More Than a Stereotype, West Virginia. 8 Stereotypes Every West Virginian Hates

- Clarksburg is a community of about 15,000 people in North Central, West Virginia. Pictured here in 2019, the once thriving community has been struggling economically over the past several years and has experienced an uptick in substance use. (Photo: Jesse Wright/100 Days in Appalachia).
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'More than a Stereotype: A Young West Virginian Wants a Different Conversation,' by Arabella McCloud, Jan. 18, '22. Ed.

In school growing up, it wasn’t uncommon to learn about what made each of our 50 states unique, and I was no exception: Florida is known for its beaches. Wisconsin is known for cheese. Kentucky is known for fried chicken. What is West Virginia known for? Anyone who lives here might assume the mountains and wildlife, but if you ask anyone outside of West Virginia, the most common stereotypes include that all West Virginians are hillbillies, toothless, addicted to drugs, incompetent and obese. It doesn’t help that said stereotypes are exaggerated in the media, which gives a false sense of what it is honestly like to live in West Virginia.

As a young person growing up and living in WV, I used to want to go to a college out of state and never look back because I was tired of being associated with the negativity. Now, I realize that abandoning my state is counterproductive to the progress I hope to see West Virginia make. How can I expect West Virginia to progress and not attempt to be a part of the solution? Stereotypes have consequences. Being constantly seen in a negative light drives our youth to move away as soon as possible, and it inhibits tourists from wanting to visit. No one wants to be in an area where they do not feel comfortable, & the negative connotations surrounding WV do not inspire feelings of comfort, safety, or welcome.

The catch is that stereotypes are rooted in some form of truth, even if it isn’t the whole story. WV is 1st in the nation in obesity, cardiovascular disease & poor overall health. We currently stand 2nd in rates of diabetes. The state's public school system is ranked 47 in the US based on quality & safety. As of 2018, the WV had 42.4 deaths related to opioid overdose per 100,000 people, the highest rate of any state. But rather than addressing the systemic roots of any of these problems, which would both defy stereotypes & create a more sustainable WV for young people to stay in & build from, too often, the entire state gets dismissed as less deserving, less important, & less worthy of resources. It rarely gets acknowledged that all these stereotypes are actually structural crises. Stereotypes go beyond the community, too.

There are many examples of Appalachia being represented in a negative light within the media. The most infamous portrayal of Appalachia is J.D. Vance's "Hillbilly Elegy" the book & later movie.

Vance perpetuated stereotypes & created a false narrative as an outsider & a person with privilege. My experience growing up is nothing like “Hillbilly Elegy,” & I can say that it isn’t the experience for many West Virginians. I am so adamant about dismantling these unfair & harmful stereotypes because they are seriously harming WV. People, especially people of my generation, are moving away because they do not want to be associated with redneckery. In ”West Virginia’s Lost Youth: Appalachian Stereotypes & Residential Preferences,” George Towers asked HS students to participate in a survey of their thoughts about WV. The survey found that “78% of 18- 34-year-olds believe that negative stereotypes hurt the state’s ability to attract business investment, & 64% think that unfavorable imagery not only diminishes West Virginians’ self-esteem but also limits their collective ability to address issues facing the state.”...
- More, https://www.100daysinappalachia.com/2022/01/more-than-a-stereotype-a-young-west-virginian-wants-a-different-conversation/

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- Spruce Knob, West Virginia.
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- '8 Stereotypes Every West Virginian Hates.' the culture trip. - Ed.

West Virginia is a beautiful state, but lots of people who have never been near it come up with ideas of what the people and places in the state are like. Many of those ideas are wrong and completely overlook the friendly, fascinating people you’ll meet and the great places to visit. Here are eight things about the Mountain State that most people get wrong. - Everyone’s a hillbilly: If West Virginia is the Mountain State, the people who live there are Mountain People, right? You can call them Mountaineers, but they’re not all straw-hat-wearing, banjo-picking, overall-wearing yokels. The state has a proud history of immigration, diversity, fighting for what they believe in, arts, culture, and the outdoors, and the idea that all West Virginians are backward and live in a holler is like any stereotype—wrong and backward itself.

- Cousins get married: Jokes abound about West Virginians getting married even if they are cousins; we don’t need to tell any of them here. But in reality, marrying your first cousin is illegal in West Virginia, while it’s legal in states like California, New York, and Massachusetts, to name a few. - The term “redneck” comes from sunburns: While many people use the word redneck as a derogatory term for uneducated people from the Southern states, West Virginians take special pride in the name. During the Battle of Blair Mountain in 1921, workers rose up against oppressive coal-mine operators in a desire to unionize & get better working conditions. They wore red bandanas around their necks—a look some West Virginia teachers sported in their recent strike.



- WV Teachers Strike 2018.



-*West Virginia is part of Virginia: Western Virginia & West Virginia are two different places, two different states. During the Civil War, the then-western counties of Virginia split off from the state, not agreeing with their politics and desire to join the Confederacy. It was a hard-won fight, and West Virginians are proud of their independence and have a whole day to celebrate it. In short, don’t confuse the two. - There’s no arts or culture scene in the state: An offshoot of the uncultured, backwoods people stereotype is the idea that there’s no arts & culture scene in the state, which couldn’t be further from the truth. While yes, West Virginians are proud of their local music heritage (which includes banjos), there are also thriving music scenes in Charleston & Morgantown that don’t involve banjos; many cities have First Friday art walks & gallery open houses. Writers & artists find great inspiration in the state.

- The movie "Deliverance" is set in West Virginia: Banjos! Hillbillies! People in Canoes! The 1972 film Deliverance was full of gross stereotypes, & when people think about WV, they tend to think of those stereotypes, & thus, think of the movie (or even hum the - theme song). But this movie took place in Georgia, so be careful not to confuse your states.
- *The state is the South/North/Midwest: West Virginia’s unique geography leaves many people confused about where the state actually falls in our psycho-geography. First, it is the only state entirely within Appalachia, so yes, you can call it Appalachian. However, it’s not really the South since the northern panhandle sticks up between Ohio & Penn. & is north of the Mason-Dixon line, & they left Virginia to not be a part of the Confederacy. But it’s not really part of the Midwest either & doesn’t fall into ideas about Midwest culture. WV is just too special to be put into any of those categories. ~ https://theculturetrip.com/north-america/usa/west-virginia/articles/8-stereotypes-every-west-virginian-hates/
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- "Deliverance": 1972 American survival thriller film produced & directed by John Boorman, & starring Jon Voight, Burt Reynolds, Ned Beatty, & Ronny Cox. The screenplay was adapted by James Dickey from his 1970 novel of the same name. The film was a critical & box office success, earning 3 Academy Award nominations & 5 Golden Globe Award nominations. Widely acclaimed as a landmark picture, the film is noted for an early music scene with one of the city men playing "Dueling Banjos" on guitar with a banjo-picking country boy, & its violent sodomy rape scene. The movie was shot primarily in Rabun County in northeastern Georgia... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deliverance_(novel)
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- *Expatalachians* Appalachian Journalism
https://democraticunderground.com/12721184

- Crystal Good: Native of WV, Black Appalachian Activist, Writer, Publisher of 'Black By God' Newspaper for & about Black residents living in the Appalachian region. https://democraticunderground.com/12721193