Common Stereotypes of your State, City, Region, Etc

[agentsteel53]

a lot of people think they know Nebraska just because they've taken I-80 through it.  I can tell you plenty of things to do... especially things in small towns.

[corco]

a lot of people think they know Nebraska just because they've taken I-80 through it.  I can tell you plenty of things to do... especially things in small towns.

That goes for Kansas too- I hate, hate, hate that. The interstates go through the worst part scenery-wise. But there is scenery there- it's just subtle. The interstate grades and rights-of-ways it all out. Even if you drive US-30 instead of I-80 across Nebraska, you get a completely different experience on the state and I suspect folks would like Nebraska a lot more if they did that but it's  nearly impossible to convince somebody to do that.

In reality, it's OK with me. 99% of America would never think of Chadron Nebraska as a place to go on an outdoorsy vacation, but I know better. More for me, less for you. Go ahead, think Nebraska is boring. I don't want Californians to come in and ruin it. When I was in Wyoming and folks wanted to go camping for the weekend it was "Oh, are you going to Grand Teton/Yellowstone?" and the Wyomingites would respond "Nope- heading up to Chadron. Less tourists, pretty much as scenic, better experience"

[agentsteel53]

yep, US-30 is a very fun drive in Nebraska, as is US-6, US-75, etc etc.

[corco]

I've driven cross-Nebraska on several different off-interstate routes and Nebraska 4 was the only one I might qualify as boring, but even that had its upside. Nebraska 23 sticks out for me as a neat drive in the "ugly" part of Nebraska. 

[agentsteel53]

I've driven cross-Nebraska on several different off-interstate routes and Nebraska 4 was the only one I might qualify as boring, but even that had its upside. Nebraska 23 sticks out for me as a neat drive in the "ugly" part of Nebraska. 

I like all parts of Nebraska, including the southwest 'corner' (kinda hard to actually be a corner, since the SW corner of the state is Colorado!).

then again, there's good stuff to be found in every state.  Just gotta know where to look.

[huskeroadgeek]

Yep, if you had to pick the most boring drive across Nebraska, I-80 would be it. Nebraskans have been saying for years that if you've only been across the state on I-80, you haven't seen the real Nebraska.

[agentsteel53]

Yep, if you had to pick the most boring drive across Nebraska, I-80 would be it. Nebraskans have been saying for years that if you've only been across the state on I-80, you haven't seen the real Nebraska.

Iowa is the exact same way.  though I-35 isn't all that much better.

US-6, US-18, US-65, IA-2, all better choices.  the other US and state routes too - it's just that those four are the ones I've done large chunks of in the state.

[BigMattFromTexas]

It was a little bit of a joke, but I'm not particularly fond of Nebraska, I have nothing against it, but it's not my favorite state....
BigMatt

[corco]

The thing people have trouble grasping is that it takes a different mindset to appreciate Nebraska over, say, western Colorado. There's beauty in both- Colorado is more obnoxiously obvious about it "HOLY CRAP LOOK AT ME I'M A 10,000 FOOT MOUNTAIN I'M SCENIC OH LOOK OVER HERE BIG MOUNTAIN" whereas in Nebraska it's "Wow, that's a neat landscape- look at the way that old barn sits on top of that grassy hill"- now there are parts of Nebraska that are blatantly scenic like the aforementioned Chadron area, but a  lot of it is more reflective. I don't know- I prefer the subtlety, but a lot of folks don't want to take the time to appreciate it. Different strokes for different folks, I guess.

Then obviously if you're off-interstate you have to deal with subtle terrain changes more intimately, and that always raises folks's perspective of an area, it seems like.

[agentsteel53]

this is the sort of thing you will never see on I-80:



it's US-30, btw, around Gothenburg, NE.  I-80 is two or three miles away.

[Dr Frankenstein]

Quebec:

• NOBODY speaks English. Speaking English in Quebec is like being black AND gay in the 50s.
• We all hate English speakers, even tourists.
• We all want to split from Canada; we hate them anyways.
• We all think that English people from Canada and the United States are all retarded hillbillies and rednecks.

[realjd]

Quebec:

• NOBODY speaks English. Speaking English in Quebec is like being black AND gay in the 50s.
• We all hate English speakers, even tourists.
• We all want to split from Canada; we hate them anyways.
• We all think that English people from Canada and the United States are all retarded hillbillies and rednecks.

Take a shower, Frenchie.

[1995hoo]

I'm from New Jersey but grew up in West Virginia.... this response could take a while. Both states I think give Texas a running for most-stereotyped state.

West Virginia: (Most people I know, especially at work, truly believes these are true)

- Nobody has shoes, running water or floors not made of dirt
- Everyone lives in a trailer
- Moonshine stills in the backyard, drunks and meth labs
- Uneducated
- Finding "love" within the family, or farm animals

I think New Jersey has been covered pretty well already. I'm from the very rural part of the state, so I know how true that is. I'm also very familiar with the "What Exit?" one, but working for the Turnpike helps that a lot.

Don't forget the old joke: "How do you know the toothbrush was invented in West Virginia? –Because everybody else would have called it a 'teethbrush.'"


Most of the Virginia stereotypes I've heard come from people in the rest of the state stereotyping Northern Virginia due to traffic and carpetbaggers who didn't grow up here (for the most part, people my age are the first generation to have a substantial number of us who grew up in Northern Virginia), or people from Northern Virginia stereotyping the rest of the state for supposedly being rednecky or in love with their guns or the like.

[Zmapper]

Don't forget the old joke: "How do you know the toothbrush was invented in West Virginia? –Because everybody else would have called it a 'teethbrush.'"

