Garfield opened his door to a horde of relatives. They found out he won the lottery and wanted a handout. As the relatives swarmed his porch, I looked up from my breakfast. In loud, twangy Southern dialects, the feline family harassed the famous cartoon-strip cat.
"The Garfield Show," a computer-generated monstrosity on Cartoon Network nowadays, is not the first of its kind to feature stupid, crude and often violent Southern-sounding characters.
In an episode of "Spongebob Squarepants," Patrick and Spongebob are captured by the "trenchbillies," who challenge them to a banjo contest, a "hoot n' hollerin" competition and a wrestling match.
I know cartoons are supposed to be mindless entertainment, but I believe comedic performances can serve as the best timeline. From blackface minstrel performances to the pointed anti-conglomeration messages in Anchorman 2, entertainment is a reflection of what's on the country's mind. It wouldn't sell tickets if no one related to it.
The portrayal of Southern dialects in popular culture is worrisome (need I mention Honey Boo-Boo?).
What it says is this: Southerners are stupid. Southerners are lazy. And since this skewed depiction continues to air, we can infer that audiences are eating it up.
Patsy Rodenburg explains in her book, "The Right to Speak," that it is human nature to rate someone's intelligence solely by the way they speak. What is important here is the phrase "the way they sound," because somewhere along the way, respect for the actual words coming out of a Southern mouth was generally lost.
It isn't just Southern speech that has suffered unfortunate stereotyping. MTV's "Jersey Shore" crushed the New Jersey dialect by filming the most idiotic citizens in the state. The Cockney dialect in the United Kingdom has always been a mark of an uneducated street urchin, a direct opposite to England's Received Pronunciation.
What I propose is a change. It will be gradual, at a snail's pace. It probably won't happen in my lifetime, but we should start it now.
First, be proud of your heritage. My grandparents are Great Depression-era survivors and pioneers of education in their families. The speech that comes from their Southern mouths is wisdom. The cadence of Mack Sheehan is like poetry. Phalere Cannon's Panhandle Florida bayou tongue is acerbic and witty.
Second, fight against the stereotype. You are equipped with the knowledge that people will judge you for your dialect. Make these years in college count. Study hard so you can continue to speak intelligently. Read to your children, too, when you have them, so they will follow your steps to correcting society's view of the South. Equip your heart with gentleness that is not related to the way you sound, but to who you are as a person.
Lastly, be aware that other pop culture stereotypes may influence you. When you watch the news, cartoons or reality TV, really listen to what's being said. Strip away the segregating filter that is affixed to your ears. It's not your fault it's there, but you can start tuning it out now
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