I am kinda tired of the way people of Texas are perceived by the rest of the country. From Whoopi Goldberg (my man crush) claiming that dog fighting is part of the southern culture, to MNF's camera crew finding the biggest redneck douches on the planet to one-shot on their broadcast. I was born in Texas and have been on a horse maybe 4 times, I have never chewed baccy and do not own a cowboy hat. Nor do I (or have ever) posses an animal weighing over 40 pounds, a dully or lasso. It's really frustrating.
I've lived in Texas my whole life and the only time I've ridden a horse was this past summer in Cali. Go figure.
People I've met from northern states have been genuinely surprised we don't ride horses to work. I tried bringing up things like NASA, the oil industry, explaining how Houston is a real city...all I get in return are blank stares. I used to get worked up about it but now I more or less just feel sorry for those people. To know so little...scary stuff.
My dad's been to more places than I can count for business... Always showing up in a suit and tie... It almost never fails, halfway through introductions when asked where he's from (Texas) they all automatically ask why he didn't show up in cowboy boots and hat. Bonus story/rant: I went to visit my BFF in England 2 months ago. We're sitting down at dinner discussing accents, all agreeing that we can't distinguish between each others regional accents. To which my BFF (from Dallas) tells ME that I have an accent. (I DON'T, or at least if I do, it's just as bad as hers). I think being abroad has brainwashed her.
Have you ever had a European ask you "Who shot JR?" after you tell them you're from Texas? That's another thing. If they don't think you're a complete cowboy, they think of you as a character from Dallas.
So many people who live in Texas are not originally from here, or their parents were not originally from here that those stereotypes are over.
Brothers on horses....yeah, that just doesnt fit. Now sisters wearing horse her......they need to leave them horses alone! Seriously AB, I was in New York and was told I had a 'southern accent'.....I'm a Mexican American...born here in Texas! It didnt help that I said yall 3 times!!! I wanted to kick myself on the subway after I left.
I find it easy to play off... If someone wants to harp on the Texas thing, I'll make comments on getting the transmission fixed on my horse, Japanese horses are taking over, my cowboy hat is now a mansion for Slow Poke Rodriquez... and so on.
Why am I feeling like we already discussed this?!?!? Here's why people still believe we're Cowb... ugh, I can't even say that word... : Spoiler I think we HAVE discussed this already. It's like the way we think EVERYONE (except 3814) says "... eh?" if they're from Canada. Who here thinks I'm wearing a Mexican hat and dancing the Mariachi music at work just 'cuz I'm from Mexico? [not everyone reply at once, please]
Lifelong native Texan: never ridden a horse, never owned or worn a cowboy hat or boots (unless you count a stage production of "Oklahoma"), never owned or driven a pickup truck, never even visited an oil well, hate the Cowboys, Spurs, Rangers and Mavericks. But I do say "y'all" quite a bit.
Last night I went to pick up my sister at the airport but her flight was like an hour behind schedule so I went into one of the shell stations on JFK to get something to drink and snack on. There were a couple of freshly arived Boston guys looking at some of the different snacks and joking about something that was macaroni and cheese flavored. One of them makes a joke about drinking O'douls and Mr. Stereotype Texan with his p*rn stache and his can of skoal starts telling the guys that they're in Texas and they have to drink "real beer" now. Then the guy went ape**** on the clerk complaining about the bathroom at a gas station smelling like piss. Pretty awesome way to introduce some Boston guys to Texas.
I was born in the NW.. but was raised in Texas.. I've never ridden a horse.. donned neither a "cowboy" hat or boots.. "yall" certaintly hasn't ever been in my vocabulary.. I dislike the rodeo greatly.. have never touched a drop of tequila.. and I find football to be the dullest game in all professional sports.. I'd have to say the only thing "Texan" about me.. is my liking of good Tex-Mex.. and overall possessing a palate that is very muchly inclined towards the tasting of delicious spicy foods..
If I had a quarter for everyone that asked me, "where's your accent" I could buy a farm...err...condo.
Texans do not really have accents. If you go to the deep south like Georgia you will hear some serious accents. I guess its the fault of the movies for people to not know we talk pretty normal.
Houston is one of the most diverse cities in terms of people, visuals, things to do, etc... Makes it all the more annoying. And thats just Houston.
