Rednecks 101

Last weekend we assisted to an event called Monster Jam, it is a racing and freestyle "competition" between monster trucks (trucks on steroids). They travel around the whole nation, and when coming to Detroit, our Indian pals and we ourselves could not resist the temptation of experiencing one of the many typical "Only in America" things. The whole show is a show, not only the trucks themselves, but also the people attending: families totally dressed up with the colors of their favorite Monster truck, cowboy boots and hats... Also the parking lots in the city were packed with rusty pick-up trucks and other old models that should be museums but that, miraculously, still run on the streets.

That extravagant experience is what made me realize a great subject for a bog entry, Rednecks 101 (for the people not familiarized with the term, 101 simply means an introduction on a topic, it is mostly used for the first course of a subject in university in English-speaking countries). So yes, I'd like to give an express course on Rednecking, how to recognize one, and what is needed to become one or earn more points in that matter.

What is really a Redneck? Wikipedia defines them as the rural white men of Southern United States. The term refers to the back of the neck of the workers in the field, becoming red due to the long hours exposed under the sun. But nowadays, it is more broadly used and it can just refer to any American traditions that are opposed to modern ways.

But on the contrary to what you could think, the "redneck" term is reclaimed by the Southerns, and they use it with pride for themselves. So don't just think it is taken as an insult (which, sometimes, it is..) but also as a complement.

Here are some things that are linked to the redneck. The more cliches you fill in, the higher your "redneckness".

• The vehicle: the car has to be a big, fat, loud, pick-up, with one or more of the following add-ons: lifted chassis, big wheels, rust all over it, hand-painted sections, tape to hold mirrors, etc. It can only be a GMC, Chevy, Dodge, or Ford. In addition, there can have upgrades in redneckness: the engine light may be on for ages, it can only be driven 10 minutes without overheating, and it takes half a week's pay to fill the truck with gas. Also, the redneck has a special relationship with his car (it can have a name), and it is also frequent for a redneck to have several cars, mostly all of them teared apart in the garage.

• The clothes: jeans for every occasion, snickers or boots, and pretty much anything that can get dirty from deer blood or beer. Cut-off sleeves earns extra points. As for the head, a redneck can choose between a baseball cup, or a cowboy hat. And a camouflage jacket complements the whole attire.

• Guns and Hunting: a redneck has one or more shotguns at home, sometimes also in the truck. Hunting is a very important duty for a redneck, and weapons are the way for a redneck to express he is protecting his family. If a redneck can't go hunting, he can show his shooting skills in a shooting range. But it is always better to do it with real deers.

• The drink: Beer is amongst everything, the heal fluid for a redneck. Beer cans are not only used to contain the beer, but also as decoration at home or in the car, or outside at the porch, as a wind chime. If it can't be alcohol, mountain dew is clearly the way to go. 

• The food: Most of the redneck food is cooked by the woman. If it is the man who cooked, he won't brag about it... A redneck eats everything fried, the meat is normally served with beans and cornbread. They also eat prepared food in the supermarket (or, as they say, the Walmart), that need no cooking at home, including, but not limited to ice cream sandwiches, chicken wings, microwave sausage, etc. Once a week, usually following pay-day, they go out for dinner, always preferring "all you can eat" restaurants, although Cracker Barrel is as good for dining out.

• The events: As a redneck, you consider the  Monster Jam as an important event: it is a must-do when they are in town. People travel several hours just to watch their favorite truck. Also NASCAR is mandatory to earn the redneck denomination.

• The media: both in television and radio, the redneck looks for shows with country music. It is very suitable for the car, and at home, the TV must be on all day. 

• The rednecks and women: Rednecks, although they don't have specific requirement on their own body, like to watch good-looking women, the less clothes, the better, short pants, short tees, BUT, they must always wear cowboy hat and boots (you cans search in internet the restaurant called "redneck's heaven" in Texas, you will be surprised to find that in such a conservative state). Bright colored hair scored extra points for a redneck woman, but is mandatory, however it is to have it long and "girly". Pink is an important color for a redneck woman, and either everything in her outfit has to match together, or nothing at all.

Alright, I think this was a good first step to get to know the Redneck Culture, you may like it or not (if not, I don't blame you). I want to share a couple of pics from the Monster Truck event, this was indeed interesting and I recommend it to do it once if you have the chance. Only once is fine.

The one above is grave digger, the father.

Here is another grave digger "the Legend", driven by his son. He apparently always in Detroit, as is did this time, both in racing and in freestyle, although in my opinion it wasn't so good.

El Toro Loco, it even has horns! :)

But by far the best thing, what people enjoy the most, is when cars end up like the image above. It is a sublime sensation that makes the ticket worth it.

I guess this was enough for the subject, hope you find it interesting, at least.

Thanks for reading, 

Lita & Andres