15 stereotypes about the South that just aren't true

Banjo player.Watchares Hansawek/Shutterstock

• There are many stereotypes about Southerners that aren't true.
• People in the South aren't rednecks or hillbillies.
• Not everyone lives on a farm or in a rural area.
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While living in New York, every time I opened my mouth, I would get the dreaded, "Where are you from?"

I was aware that, at least vocally, I stuck out like a poorly placed puzzle piece. I have a Southern drawl that calls to mind bluegrass bands, "Forrest Gump," and the Mobile Bay. When I'm home in Alabama, I only ever feel like myself, but when I was in New York and the North, all I ever felt was Southern.

In pop culture, the South gets a bad rap: We're hicks or "by golly" simple folk on our best days and racist bigots on our worst. While I may like my sweet tea and corn bread as much as the next country boy, Southern stereotypes are usually just that — stereotypes. They take away a lot of the nuance of the region.

Here are 15 stereotypes about the South that just aren't true.