References in the popular culture of American rednecks make most Russian-speaking people wonder: who are they, how are they different from others, and what place do they occupy in the social life of the United States? Many have already encountered representatives of this population in films, video games and songs, but do not know where this name comes from and what features they have. Nevertheless, for American citizens, rednecks seem to be the same widespread subculture as, for example, gopniks and rednecks in the CIS countries. The labels attached to them often become the basis for jokes, humorous shows and memes, often not entirely clear to foreigners. In this article, we will understand what these people are and why they are so often mentioned in popular culture.
Rednecks - who are they?
In every culture, you can find slang words that describe social groups about which certain stereotypes have developed in society. Such names can not always be found even in extensive dictionaries, but their meaning is known to everyone. So, at the mention of the word "gopnik", each of us imagines a young man in a tracksuit from the local market, with a shaved head and a pack of seeds in his hands. The same wordscommon in English, but in the CIS countries they are quite rare, without understanding the specifics of the social structure of American society, it is difficult to understand them. Encountering such names, we are perplexed for a long time: “Rednecks - who are they?”
This word refers to the white inhabitants of American villages - farmers from the south of the country and areas near the Appalachian mountains. Representatives of this already established subculture can often be found in computer games and cheap comedies.
Where did the name come from?
The original name of "rednecks" in the US sounds like redneck. This word was formed from two parts, which are literally translated as red-necked. Where did this name come from?
As already mentioned, rednecks are farmers who support themselves through agricultural activities, that is, they spend a lot of time in the fields and gardens. And if their backs and arms are securely protected by a shirt (of course, a checkered one), and their head is a worn baseball cap, then their necks can only burn under the hot summer sun, which is why it is always red. In Russian, such a distinctive color is called “tractor driver tan.”
It is worth noting that in English-speaking countries, people who are labeled with such seemingly offensive labels use slang words for self-name. This is why white farmers often refer to themselves as rednecks with pride.
Russian alternative
In the countries of the former Soviet Union, the existence of rednecks is out of the question. This social groupexists only in the United States of America. Nevertheless, there are people involved in the agricultural sector in any country, and therefore it is safe to say that we have our own rednecks. The CIS is distinguished by a large number of "kolkhozniks" or "village" who also have a considerable number of labels attached to them. It is much easier for us to distinguish them, guided by a whole set of stereotypes: rural dialect, red faces, tasteless clothes from the local market. They are always tipsy, rude, women look vulgar, and men look impudent and sloppy.
Therefore, the shortest way to answer the question "Who are the Rednecks?" - to draw a parallel with the "hillbilly". However, each culture has its own characteristics, so drawing an analogy is not enough to understand what a typical white American farmer looks like.
Appearance
The color of the skin and the back of the head of the rednecks has already been mentioned. A baseball cap, a hat from popular westerns or a cap, often backwards, or an ordinary headscarf, is always pulled over a sloppy or short haircut. The brightest individuals constantly walk with a spikelet in their mouth. The main attributes of the redneck are a plaid shirt and denim overalls. However, don't generalize - sometimes they wear plain t-shirts, gray t-shirts, and in some cases they don't bother to wear extra clothes at all. Rednecks wear high boots, but in good weather blend in with nature without shoes at all. In the pockets of overalls, you can always find a pack of cheap cigarettes and a folding knife. Every normalredneck boasts a large beer belly. The appearance of women is not much different. The stereotypical representative of white farmers does not bother to observe the rules of hygiene, which is why he does not smell very pleasant. To better understand what rednecks look like, the photo in the article will help.
Stereotypes
External signs are not enough to understand the big picture. In addition to such a set of clichés, it is important to understand how rednecks live. There are even more behavioral stereotypes about them than about their appearance. They concern almost all spheres of life, from hobbies to political preferences.
According to the prevailing cliché, rednecks are fond of hunting, fishing and mud racing. To do this, they contain trained dogs and always keep a rifle in the closet. Nevertheless, weapons rarely lie idle - the villagers use them at the first opportunity. Rednecks drive old pickup trucks inherited from their grandfathers, trailers and small trucks. In addition, motorcycles are very popular with red-necked farmers.
