, 2024
I think that this book should be required reading in high school. These three comedians get down to the real point of life, which is to love one another as you would have others love you. If you aren’t from the south you’ll need all the explanations of Southern life to truly parse out this book.
September 10, 2019
lots of laugh-out-loud bits, well-thought-out ideas, and uncomfortable and undeniable connections made, all dispersed with a written twang. knocking off a star for the overuse of the term "hits" and using the word "retarded" twice. you're better than that, guys!
favorite lines:
Freedom of speech doesn't mean you can say whatever you want about prayer and God and rules and gays, and everyone else has to take it. It means you can say whatever you want about all that, but I can then say back to you, "Your church is a cult, and all the women in it are fat." So suck it up.
p7
i can't replicate the entire "ballad of chad and randy," but it's an eye opener, y'all. the hypothetical story of the proverbial rich white kid and the less well-off one ends with this zinger: "Do you see the difference between Randy and Chad? Randy needed (and failed) to soar in order to be able to make a successful life for himself. Chad just had to not fuck up."
p55-57
"Rights aren't a bag of candy--we ain't sharing them."
p97
"The admirable attitude of self-reliance and defending your hearth and home has morphed into something else, though. From gun shows, where the openly promote their product by imploring customers to 'buy while you still can,' to homegrown militias who apparently believe in their blessed little hearts that they, a group of overweight forty- and fifty-year-old men who have never even had Boy Scout-level training and can't jog a mile, are the protectors of America, the Second Amendment has by far got to be the most countercultured of all the amendments."
p273
"Some responsible gun owners are worried about the 'slippery slope' of gun laws. This isn't a crazy fear. First we make it harder to get AR-15s, then it's pistols, then it's all types of guns, etc. etc. It happens over time, they say, not all at once. The problem is, as a country, we're on another, more dangerous and more painful slippery slope. Gun violence is reaching new heights...This slippery slope, so much more dangerous and so much more prevalent than the regulation feared by gun advocates, is becoming a free fall. Every time we think we've reached the bottom, we sink lower...Let's get rid of the us-and-them mentality surrounding guns and start genuinely thinking about a we."
pp294-295
"Once someone has taken the steps to actually help themselves, then it benefits everyone involved to support them as much as possible. That's the stance we need to take on the issue as a whole. Yeah, these people have hurt us. Badly. But not as badly as they've hurt themselves. And helping them get their shit together helps us all in the end."
-p325
favorite lines:
Freedom of speech doesn't mean you can say whatever you want about prayer and God and rules and gays, and everyone else has to take it. It means you can say whatever you want about all that, but I can then say back to you, "Your church is a cult, and all the women in it are fat." So suck it up.
p7
i can't replicate the entire "ballad of chad and randy," but it's an eye opener, y'all. the hypothetical story of the proverbial rich white kid and the less well-off one ends with this zinger: "Do you see the difference between Randy and Chad? Randy needed (and failed) to soar in order to be able to make a successful life for himself. Chad just had to not fuck up."
p55-57
"Rights aren't a bag of candy--we ain't sharing them."
p97
"The admirable attitude of self-reliance and defending your hearth and home has morphed into something else, though. From gun shows, where the openly promote their product by imploring customers to 'buy while you still can,' to homegrown militias who apparently believe in their blessed little hearts that they, a group of overweight forty- and fifty-year-old men who have never even had Boy Scout-level training and can't jog a mile, are the protectors of America, the Second Amendment has by far got to be the most countercultured of all the amendments."
p273
"Some responsible gun owners are worried about the 'slippery slope' of gun laws. This isn't a crazy fear. First we make it harder to get AR-15s, then it's pistols, then it's all types of guns, etc. etc. It happens over time, they say, not all at once. The problem is, as a country, we're on another, more dangerous and more painful slippery slope. Gun violence is reaching new heights...This slippery slope, so much more dangerous and so much more prevalent than the regulation feared by gun advocates, is becoming a free fall. Every time we think we've reached the bottom, we sink lower...Let's get rid of the us-and-them mentality surrounding guns and start genuinely thinking about a we."
pp294-295
"Once someone has taken the steps to actually help themselves, then it benefits everyone involved to support them as much as possible. That's the stance we need to take on the issue as a whole. Yeah, these people have hurt us. Badly. But not as badly as they've hurt themselves. And helping them get their shit together helps us all in the end."
