THE MYSTERIOUS SOUTH

[Nikkogino]

In an interview, Caleb talks about how people from Britain envision the south.

My question to all the Brits (and Americans who have never been down here): what is your idea of what the south is like??


P.S. Can someone post the picture inside the UK release's cd booklet. Thanks!

[caroline, maybe]

hey, where are you from? (I'd respond to your question, but I live in TX haha)

[anthony]

I'm sorry to say my impression of the South is made up of the Dukes of Hazard episodes and bad stereotypical 'Deep South' characters in American films.

But I know that this won't be even close to the truth. I live in the North of England and I think we have the same kind of thing done to us by our mainstream TV people. Londoners, think Newcastle is in Scotland and that none of us have heard of electricity before!

I'd love to visit the south, where is good to go? I've only been to New York so far, but want to see more of America!

PS. I think you can get that image from the kingsofleon.us image gallery. You have to register but it is definitely on there!

[katy]

Stereotypically... Cletus from the simpsons
But I'm sure very few people are actually like that, hope I haven't caused offence!

[Nikkogino]

I live in Georgia (home of the golf tournament: The Masters).

To the person who wanted to know where in the south they should go. I would fly into Atlanta (which has the biggest airport in the US now). From there I would drive to Savannah, Georgia which is a gorgeous town (it is where Forrest Gump sits on the bench in the movie). From there I would make my way up the coast to Charleston, SC which is one of the most historical towns in America, and a beautiful, yet expensive, place to visit. I would also visit some of the barrier islands on the coast. But most definitely I would travel through North Carolina into the mountains. Asheville is a great mountain town to visit.

To the guy who lives in Texas....us southerners don't really consider Texas to be "the south" although we do appreciate the help in the civil war. By the way, I do believe Texas is one of, if not, the coolest state in the US. You just don't mess with it!

[mickey o'neil]

the "guy" from tx is a girl actually. birmingham, alabama represent! woot woot!

hey man, where do you live in georgia?

[telluah]

i mess with texas...thanks to george w. and do southerners honesty thank other former confed states for helping them in the civil war? if so....gross.

[ILoveTheRazzleKid]

i've been to south carolina on a holiday a few years agoo that was looovely..

erm my vision of the south.. dont take this to offence.. erm.. porches, people on rocking chairs with guns.. erm.. gorgeous drawls.. small towns.. village halls... old-fashioned-ness.. i don't know what i'm talking about.. i think i'm just describing a scary film i once saw that took place slightly in the south. Geez i'm talking a load of crap really. Fuck sorry.

edit: i'll just carry on eating my nougat.

[gatorh3]

Why is that gross to thank someone for help in the civil war? I do it, I'm southern. If so, then you must have the war confused with some other reason for why it was started.

[mickey o'neil]

telluah said:

do southerners honesty thank other former confed states for helping them in the civil war? if so....gross.

i certainly do not

[vintagechic1251]

I think everyone just gets a bad impression of the south because of the media- like movies, news stories, etc. Like I always imagined "The Beverly Hillbillys" when I was younger. But I was kinda dumb then. haha. I've lived in Tenesee and Mississippi... and everyone there was really caring, like they were family. I actually miss that... now i live in New York City where you're nothing if you have no money...

[csolis]

telluah said:

i mess with texas...thanks to george w. and do southerners honesty thank other former confed states for helping them in the civil war? if so....gross.

completely agree, its very gross!!!

[gatorh3]

