> [WS:] Bitchiness and public displays of emotions, especially anger are blue
> collar culturally coded expressions of earnestness, sincerity, and
> seriousness. They are opposed to the polite, reflective and conditional
> forms of talk of the intellectuals that symbolize flip-floppiness,
> wishy-washiness, and insincerity in that code. Yet another expression of
> anti-intellectualism, if you will. Bush used it quite effectively against
> Kerry. Also a secret beyond the popularity of shock jocks and gangsta
> rappers.
I think this is an interesting observation. White, blue collar earnestness has been a fascination of mine over the last few years because 1) it appears to be a class-based (why?); 2) it seems to be a relatively new phenomenon (why?); 3) it seems to play right into the hands of the Republican party (why?)
If you take the time to listen to mainstream commercial country music radio, for example, you'll find that the vast majority of the songs take a sloppy, sentimental, earnest tone you'd never have heard from older country singers like Hank Williams (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Xu71i89xvs) . I mean, compare the older stuff to, say, the single Toby Keith and Willie Nelson recorded called "Beer for My Horses" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JZUHFuklo8):
Grandpappy told my pappy, back in my day, son A man had to answer for the wicked that he done Take all the rope in texas Find a tall oak tree, round up all of them bad boys Hang them high in the street for all the people to see that Justice is the one thing you should always find You got to saddle up your boys You got to draw a hard line
Or Montgomery Gentry's new single "Lucky Man" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEsBCwV6pIc):
But I know I'm a lucky man God's given me a pretty fair hand Got a house and a piece of land A few dollars in a coffee can My old trucks still running good My ticker's ticking like they say it should I got supper in the oven, a good woman's loving And one more day to be my little kid's dad Lord, knows I'm a lucky man
Now the thematic changes in mainstream country music is only one manifestation of the new white, blue-collar earnestness. I'm sure there are more. So far, only the right seems to have figured out how to harness it effectively.
-WD