Y'all come back and see me sometime, ya hear?

My opening statement is one of the most recognizable stereotypical statements associated with being a Southerner. Funny thing is I can't remember ever actually hearing anyone say it and I live in South Carolina. I guess it just goes to show that stereotypes are just that, generalized ideas about a group of people loosely based on reality. As I was a typical guy this evening, meaning I flipped through the channels constantly, I saw about a half dozen shows that were supposed to be based in the South or the subject matter was supposed to represent the South. While all the shows had different themes and even different genres, they all portrayed my fellow Rebs the same, and mostly in an unflattering manner. I began to get a bit perturbed by the depiction and felt that "Hollywood" was singling out me and my neighbors, but I then I remembered we get stereotypes of all regions, ethnicities, races, and sexes in the entertainment industry. What is sad is that Americans have become so used to the stereotypes, they start using them in connection with everyone they meet of that group. This of course leads to all kinds of problems, racism, sexism, etc. Here's a novel idea, when you meet someone, see someone, read something about someone, forget that they are a member of some sub-set of humanity, actually a member of a few sub-sets and look at them, treat them as the individual human that they are and let their actions and words define them, not some nebulous stereotype. Deal?

Alrighty then, y'all come back, ya hear?