Casey Clune

HR: Bing images

“Hillbilly” vs. “Redneck”

When the terms “Hillbilly” and “Redneck” are used in everyday conversation there is often a wide assortment of responses. Some view the terms as derogatory while others view it with pride to be able to identify within that culture. There are some people who see a difference between the two terms while others may use them interchangeably. For example, ask a Frenchmen what the difference between the two terms is and there would probably be little surprise if there was no difference to be found. However, ask someone from Texas alongside someone from West Virginia and there may possibly be a completely different reaction

When “Hillbilly” is goggled on the internet (Bing) the first images that appear closely follow the known stereotypes of the Appalachia region. The viewer sees: moonshine, beards, dirt, coal, poverty, lack of education, inbred, backwoods, stereotypical gender roles, ect. However, when the term “Redneck” is researched on the same search engine there are noted similarities as well as differences. “Redneck” isn’t viewed with the same sense of poverty though there is a similarity between the notion of both terms being related with country living and lack of intelligence. “Redneck” promotes images of: trucks, trackers, John Deer brands, flannel shirts, crazy antics, and of course, confederate flags.

According to the Internet, it would appear that it is much more fun to be a “Redneck” rather than a “Hillbilly”. To be a “Hillbilly” is to live a life of filth, poverty, and seclusion. Teeth will be missed, you will never shave, and you will have 12 kids you cannot afford. To be a “redneck” means that you will always wear flannel( though probably clean), you will ride your tractor to work, and in your spare time you will drink, fish, and do other country hobbies. Though it is obviously absurd to cast entire regions of people under stereotypes, it is quite easy to see that the term “Hillbilly” is a lot more derogatory in nature than the word “Redneck”. “Redneck” appears to imply a life spent enjoying blissful country living, while a “Hillbilly” is represented as scum that lives within the woods and contributes nothing to the world.