Weird appalachia

[MarkCevoli]

So I just read a novel titled "The Devil All the Time" which was about very bizarre and strange people living in Appalachia and it dawned on me there is a whole subsection of novels and movies about crazy people murdering or harassing people in these small towns in the south in Appalachia. Is this based on reality, stereotype, or pure fiction? Certainly don't want to be picked up by these characters!

[sympathetic joy]

So I just read a novel titled "The Devil All the Time" which was about very bizarre and strange people living in Appalachia and it dawned on me there is a whole subsection of novels and movies about crazy people murdering or harassing people in these small towns in the south in Appalachia. Is this based on reality, stereotype, or pure fiction? Certainly don't want to be picked up by these characters!

Are those banjos I hear off in the distance....

[jumbojimbo]

Better stay at home...

[Connie]

Hike a different trail, unless, well, uh there could be bears.

But then you would have a better chance with four-legged predators than two-legged predators.

[Coffee]

Stereotypes. Small town people are by and large much more friendly than people in big cities. There are definitely some "characters" out there but that's true in the city as well.

[Sarcasm the elf]

So I just read a novel titled "The Devil All the Time" which was about very bizarre and strange people living in Appalachia and it dawned on me there is a whole subsection of novels and movies about crazy people murdering or harassing people in these small towns in the south in Appalachia. Is this based on reality, stereotype, or pure fiction? Certainly don't want to be picked up by these characters!

I don't mean this to sound rude, but think about it this way; all of those sorts of stories about stereotypical podunk folk could just as well been set in the backwoods of Maine.

I've lived in NYC and in several cities in Connecticut, all of those places are much more dangerous than anywhere on the A.T.

[WingedMonkey]

You could go south-bound.

Then when you quit, at least you will still be in Maine.

[Connie]

Isn't there a scarey movie about the backwoods of Maine?

[Sarcasm the elf]

Isn't there a scarey movie about the backwoods of Maine?

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0139414/

[Connie]

That's it! That is classic.

[bigcranky]

You could go south-bound.

Then when you quit, at least you will still be in Maine.

I about spit my whisky all over the living room. Which would have been a shame....

[yerbyray]

So I just read a novel titled "The Devil All the Time" which was about very bizarre and strange people living in Appalachia and it dawned on me there is a whole subsection of novels and movies about crazy people murdering or harassing people in these small towns in the south in Appalachia. Is this based on reality, stereotype, or pure fiction? Certainly don't want to be picked up by these characters!

I have been all over the US and crazy is everywhere.

I guess that I am a resident expert (born and reared here in western NC) and have worked in law enforcement 15 of the last 21 years (six years being CEO for a large non-profit that interacted with all aspects of humanity) My parents were a newspaper editor and a state trooper. I know the types around here.

Western NC was hit hard about eight years ago with the meth epidemic. That replaced the crack cocaine of the 90's which replaced the pot epidemic of the 70-80's, which replaced the moon-shine of the 30's-40's-50's. Meth is much smaller issue as the state cracked down on the psued. purchasing so the meth labs are the "shake n bake" small quantity lower quality kind. Lord knows what is next. Crime in western NC is based on drugs to a large extend. They seek money to buy the next good time. Rates are down and even the petty crap is going away as the economy recovers.

Folks are folks. There are a lot of people who are clannish and do not take to strangers and are set in their ways. They are open minded hippie types who will hug you and the tree you are leaning on. There are a thousand types in between.

A lot of the original mountain folks are all gone. They have been bought out for scenic views and vacation homes. For every Eric Rudolph there is 10,000 Andy Griffins. Where ever you go......Argentina to Zaire just treat people with respect and don't talk down to anyone and you will be fine. No one likes a know-it-all or smart-a@%.

[vamelungeon]

I thought "The Devil All The Time" was set in Ohio, not Appalachia. I could be wrong though.

[Trailweaver]

We here in the south tend to hear stories about weird people in Maine, too, but I try not to believe everything I hear and judge people by the way they treat me. Come on down - I think you'll be both surprised and delighted.

[Fireonwindcsr]

Pot epidemic? Hmmmmmm

[SwissGuy]

I thought "The Devil All The Time" was set in Ohio, not Appalachia. I could be wrong though.

Never read the book, but SE Ohio is part of Appalachia.

[illabelle]

So I just read a novel titled "The Devil All the Time" which was about very bizarre and strange people living in Appalachia and it dawned on me there is a whole subsection of novels and movies about crazy people murdering or harassing people in these small towns in the south in Appalachia. Is this based on reality, stereotype, or pure fiction? Certainly don't want to be picked up by these characters!

Mark, I haven't read the book, so I'm not familiar with its stories, but as a resident of a small community in the southern parts of Appalachia (where are its boundaries anyway???), I can assure you that many of us are bizarre and strange! We eat possum! We eat road kill! We even eat grits!! Not only that, but even though the department stores are full of merchandise, you will still find a lot of us barefoot. In fact, I'll confess and say that I'm barefoot right now! First thing I do when I get home is kick off my shoes. I slip on some crocks in the winter when I go outside to do chores, but us folks of Appalachia love the feel of dirt and grass between our toes. Being barefoot also makes us more stealthy when we sneak up on outsiders to do 'em in. There's an old cistern on my property from an earlier owner. Some rocks weigh down a sheet of metal covering the top. Ain't no telling who mighta got throwed in there once upon a time - I ain't looked to see!

Of course, I'm just having a little fun here. Reality is that I'm vegetarian and barefoot and there really is an old cistern. We looked in it years ago, but I don't remember what was there. Maybe we didn't have a flashlight... Anyway, small pockets of whatever "true Appalachia" is still endure here and there, but it's mostly about poverty and isolation. I found a helpful quote from Wikipedia:

Since its recognition as a distinctive region in the late 19th century, Appalachia has been a source of enduring myths and distortions regarding the isolation, temperament, and behavior of its inhabitants. Early 20th-century writers often engaged in yellow journalism focused on sensationalistic aspects of the region's culture, such as moonshining andclan feuding, and often portrayed the region's inhabitants as uneducated and prone to impulsive acts of violence. Sociological studies in the 1960s and 1970s helped to re-examine and dispel these stereotypes.^[3]

[MarkCevoli]

I know all is fine guys just a joke, and only illabelle answered the question And yes it was set in Ohio, but the couple that drives around picking up hitchhikers would drive down south to Georgia and that area to do their photographing.

[illabelle]

Just in case anybody needs to know how to fix a possum, I found a recipe:

Well, I don’t know what you think about possums but us hillbillies takes ‘em serious. However, the stereotype of hillbillies eating possum are over exaggerated. The truth is that in most hillbilly homes you’d be lucky to see possum on the table two or three times a week. We always have possum less than three days out of the week at my house.

Delicious Possum

Once I was in Brooklyn and a guy from Staten Island asked me if it were true that “you people” eat possums. He was dead serious, I suppose he learned all about hillbillies from watching television, he had never been out of New York. With a very serious face I told him that yes, of course we eat possums but not every day. I told him that I went two or three days in a row without getting to eat possum and now that I was working in New York I couldn’t seem to find it in any of the restaurants. I never told him any different.

To continue, click the link...
http://www.hillbillycrackpot.com/how...cook-a-possum/

[daddytwosticks]

...you sure do have a purdy mouth. Can you squeal like a pig?