“If I ever hear another elitist jerk use the term flyover people, I’ll punch him in the mouth.” —John Waters, Carsick: John Waters Hitchhikes Across America
I don’t approve of threats of physical violence. Not even hyperbolic ones. But I absolutely know where John Waters is coming from. And while I don’t intend to punch anyone in the mouth, I completely understand – and share – his anger at this bullshit notion of “flyover country.”
I recently did a speaking tour of the Midwest, promoting my new book. This isn’t new for me: I’ve been doing public speaking for years, and I do it a lot in the Midwest and South.
And every time I come home from one of these trips, I bring back a huge suitcase full of respect for people in the Midwest and South – and a hearty desire to say “Fuck You” to anyone who makes snotty remarks about “flyover country” or “flyover people.”
Not all progressives do this, of course – but I hear it often enough that I need to say something.
Here are five reasons coastal progressives need to permanently purge these phrases from their vocabulary.
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Thus begins my piece for Everyday Feminism, 5 Reasons to Stop Talking Sh*t About People From the South and Midwest. Reprinted from AlterNet. Enjoy!
As a native Iowan and current resident of Chicagoland, I have to agree. There are a lot of progressives in this state but we still have to fight in order to be treated as equals.
As a born and raised Midwesterner who went to college in both Denver and Seattle, I was put on the defensive so many times. Especially in regards to my accent. Yes, when I pronounce “cot” and “caught,” they don’t rhyme! And Don and Dawn sound differently too. The way we were raised to speak is NOT a marker of our mental capacity.
Since “flyover people” usually end up picking the president we’re worth a little bit of respect.