Monday, September 13, 2010

You might be a Redneck?


This is the theme for one my Yahoo Photography Groups monthly photo contests.

But first, what is a redneck?

Many people consider this to be a derogatory term. Typically it refers to lower class, uneducated, white folks from rural areas. However, for me it represents a lifestyle that frankly I am quite fond of.

If I had to choose between spending an evening at fancy restaurant eating overpriced food and drinking expensive fine wine? Or sitting around a fire eating pork BBQ that you spent the last eight hours slow cooking on a home-made smoker, and passing around the moonshine bottle, it would be a very easy choice for me! Pass that Mason Jar my way!

However, being a college educated, ex-Yankee, from the outskirts of New York City; I could never pass for a full fledged redneck. Even after over 20 years living in the South, I still haven't lost that New York accent! But I did marry into a redneck family!

My wife Amy is from the hills of North Carolina, on the outskirts of Rutherfordton, NC. Very typical small town rural southern USA. Amy's Dad is truly the King of Rednecks, making Amy my redneck princess!

Yesterday we made a trip up to visit my in-laws. The perfect opportunity to get some shots for the "You might be a redneck" photo contest theme!

If your mailbox is made out of a tree trunk
You might be a Redneck!


If you have an old truck parked in your yard that hasn't moved in years
You might be a Redneck!


If your driveway looks something like this
You might be a Redneck!


If your workshop is larger than your house
You might be a Redneck!


If you drive a tractor
You might be a Redneck!


If you have more than (10) saws in your chainsaw collection
You might be a Redneck!


If you proudly hang this sign above your shop door
You might be a Redneck!

9 comments:

Kim Fuoco said...

Oh Wow Jack.. this is wonderful. Love the pics and your writing...Very very nice.. clap clap clap...The mailbox and the sign.. are perfect..

Jack Thyen said...

Thanks Kim! There is never a shortage of photo oppurtunities at my in-laws place. I also got a shot for the "Wheel-Power" theme. I'll make that tomorrows blog post.

wayne15575 said...

OMG, the tough part is picking which one to submit for our challenge...hahaha. I'm going to leave that category for you my friend. Hands down, you have my vote.

Jack Thyen said...

Thanks Wayne! I haven't decided which ones to submit for the contest. Plus I still have a few more weeks to come up with some better ones! There is never a shortage of Rednecks around here!

James Robert Smith said...

One of my brothers HATES the term "redneck" which was coined by rich southerners as a pejorative to refer to working class whites who had sunburned necks from working in the fields all day. In fact, if you were to use that term around this particular brother, he would likely knock the crap out of you, or at least goad you into a fist fight.

Ten chainsaws, though. Damn! Does Leatherface live there?

Tracy Dalke said...

Gotta love rednecks! There is a little redneck in all of us if we are really truthful....but here in Montana redneck is a whole nother dimension! I find it funny that we all have our idea of where a redneck originates from....I am from Vancouver, Wa but have been in Montana for 30 years....in movies and in print rednecks seem to be from down south...Why?
What really constitutes a redneck? A hillbilly? A cowboy? hmmmm food for thought!
I took a picture a few weeks ago that to me showed a redneck....my brothers friend had made a trailer out of a little truck and for the tail gate on the trailer to hold in a load of firewood they used tree branches....a Montana redneck if ever I seen it!

Tracy Dalke said...

Sorry got carried away on that! I forgot to mention how much I enjoy your posts and pictures! one of these days I will get my redneck butt in gear and submit some photos! God knows I take enough of them and it's way past time to clean all my camera cards off and reformat them!
Fall is my time of year if I can keep migraines at bay so I will try and make a point of posting...

Jack Thyen said...

Bob, I try not to meet your brother any time soon! The whole sunburn thing is why Amy's Dad faces a constant battle with skin cancer. He has had more growths removed from his skin than everyone else I know combined! As for the chainsaws, if you enlarge the photo, you can actually count 12 or 13. When you spend a lifetime with wood as the sole means to heat your home, you accumulate alot of saws over the years!

Jack Thyen said...

Tracy, Yes there are "rednecks" all across this country. As Bob pointed out, the term originated in the south. Thanks for the compliments!

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