"You know you're a redneck when you walk your kid to school because you're in the same grade!" Jeff Foxworthy quotes from one of his famous redneck jokes. He has been in the lime light with his redneck jokes now, for over ten years. I do believe that because of his comedy hour show and Larry the Cableguy the term redneck wouldn't be as popular today.
The term redneck actually sprung from 2 words, which when put together, actuallymean, "having a red neck." In the Dictionary of American Regional English, the earliest citation of the term in this context is from 1830, as "a name bestowed upon the Presbyterians of Fayetteville [North Carolina]". A citation from 1893 provides a definition as "poorer inhabitants of the rural districts...men who work in the field, as a matter of course, generally have their skin burned red by the sun, and especially is this true of the back of their necks" Redneck (disambiguation)Redneck people tend to be considered dirty or white trash, which is definitely a stereotype. My mom is from the rural South (Arkansas) and I have never considered her that way and if I knew that someone did, I would just have to turn away from that person.
The term, Redneck, is used as a type of "put-down" or joke. In many cases, it is more of a joke than a "put-down." Just because someone looks different, dresses different, drives a different car, or lives differently than you, doesn't mean they are white trash. It just means they come from different parts and have learned a different way of doing things.
People are people, regardless of where they come from, how they have learned, and what they look like. Some people get offended by the term, Redneck while others just laugh it off. Whether you like the term or don't like the term, it doesn't matter; rednecks are people, too. No one deserves to be treated any differently than anyone else.
