Have you ever been embarrassed because you referred to someone as “white Trash” only to be corrected by your peers that they were indeed “Redneck”? Oh the SHAME! Don’t be caught in this faux pau again! Here is your study guide!

My friends and I (back before I was married with kids and actually had TIME on my hands) used to sit around and make jokes about rednecks. My roommates were generally the ones I had the most discussions with this about. We were big fans of Jeff Foxworthy and he was of course our inspiration for many an “intellectual” conversation.

(The following is purely my opinion nothing more)

First of all the main reason it’s so hard to tell the difference is because so many of these people end up having “mixed marriages”. Ever heard the term “shot-gun wedding”? Well some believe that initially originated from a “White Trash” marrying a “Redneck”. It was a sight to behold I’m sure. Imagine it, the bride in all her splendor, wearing her oh heck just watch the video below you’ll get the idea.

These guys are easy to spot. Just think of the “Beverly Hillbillies” if you aren’t sure of the difference. These folks are mainly located in what’s known as the “boonies” which is usually in the middle of “no-wheresville”. They most likely live somewhere that has no paved roads, either down near a body of water that nobody in their right mind would live near (ie: a toxic land fill or swamplands carrying West Nile Virus and who knows what else) or up in the hills far away from any kind of civilization you can imagine. (Hence the name "Hillbilly"). Their home consists of several pieces of mismatched plywood slapped together with very little effort and an outhouse in the backyard. (Think uni-bomber) If they have any electricity it would come from a generator that works only when you kick it. And they most likely pump their water from a well and haul it to their house (shack). You’ll most likely see several bloodhounds on the front porch and chickens running loose everywhere. Ma will be wearing a Moo-moo that could substitute as a circus tent and Pa will be wearing the one pair of overalls he owns with his faded salmon pink long-johns underneath.

This is where most of us get confused is differentiating between the White Trash and Rednecks. In general the majority will reside in the Southern states, however growing up in Idaho I’ve seen my share of both. Typically White Trash can be distinguished by the way they dress and act. For example most women will be seen wearing halter tops with fat rolls hanging out and daisy duke shorts and these are the women in their forties and fifties even! Men will generally be seen wearing “wife beater” tank tops as they have acquired that name because of the type of men who wear them are usually White Trash and unfortunately beat their wives from time to time. These folks generally reside in single wide trailers in a very trashy trailer park. Meth labs and marijuana farmers are quite prevalent in these areas. When a White Trash woman is pregnant it’s not uncommon to see her hanging out at bars smoking and drinking with a T-Shirt that says “knocked Up”. If you're wondering who is abusing the bulk of the welfare system than the White Trash Folk is who your dealing with. Furthermore if you’ve ever appeared on Maury Povich to either admit to or find out who the “real father” of your child was…you might be White Trash Folk!

As I’ve stated above, Rednecks are prevalent in the Southern states, but truthfully they can be found just about anywhere in the U.S.

Rednecks come in all shapes, sizes and colors. Typically Caucasian, but other ethnicities have evolved through mixed marriages. Most Redneck women attire fits no specific fashion standards. Wal-Mart & K-Mart specials and whatever they can find in the local thrift store is typically what they will outfit themselves in. It’s usually way to baggy or too tight depending on how good the sale was. Men can be seen outfitted in anything from overalls to cowboy shirts and sporting those well worn wrangler jeans topped off with either cowboy boots, hiking boots or worn down sneakers. Plaid is a favorite color scheme of most Redneck men and even women. You’ll also see them sporting their favorite T-shirt acquired by the local truck or tool dealer that gave them out at the fair years ago. A Rednecks favorite event to attend is the Monster Truck rally, the Tractor pull, and of course any Rodeo of any size. The a-fore mentioned are also considered acceptable places to take your wife or girlfriend out on a date or even to celebrate their anniversary. A Rednecks favorite beverage is typically cheap beer, but don’t be surprised if you see them knocking back the occasional wine cooler to impress the “ladies”. Now, unless you’re dealing with a good ‘ol boy who doesn’t drink, then his favorite beverage might would be Pepsi or Mountain Dew. The Rednecks I grew up around may seem a little uneducated, and slightly ignorant to y’all, but they really would do anything for their neighbors and even a complete stranger.  These guys would literally give you the plaid shirt off their back!

Many people have asked me to write about my user name “RecoveringRedneck”, As I mentioned before I grew up in Idaho, in a small rural community outside Blackfoot, called Wapello. I’ve lived in a lot of different cities and states, and to this day, the nicest people I know are from Idaho. Where I grew up there were not many opportunities to learn about art and culture. In fact, in my high school I recall seeing maybe two students that were African-American. The only other ethnicities I grew up around were Native-Americans, and Mexican-Americans. This does limit your knowledge and understanding of other cultures I believe. So as I traveled and moved around I self-educated myself and discovered the big world I had missed out on, and learned how to speak so that others didn’t think I was a complete ignoramus for that matter. In my parent’s defense, they both were very stern about using correct grammar so I didn’t sound as ignorant as most Rednecks. I am in no way ashamed of where I'm from.  I wouldn’t be the person I am today if it weren’t for my “Redneck” upbringing.

So there you have it folks, your complete edition of

“The Beginners guide to recognizing the difference between "White Trash" and "Rednecks"? And why I call myself a "RECOVERING" Redneck........"

Hope you enjoyed it. Keep in mind this was all in fun, and not in any way meant to be “politically correct” or offensive to anyone.

See all y’all later.