Rednecks speak special slang, often dragging out words and swallowing endings. Each of them is necessarily an ardent sports fan. Naturally, my favorite genre in music is country.
Politics
According to stereotypes, rednecks are ardent patriots of the United States, insanely proud of being Americans. Farmers tend to be right-wing. Supporters of the traditional way of life, they oftenoppose immigrants, homosexuals, feminists, intellectuals. A lot of rednecks are racist and can often be expected to attack African Americans. In addition, many villagers are deeply religious people who are not ready to accept new social norms. Therefore, they are opponents of socialists, communists and democrats.
One of the common clichés is the rednecks' positive attitude towards the Confederates. Rumor has it that each of them has a red flag with a blue diagonal cross tucked away at home. At the moment, quite a few conservative farmers support the policies of Donald Trump.
Hillbilly
This social group is a conditional subspecies of the redneck, containing all of the above labels, only twice the size. Hillbilly is translated as "Billy of the Hills". This expression can be compared to something like Vasya from the village. Such people come from a deep village, not distinguished by literacy and a high level of development. The stereotypical villagers are such vibrant individuals that they are often cited as an example when answering the question: “Who are the Rednecks?”
The title explains why Hillbillies are considered savages. The hills are called the Appalachian region, in which, unlike the area where the rest of the rednecks live, agriculture is much less developed. The stereotypical Hillbilly is a hopeless drunkard. He walks around in a straw hat, no shirt, only overalls, holding a spikelet in his mouth.
The big problem among the Hillbillies isit is ignorance. To do this, since the Bush era, special educational programs and educational programs have been held in the Appalachian region, but this has not changed the situation much.
Cajuns
This social group is also a type of redneck, but in some aspects it is very different from them. Cajuns live in Acadiana, a region of southern Louisiana. These are the repressed inhabitants of the former French colonies, in many ways different from the patriotic rednecks who are proud to be Americans. Cajuns are also not distinguished by education and culture, but this is justified by their hostile attitude towards public policy and American institutions. They speak in their own jargon, which is extremely difficult to understand. It mixes English and French expressions. Cajuns perceive themselves as a separate ethnic group, and therefore sacredly protect their traditions, cuisine and culture. Also, unlike the stereotypical rednecks, they are quite tolerant of African Americans, as they even had a common language before.
Jargon
Real American rednecks have a dialect that is barely understandable for an ordinary person, and especially a foreigner. Their vocabulary is well understood by fellow villagers, but many of the words they use are not even listed in the English-Russian dictionary. They are characterized by simplicity, vulgarity and rudeness. Below is a table with some popular redneck jargon.
| britches | pants | skedaddle | run away |
| clod-hopper | high farmer boots | snug as a bug | comfortable |
| gussied up | washed and well dressed | sugar | love |
| high cotton | successful and rich | tater | potato |
| honky-tonk | country bar | useless as tits on a bull | totally useless |
| knee-high to a grasshopper | very young | varmint | wild animal |
| rubber-neck | drive slowly so you can see the accident | yapper | mouth |
In popular culture
Unlike us, Americans are well aware of who rednecks are. The subculture is widely displayed in video games, films and music. The life of American farmers is depicted in the reality show Duck Dynast. The culture of the villagers is seen in all its glory during the traditional Redneck Summer Games, where participants compete in stereotypical sports games - jumping into the mud, throwing toilet lids and trying to fish chunks of pork out of the water with their mouths.
American farmers are present in the world-famous GTA series of games. In the second part, they form a separate gang, and in the San Andreas part, the main character went through many tasks in the countryside, where bright representatives of the Hillbilly roamed the streets. Rednecks also appear in Fallout 3, Borderlands 2, etc. There are games entirely dedicated to this subculture, for example, Redneck Rampage. Rednecks often appear in songs. So, in the USA the country band Rednex is widely known.
