The hillbilly stereotype has been around for many years and the exact characteristics of hillbillies remain debatable. Some people view the term as derogatory and use it as an insult. Others take pride in the term and take advantage of every opportunity to display their hillbilly heritage. No matter which point of view you have, the term has become very popular throughout the eastern United States and shows no signs of disappearing anytime in the near future.

In Back Talk from Appalachia, Ballard outlines many of the effects of the popular term. Furthermore, Ballard focuses on the distinctions between the people that view the term in a comical, light-hearted manner and those that view the term in a derogative and insulting manner. She specifically talks about the vast selection of hillbilly products that are sold in stores and how purchasing such products can affect others. Personally, I view the hillbilly products in a light-hearted manner. I don’t think they are designed to insult the people that fit the hillbilly stereotype. That being said, I can see why some people may feel belittled or insulting by them.

As I kid that grew up on the edge of the Appalachian Region, I remember seeing many of my friends wear hillbilly costumes on Halloween. Their costume often included many of the marketed hillbilly products, such as mouthpieces designed to look like rotting teeth and denim overalls with pillows stuffed in the stomach area to mimic the “hillbilly beer gut”. These costumes were usually worn to make fun of the stereotypical hillbilly, yet I never felt that my friends were wearing the costumes to be disrespectful. I have always been comfortable purchasing the products because I don’t support the stereotype with negative intentions, nor have I been exposed to anyone that has felt insulted by such actions.