How is your region portrayed in pop culture?

Read the book, memorized the soundtrack, have done everything but see the play because it hasn't come near me and tickets are expensive. I'm hoping they'll make a movie version of it with Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth.

 

That's not all we know. We know it's flat, wheat-filled, boring and has sucky football teams.[/mizzoufanboi]

 

Really?? I'm pretty darned southern, and I've always felt she had the Steel Magnolia accent and mannerisms down -- the "thank yeewww soo much" bit. What did I miss?

 

Yeah, really. It's an over-the-top caricature, and it rubs me the wrong way.

 

I grew up in the Tampa Bay area, and I'd have to say that most broad stereotypes about Florida are true. It's a giant, humid strip mall with tons of elderly people who live in gated communities and drive golf carts to the grocery store. The only major misconceptions I find are: 1) the entire state is like Miami, 2) we're mostly Jewish, when really the state's main religious views are an extension of the Bible Belt -- especially away from the coast -- and 3) Orlando is near the beach.

As for my most recent home, I really can't argue with Homer Simpson: "Alaska! Where you can't be too fat or too drunk."

 

Hers isn't that great. Sorry ... I know you have some background on this, but most Hollywood attempts at this are laughably bad.

 

I saw an episode of "The Closer" a while back that involved a guy who had murdered in El Paso, so naturally the El Paso lawman was dressed in a Cowboy hat a sort of western suit, hat a thick southern accent.
I just sat there thinking "really?"
Bad enough to have the southern sheriff stereotype, but then to top it off they made it sound like Texas is an execution-happy state, where anything and everything you do here gets you the chair.

YEE HAW!!!!!

 

Worst ever was Nic Cage in Con Air. A dreadful film made much worse by his awful accent.

 

Arizona and New Mexico - bolo tie and cowboy hat
Texas and Oklahoma - cowboy hat
Colorado - Jean jacket with fake sheep wool collar or a down vest.
Oregon and Washington - Lumberjacket, Army surplus jacket or a hooded light raincoat and beards.
Florida and Hawaii - Tommy Bahama
Kentucky to Virginia south to Florida - seersucker suit with suspenders, maybe a bow tie and or straw porkpie.
Jersey, Brooklyn, Buffalo, Queens, Detroit, Staten Island and Philadelphia - wife beater, chains and maybe a bowling shirt.
Bronx, Harlem - a hoodie
Wall Street - pinstripes
Iowa west to Nebraska north to Canada - jeans, t-shirt and John Deere cap
Pittsburgh - Steelers gear and a hard hat
New England - tweed, one of those fur-lined hats that Carter wore on Hogans Heroes (Vermont and New Hampshire) or a Red Sox cap, and if its south Boston an XXXL Celtics t-shirt with a Celtics hat cocked to the side.
Everywhere else in America - one of those field coats that Scott Brown made famous.

 

"It's not often you see a Mexican in a suit."

 

No, but it does make the blur while driving across the state on I-70 at least remotely interesting.

 

I'm originally from Alabama, so that says it all. I'm living in Idaho right now. I'd say the portrayal is that most people this this is Iowa.