Too bad you didn't go to homecoming in Texas!

You're right. I misunderstood Kelly's original statement and as I said before, I think her reference to Ole Miss was relevant. Before I realized her reference, I thought her comparison between the UK and the American South was an effort to compare a civilized, cultured population with a backasswards, ignorant one,…

WHAT?? Are you implying that I'm pro-Confederacy? That is beyond insulting. Please don't fit me into your uninformed, ignorant assumptions. You have no idea what you're talking about because you've never lived in the South. I can't believe admitting that there might be something in the world you're not totally…

You've misread my comments if you think I'm characterizing all Northerners one way. I criticized culture writers in the North and specific individuals I've run across. However, it's sort of irrelevant because the power structure is unequal. Me criticizing the North in no way affects anyone, but assumptions about the…

Maybe not generally, but in this specific thread, I was angry because I have lived in the North and people are shitty about the South without analyzing themselves. It's very frustrating to care about a place and its people and hear colleagues say, "Woah wasn't it hard to teach in a segregated school system? The South…

I meant aesthetic beauty as in, Scarlett's velvet dress is pretty if it exists in a vacuum with no historical or cultural connotations, which I honestly think it is for a lot of white people. To you and me, Scarlett's image has everything to do with racism but to a lot of white people, she's just a pretty girl with…

Kelly clarified why she used Ole Miss in this example. I think it's fair and relevant. I'm saying that pointing to Ole Miss as hahathemostracistplace is pointless because it doesn't make Ole Miss less racist and it allows us to put ourselves on higher moral ground without analyzing the ways we fall into more subtle…

I'm confused about what your point is. Can you clarify? I talked about how my university was racist and you pointed out that Ole Miss is more racist. That's fine, but so what (this is a real question, not rhetorical rudeness)? What action or idea is this data spurring us to do or think?

I don't defend Ole Miss. I didn't go there so I have no idea what it's like. I'm simply saying that many of the proof points you use to illustrate the racism there (which I'm not disagreeing with at all) are prevalent across the nation. Even in supposed bastions of acceptance. Saying Ole Miss is the worst of the worst…

Girl yes! LA is so racist - I used to live there myself before moving to Louisiana. But it's so hipster-racist that people are blind. Also, since it's not explicitly connected to slavery, everyone gets a free pass to say horrifying shit to Hispanic and Asian people. I've never seen or heard anything like it.…

I love it! I think you're right - regardless of where the theme is used, the process is still a flattening of a period/culture into a few aesthetically pleasing icons that indicate a reference to something we all know. I'm more inclined to think there's a better understanding of the theme here in the US but that may…

Yikes! People definitely love appropriating things, plus I think with both Gone With The Wind and 1930's US culture, there's a lot of aesthetic beauty people are drawn too.

Mercy! My knees are going to be sore from the jerkin'. I was a bit surprised you disagreed and since I posted my reply have been wondering about your original tone. Apologies, Dark Lord! It's a honor having you agree :).

Theo James' mouth. Stahp.

But here's what I'm saying: thinking that these attitudes are specific to Ole Miss because of inherent Southern racism alleviates anyone else from analyzing their regions. I went to college at the biggest football in California with a huge Greek life, in which I was involved. The student body was as racist, sexist,…

I fought systemic racism daily as a public school teacher in an all-Black school. Now I work at an anti-racism, anti-poverty non-profit. Keep looking down on me - we really appreciate your support in all the good work we're doing for equity. Your ugly, ignorant assumptions are truly valuable for the people actually…

Do you see how one of those assumptions is actually harmful and widespread? Do you see how one of those assumptions actually has negative political, economic, and cultural implications for one region? Who the hell thinks everyone on the East Coast went to an Ivy? I don't think that's even a common misconception.

This false nostalgia is so interesting, especially coming from out of Europe (who I always think of as looking down on the US - I know that's not true but I grew up with snotty British cousins). There has also been a throwback to speakeasys throughout London, which is another interesting example of false nostalgia…

Thanks for clarifying! Sorry about the knee jerk again. I hope you don't carry around as big a chip on your shoulder in NYC as I do having left Louisiana - clearly it causes only pain :).