I think I know why everyone says gross about the south and the civil war. Let's not forget that slavery wasn't an issue until almost the end of the war, and even then only the abolitionists wanted slaves to actually be free. Abe Lincoln even said that he didn't care if the slaves were freed or not as long as the Union stayed together. Now that we know slavery wasn't brought into the war until the very end we know that the war wasn't started because of that issue. So southerners were not fighting to keep slavery, especially since only a minority could afford to own a slave much less a plantation. The north also didn't care too much for slaves. Many northerners could've chosen to make a decent living but they preferred their money to be tainted with human blood which is why they were in the chief business of selling slaves and acting as bounty hunters to those who thought they had made it to "freedom" on their soil. Not only that but after the war the north didn't help the former slaves, it was actually posted in most towns that if you were coming up north and you were black you couldn't stay for more than two months otherwise you'd be publicly flogged. History has been grossly misconstrued. My family is from the south and as a southerner I'm proud of my ancestors who died in the war, they were brave, and since the average man didn't own a slave then I hate to think that they died supposedly fighting for something that they didn't even have. Everyone seems to believe that you are racist if you are from the south, but let us not forget that the KKK's largest numbers were in Illinois, a northern state. And many race riots have occurred in Ohio and California, both non southern states. I hate to be rambling on but I don't want anyone to get the idea that I would be for slavery, which everyone seems to think if you try to defend the place that you come from. I abhor slavery, I think it is a disgusting practice and the fact that it is still in existence in certain areas of the world disgusts me to no end. I hate abuse of any kind. If anyone of you were to know me personally you would know my character and that I would not fight so vehemently for something if it were immoral. Luckily for me, and the thousands of Black Confederate cemetaries the civil war was started for a whole other reason and means a whole other thing to us. Unless you are an ignorant redneck most people that I know if brought up about the south and the civil war don't even bring up slavery into the issue, becuase it wasn't one until the end and at that time it wasn't even a big one. If it were then I think General Grant would've felt ashamed for allowing his wife to own her slaves not only during the war but afterwards as well. I'm not saying that slavery had nothing to do with the war, it played a minor part towards the end and was how plantation owners made money for the economy but it was not the big issue that the history books print today, it was considered to the men in the north as an economy issue and not a moral one. In a nutshell contrary to popular belief the South was very profitable. As they say, Cotton was King, and the north needed them because of the economy. They ravaged the land pretty much, and many men in the south felt it their right to fight to protect their homes. According to what I've noticed this is why the south holds the war so close to heart, you'd be close to others if you knew that your ancestors and theirs fought for the same rights as you. We have deep ties to our land because of the history that has happened there and how it has helped to shape us.
I sincerely hope that nobody is going to be offended by anything that I have said because I don't wish to start an argument over something that has happened in the past, I likewise hope that I haven't come off as an ass, it's just that one tends to get defensive when their moral nature and beliefs are called into question often because of something people have been taught out of a textbook, which skims over certain facts and spoon feeds the nation what they think everyone wants to hear. I'm just a history freak and I love where I came from, I love my family and I'm proud of my ancestors, it's not like we go around all day reminiscing about the war, but to have our conscience questioned at every turn just makes me angry.
Onto the topic at hand, I believe that a lot of people think that those from the south are stupid who just lay around on their porches all day long fanning themselves and talking in their drawls. I know a lot of people whenever they want to make indecent jokes usualy use a southern state as the punchline, but it goes both ways. The times I"ve been up north the people are rude, and like someone else said if you don't have money you're nothing. I find their whole way of assessing a person as cold, I'm a more family oriented person and I usually am very friendly and like to know someone for their character and not what they have. I know everyone gets their ideas from the television shows like beverly hillbillies and dukes of hazzard as someone mentioned earlier.
Once again I have to apologize if I appear to be jumping at anyones throat, I just get really defensive when it comes to people insulting what I consider my home. I'm sure that any of you would feel the same if you thought I had said something offensive about where you live, hopefully we can all just remember that we came here because we love the Kings

[csolis]

i know the civil war wasnt just about slavery. But what would have happened if the South had won, how much longer would slavery have existed? the fact is that during the Civil war era, the south wasnt a very nice place. And i know that the north wasnt the best place for African Americans, but do you think Frederick Douglass would have accomplished all that he did in the south? i dont think so.
thats why i didnt take ure comment so well. But im not trying to make out that the South is still the same as one-hundred and something years ago. I dont really know what the south is like cause ive never been there. All i know is that its really hot and humid there and im glad Oakland doesnt have that weather

[Clair]

acantwell said:

Londoners, think Newcastle is in Scotland and that none of us have heard of electricity before!

what!!?? no we dont when i think of Newcastle i think of Auf Weidersen Pet that was a good show, aah, memories.

and all i think of when i think of the south is the nice accent

[mickey o'neil]

csolis said:

All i know is that its really hot and humid their and im glad Oakland doesnt have that weather

haha you should be glad. it sucks.

[polly]

acantwell said:

But I know that this won't be even close to the truth. I live in the North of England and I think we have the same kind of thing done to us by our mainstream TV people. Londoners, think Newcastle is in Scotland and that none of us have heard of electricity before!

Deffinately agree on that one. Its most marked with the "national" News and weather. If it rains a bit in London they say the whole country is knee deep in rain and we're all going to drown. When in reality North of Watford has a tropical heatwave. (Not a regular accurance but when it happens its funny) I wonder why London actually needs local news when the national news is so London obsessed.

And its so funny watching southerners think they're going to be mugged when someone says hello in a northen accent.

[Clair]

polly said:

And its so funny watching southerners think they're going to be mugged when someone says hello in a northen accent.

thats a stereotype right there.

[polly]

I know its a stereo-type but I've seen it happen.

[gatorh3]

csolis said:

i know the civil war wasnt just about slavery. But what would have happened if the South had won, how much longer would slavery have existed? the fact is that during the Civil war era, the south wasnt a very nice place. And i know that the north wasnt the best place for African Americans, but do you think Benjamin Franklin would have accomplished all that he did in the south? i dont think so.
thats why i didnt take ure comment so well. But im not trying to make out that the South is still the same as one-hundred and something years ago. I dont really know what the south is like cause ive never been there. All i know is that its really hot and humid their and im glad Oakland doesnt have that weather

I'm relieved, sometimes I get too defensive and opinionated and say things without thinking it out thoroughly, I was afraid that people on the board would get mad at me, I'm glad though that they didn't. I suppose Frankline wouldn'tve made as much progress as he did in his lifetime if he hadn't been brought up in the more citylike society.