Read on Twitter
The more I sit with this the more aggravated I become, and the more I think about it the more I realize itās because I. AM. THE. CLICHE. Iām the pickup driving, overall wearing, cheap beer drinking, wait all year to sit in a tree stand cliche. https://twitter.com/amconmag/status/1339717008376487937
And while none of this is disingenuous or inauthentic, I still 100% recognize that itās cliche. That Iām cliche. And itās because the only depiction the worldās ever been shown of what people from this place look like is like this. Like me.
So the question becomes why am I, unlike the dipshit who wrote this āthinkā piece, unbothered by essays and conversations that work to dismantle that stereotype and complicate the narrative of place?
Well, one, itās because I know this place (I live here; he doesnāt), and I know the diversity and complexity that surrounds me.
Sure, there are lots of folks like me but thereās a whole hell of a lot who arenāt. The difference of course is that those who arenāt have historically been ignored and erased.
So if Iām interested in outsiders coming to recognize a more truthful and accurate depiction of the place where I live (which I am, wholeheartedly, because I care about this place), why wouldnāt I want that complexity as part of the conversation?
The other reason, though, and I think this is big, is that those traits donāt define my regional identity and most certainly donāt define how I see myself as a man.
I believe the reason people like this asshole feel so threatened and attacked by what @pludger wrote is because they cannot make that separation. His entire understanding of his own masculinity is tied to bullshit so that when thatās questioned old Mr. Fragile falls apart.
If diversifying a conversation to better represent a reality is something that makes you defensive about what you view as your identity, if it threatens your masculinity, buddy you best not piss standing up cause youāre standing on some shaky ass ground.
And once again, hereās the essay you need to read. Itās important. Itās needed. And itās beautiful. https://www.guernicamag.com/lost-in-a-misgendered-appalachia/
