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white trash

white trash is a derogatory American English racial slur referring to poor white people, especially in the rural southern United States. The label signifies lower social class inside the white population and especially a degraded standard of living. The term has been adopted for people living on the fringes of the social order, who are seen as dangerous because they may be criminal, unpredictable, and without respect for authority whether it be political, legal, or moral.1 The term is usually a racial slur,2 but may also be used self-referentially by working class whites to jokingly describe their origins or lifestyle.3456 In common usage, "white trash" overlaps in meaning with "cracker" (regarding Georgia and Florida), "hillbilly" (regarding Appalachia), "Okie" (regarding Oklahoma origins), and "redneck" (regarding rural origins).11 The main difference is that "redneck", "cracker", "Okie", and "hillbilly" emphasize that a person is poor and uneducated and comes from the backwoods with little awareness of the modern world, while "white trash" emphasizes the person's moral failings.12

Use of "white trash" epithets has been extensively reported in African American culture.192021 Black authors have noted that blacks, when taunted by whites as "niggers", taunted back, calling them "white trash".20 Some black parents taught their children that poor whites were "white trash".22 The epithet appears in black folklore.23 As an example, slaves (when out of earshot of whites) would refer to harsh slave owners as a "low down" man, "lower than poor white trash", "a brute, really".24

By BEHAVE GUYS

white trash

Uneducated and slow witted people who lack social graces and proper hygene. When they come in the "Northern" variety they usually inhabit bleak industrial neighbourhoods of rust belt cities like Cleveland, Detroit, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Toledo, Youngstown, and Flint. A common denominater amongst many from this class is a lack of a high school diploma, resentment toward local law enforcement, bitter feuds with their neighbours, lack of self respect, a love of cigarette smoking, a proclivity toward alcohol and drug abuse, a beligerant attitude, a need to use foul language, and an absolut abhorance of soap or cleanliness of any kind. Sometimes these people will work menial jobs, particularly in the fast food industry for women, and low end unskilled mechanical or construction jobs for the men. More often than not though many are either out on State compensation for "bad backs" or some form of government welfare. Automobiles of choice are usually low-end domestic varieties of at least ten years of age. Quite often certain mechanical defects are apparent such as dragging mufflers, bashed in front-ends, dangling rear bumpers wired to the frame, and of course, rust, rust, and more rust. More often than not, many from this class have had their driving privledges revoked due to alcohol issues, so battered old bicycles are always in fashion. Indeed, in many of the high streets where such people predominate, one will often be reminded of Beishing, China because of so many middle-aged men tooling along the streets on bicycles. Mulletts, once popular with the white trash of the rust belt have now given way to buzz-cuts and goatees as so many middle class men and women are now sporting longer hair styles. Of course, the white tee shirt and K-Mart jeans are still considered haute coiture. WWF Wrestling is still a big draw for many of these people and many are also rabid NFL fans as they are sometimes some of the biggest supporters of their beloved "Bills," Browns," "Lions," and "Steelers." Their tastes in music usually runs along the line of heavy metal for the young and top 40 for the adults. "Southern" white trash are a completely different kettle of fish. Since so many of the previous writers dwelled exclusively on their habits, I won't go any further, but suffice it to say they are more rural in their backgrounds and their tastes.

A white trash Beavis and Butthead all grown up.

By Gasz-man

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