-p325
July 6, 2017
Really enjoyed this book. (I also love Trae Crowder's front porch rants!)
I'm from Tennessee, home state of two of the authors, and I agree with pretty much everything they say. The gist of the book is, there are real reasons the South is the way it is, but there is also no reason it can't change. And not everything should change. Completely on board with that. They also accurately point out that pretty much every problem in the South can be found elsewhere to varying degrees, so it's a mistake to think the region has nothing to do with the rest of country and/or to write it off as a bunch of dumb (expendable) rednecks.
On the other hand, they hilariously nail the obstreperous Southern personality. Yep, we are an ornery lot. :)
The personal stories in the book are really nice and ring so true. Almost every one of them could be an essay in itself.
The authors make a lot of good points which I won't list here, but I did have two problems with the book.
1.) It's not really about the whole South, because all three of these guys are basically from Appalachia (east TN and north GA). They use some slang that I have never even heard of (everything is "hittin'?) and some of the things they say, like that you can live in a small town and never even meet a black person, just don't make sense for most of the South. I have no doubt that their experiences are true to where they grew up, but it would have improved the book to include an author from somewhere in the cotton belt, or maybe someone from a diverse Southern city.
2.) The language in the book is just all over the place. It seems to be completely random. Some of the text reads like a newspaper article and other parts read like parts of one of their comedy routines. There's a place for both, but sometimes the lingo just goes way over the top and goes on for too long. This is not a major problem, but the book would be better with more thoughtful editing (I've done a lot of editing, so I guess that's why I focused on this!)
All that said, I really did enjoy reading The Liberal Redneck Manifesto. I'm giving it five stars for effort--but I hope if they write another book they broaden the perspective a little!
I'm from Tennessee, home state of two of the authors, and I agree with pretty much everything they say. The gist of the book is, there are real reasons the South is the way it is, but there is also no reason it can't change. And not everything should change. Completely on board with that. They also accurately point out that pretty much every problem in the South can be found elsewhere to varying degrees, so it's a mistake to think the region has nothing to do with the rest of country and/or to write it off as a bunch of dumb (expendable) rednecks.
On the other hand, they hilariously nail the obstreperous Southern personality. Yep, we are an ornery lot. :)
The personal stories in the book are really nice and ring so true. Almost every one of them could be an essay in itself.
The authors make a lot of good points which I won't list here, but I did have two problems with the book.
1.) It's not really about the whole South, because all three of these guys are basically from Appalachia (east TN and north GA). They use some slang that I have never even heard of (everything is "hittin'?) and some of the things they say, like that you can live in a small town and never even meet a black person, just don't make sense for most of the South. I have no doubt that their experiences are true to where they grew up, but it would have improved the book to include an author from somewhere in the cotton belt, or maybe someone from a diverse Southern city.
2.) The language in the book is just all over the place. It seems to be completely random. Some of the text reads like a newspaper article and other parts read like parts of one of their comedy routines. There's a place for both, but sometimes the lingo just goes way over the top and goes on for too long. This is not a major problem, but the book would be better with more thoughtful editing (I've done a lot of editing, so I guess that's why I focused on this!)
All that said, I really did enjoy reading The Liberal Redneck Manifesto. I'm giving it five stars for effort--but I hope if they write another book they broaden the perspective a little!
