re: I challenge any of you to go to Branson

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What...does southern even mean any more, people are people. I grew up in north east Mississippi, it didn't feel different than northwest Arkansas, it may look different. And please don't don't tell me Florida has a southern feel.

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Well yes and no. Southern means something to Southerners - we know it when we see it and hear it. But you are totally right, so much of Florida is no longer even remotely Southern - just go along the coast - once you pass Apalachicola and turn down the peninsula, Southern gets scarcer and scarcer. Here in Bradenton, I dare you to find a native Floridian who can trace his/her generations one or two past Chicago, Ohio, Michigan, or Indiana. It ain't easy. Accents here are predominantly Midwestern or East coast. And try to get seafood cooked like NOLA to Apalachicola-style - you can't find any. All bland or "blackened" according to what they think that should mean. Missouri is a mix - except for Mark Twain's river town,Hannibal, most of what is from St. Louis to north of there will be absolutely midwestern-sounding and culturally midwestern. Southern Ozark Missouri will be more like Arky. I'll also add that Atlanta is in transition from a totally Southern city to a real mix of Easterners from the North. The melting pot melts on...

This whole "like us" or not like us mentality really depends on who you are asking.

Kentucky and Tennessee are not exactly like southern Alabama and Mississippi. They are totally different than south Louisiana.

Arkansas is slightly different depending on which corner you are in. Western Arkansas being culturally more like Texas and Oklahoma, and so on and so on.

Norman feels a little more like "home" to me than say southeast Louisiana would, but thats because its only 3 hours away.

Joplin and McDonald County, MO are very similar culturally to NWA. People from St. Louis probably think that those people are culturally "Southern". In Chicago, southern Indiana is considered to be more like Kentucky than the rest of the midwest.

Alabama is the heart of the south, sure. But there's a lot more to the south than Alabama, or Louisiana, or Tennessee.

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Norman feels a little more like "home" to me than say southeast Louisiana would

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I can understand that. South Louisiana is unique to the rest of the South and honestly in many ways is unlike MS, AL, GA, KY, TN, or North (of Alexandria) LA. So culturally you would have more to do with OK than you would with Lafayette, Morgan City or NOLA. And so it makes perfect sense to me that because of your geographic/cultural orientation, OK or MO would not feel as "non-Southern" to you as it might to me.

That being said, I'd guess many non-Louisiana bred "Southerners" would share some part of your sense of cultural displacement in South Louisiana. It's a whole different history and cultural mix than most of the rest of the South - but no less "Southern" in its heritage. However...

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People from St. Louis probably think that those people are culturally "Southern". In Chicago, southern Indiana is considered to be more like Kentucky than the rest of the midwest.

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They probably do, but only a Southerner can recognize and/or define what a real Southerner is. For instance, Iowans I know really believe Arizona and New Mexico are in the South.

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Yeah he owns Denver Nuggets, Colorado Rapids, Colorado Avalanche, Colorado Mammoth, St Louis Rams and is the majority shareholder of Arsenal.....hes got some $$$. He is married to the daughter of walmart cofounder Bud Walton

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sounds like he could by a Big 10 school, close it down then yall* would have a spot up there for your team!


*Yall is southern for you guys

i've lived in St.Louis and in Fayetteville, and have visited Branson many times (unfortunately live in Cincinnati now). Anyway, the Missouri fan base is definitely not southern. ONce you get down toward the Branson area, you will see as much Arkansas influence as you do Missouri. However, most of the Missouri fanbase is from STL, KC, etc, and these are definitely NOT southern. They might think they are, but not even close.

Fayetteville on the other side is very southern. Honestly, its the best place aside from Louisiana that I have lived (TN, MO, OH, AR). I enjoy living in CInci now, but long for the days of SOUTHERN living in Fayetteville. Wish I was back in BR though!!!

All that being said, my vote is to drop the talk of Missouri, and move on...

Hey WMR, if you are North of Dixson and South of Herman's are you hanging out at Sassy's?

Good Times!!