I hear that most frequently with Alabama.

[exit322]

a lot of people think they know Nebraska just because they've taken I-80 through it.  I can tell you plenty of things to do... especially things in small towns.

This can probably be said for just about any state and any freeway that goes through it (it certainly is true in Ohio).

[1995hoo]

a lot of people think they know Nebraska just because they've taken I-80 through it.  I can tell you plenty of things to do... especially things in small towns.

This can probably be said for just about any state and any freeway that goes through it (it certainly is true in Ohio).

Given that a lot of people think the Turnpike IS New Jersey, Car and Driver's memorable description of a portion of the Turnpike is appropriate for this thread. They memorably described the portion of the New Jersey Turnpike from Exit 12 to around the point where the road divides into the Eastern and Western Spurs as "miles and miles of universal fart."

(I have relatives in the Red Bank area and I know well that not all of the state is like that part of the Turnpike. But it's a great description of that area. My brother drove me up to Brooklyn one time to help me move some furniture to Virginia when I bought my house. The dumbass insisted on having the windows down. Of course we got stuck in stopped traffic on the Goethals Bridge and it was too late to switch to the AC. The smell was so bad I wanted to puke out the window.)

[PAHighways]

I'm from New Jersey but grew up in West Virginia.... this response could take a while. Both states I think give Texas a running for most-stereotyped state.

West Virginia: (Most people I know, especially at work, truly believes these are true)

- Nobody has shoes, running water or floors not made of dirt
- Everyone lives in a trailer
- Moonshine stills in the backyard, drunks and meth labs
- Uneducated
- Finding "love" within the family, or farm animals

I think New Jersey has been covered pretty well already. I'm from the very rural part of the state, so I know how true that is. I'm also very familiar with the "What Exit?" one, but working for the Turnpike helps that a lot.

Don't forget the old joke: "How do you know the toothbrush was invented in West Virginia? –Because everybody else would have called it a 'teethbrush.'"

Here's one I used to hear:  "What is the state flower of West Virginia?" - a satellite dish.

That was before the advent of DIRECTV and DISH Network.

[1995hoo]

I'm from New Jersey but grew up in West Virginia.... this response could take a while. Both states I think give Texas a running for most-stereotyped state.

West Virginia: (Most people I know, especially at work, truly believes these are true)

- Nobody has shoes, running water or floors not made of dirt
- Everyone lives in a trailer
- Moonshine stills in the backyard, drunks and meth labs
- Uneducated
- Finding "love" within the family, or farm animals

I think New Jersey has been covered pretty well already. I'm from the very rural part of the state, so I know how true that is. I'm also very familiar with the "What Exit?" one, but working for the Turnpike helps that a lot.

Don't forget the old joke: "How do you know the toothbrush was invented in West Virginia? –Because everybody else would have called it a 'teethbrush.'"

Here's one I used to hear:  "What is the state flower of West Virginia?" - a satellite dish.

That was before the advent of DIRECTV and DISH Network.

I remember the time when the Backyard Brawl was being played in Pittsburgh and the stadium's PA announcer got into some hot water for announcing that the owner of a tractor with West Virginia license plate EI-EI-O had left his lights on.

[BigMattFromTexas]

I don't get any of these West Virginia things!! Could someone explain??
BigMatt

[agentsteel53]

I don't get any of these West Virginia things!! Could someone explain??
BigMatt

- Finding "love" within the family, or farm animals

ALL WEST VIRGINIANS ARE GOAT FUCKERS.

[realjd]

ALL WEST VIRGINIANS ARE GOAT FUCKERS.

Well, to be fair, their sisters do look like goats. I'll bet it's hard to tell for them sometimes.

[Scott5114]

Nevada:

• Most churches have Elvis impersonators as priests and video poker in the pews

That might actually get me to go to church.

If their paytable was set high enough.

[1995hoo]

I don't get any of these West Virginia things!! Could someone explain??
BigMatt

- Finding "love" within the family, or farm animals

ALL WEST VIRGINIANS ARE GOAT FUCKERS.

Does that mean the new state song consists of the Rolling Stones singing "Goat Goat"?

[agentsteel53]

Does that mean the new state song consists of the Rolling Stones singing "Goat Goat"?

no no no, it's the original version... goat fucker, goat fucker goat fucker goat fucker goat

[CL]

Utah:
You're a Mormon!

Well that one I could see more than the other... I'm not sayin' it's true, I've never been there... But there is a huge population of Mormons there, but not everyone is..
BigMatt

Depends on where you are. Salt Lake proper is around 50-50, while its suburbs are 80-20 (LDS to non-LDS). If you were talking the Provo metro area, then yes - Provo and its suburbs are around 90% Mormon. You'll find that percentage in rural Utah as well.

Anyway, more Utah stereotypes (some of which naturally turn into stereotypes of the LDS Church):
- Everyone lives in the Amish fashion, with hand-churned butter and no electricity (not true at all).
- There are many polygamist families in the state (again, not even close).
- Alcohol is not available for purchase (it is, though hard liquor and wine are only available in state liquor stores).
- The whole state's desert (it's surprising how many people are unaware of the Rocky Mountains going through Utah).
- Utah's the reddest of red states (actually, this stereotype is pretty much true; however, Salt Lake proper has been a liberal mecca since the 1970s).
- The Great Salt Lake is a tourist attraction (not really; locals rarely ever go there because of all the brine flies surrounding the shore).
- Also, I get the impression people see Salt Lake as a smaller city than it really is. It's not the size of Denver, but the Salt Lake metro has 1.1 million people and the urban area 2.2 million. We're pretty big.