September 24, 2019
Ever since the election of 2016, I have been starkly aware of my ignorance of Southern culture and knew that the gap in my understanding would have to be filled. While I didn't have the opportunity to go exploring throughout the South to experience why there were so many dissatisfied Americans that continually voted against their best interest, I knew from watching Trae Crowder's "Liberal Redneck" YouTube channel videos, that I trusted his voice, that he was providing me with glimpses into a world that frankly disturbed me.
Then, I decided that I would read the book he wrote with two of his fellow comedians, all with different perspectives on the land and its people they clearly loved so well.
So I did. It was raunchy, profane, difficult in parts, sad in parts, and a non-stop rant -- as all manifestos are designed to be. It was illuminating and profound, also as manifestos are wont to be.
And it was hilarious. I was highlighting so many passages that I had to actually stop highlighting as I had something on nearly every page (slight exaggeration).
If you are not from the South, this book will enlighten you as to the issues that face this often-maligned section of the country. It will ask you to examine any complicity that you have in contributing to the issues that plague and afflict the region, but will provide you with a deeper sense of compassion, too.
If you are from the South, this book will take you to task and beg you to contribute to saving a precious cultural heritage without retaining the aspects that are so distasteful to others: prejudices based on race, non-Christian religions and Hispanic ethnicity.
They unapologetically point out the great aspects of Southern culture, but also its great failings. The book points out ironies and moral disconnects and offers admonishments and solutions.
Mostly, they show that all Americans are diverse and that stereotypes are harmful to everyone and prevent us from solving our shared problems, social and political. And laughing at our own foibles and follies can help heal divides.
Then, I decided that I would read the book he wrote with two of his fellow comedians, all with different perspectives on the land and its people they clearly loved so well.
So I did. It was raunchy, profane, difficult in parts, sad in parts, and a non-stop rant -- as all manifestos are designed to be. It was illuminating and profound, also as manifestos are wont to be.
And it was hilarious. I was highlighting so many passages that I had to actually stop highlighting as I had something on nearly every page (slight exaggeration).
If you are not from the South, this book will enlighten you as to the issues that face this often-maligned section of the country. It will ask you to examine any complicity that you have in contributing to the issues that plague and afflict the region, but will provide you with a deeper sense of compassion, too.
If you are from the South, this book will take you to task and beg you to contribute to saving a precious cultural heritage without retaining the aspects that are so distasteful to others: prejudices based on race, non-Christian religions and Hispanic ethnicity.
They unapologetically point out the great aspects of Southern culture, but also its great failings. The book points out ironies and moral disconnects and offers admonishments and solutions.
Mostly, they show that all Americans are diverse and that stereotypes are harmful to everyone and prevent us from solving our shared problems, social and political. And laughing at our own foibles and follies can help heal divides.
September 10, 2017
A colleague recommended listening to this, which is absolutely the way to go; their voices are just lovely. Often very funny, and insightful -- I'm not the target audience for this book, being only sort of Southern and only sort of a redneck [and, frankly, being a woman]; there wasn't a ton I didn't already know and there was plenty I disagreed with, but I still found it interesting. They provide some nuance on a lot of subjects, like loving your racist relatives and liking guns and even Confederate memorabilia (they way they feel about Skynyrd albums is how I feel about Alabama). Overall, I think they're sharpest on poverty (they're writing from experience there), then race, then gender (they very frequently say things "are for pussies," or "only pussies do [X]," which will just keep being sexist and unoriginal, sorry dudes).
They also use "hit" constantly where I might say something "rocks" or "rules," which I have never heard in my life. The characters of Aunt Tammy and Brother Darryl had me cracking up every time, and I recognized many of the people they described from my own life. I laughed out loud on a lot of dog walks listening to this.
Be kind, and for God's sake, don't be boring.
They also use "hit" constantly where I might say something "rocks" or "rules," which I have never heard in my life. The characters of Aunt Tammy and Brother Darryl had me cracking up every time, and I recognized many of the people they described from my own life. I laughed out loud on a lot of dog walks listening to this.
Be kind, and for God's sake, don't be boring.
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