When the hell did 'Blue Collar' come to mean 'Mulleted Redneck'

[WillyBrandt]

Is this some etymological change I'm unaware of? California and Vermont are full of 'blue collar' people (just as Georgia and Tennessee) are. There are both black and white blue collar folks. There are male and female ones.

When did it get redefined as white, Southern, rural male?

[BlueCollar]

1. Oh Shit...

Did it really happen?

[masshole]

5. right now, on Comedy Central

"Blue Collar TV" is airing.
Everyone in the cast either is the stereotype you described, or portraying the stereotype.

[HEyHEY]

2. Good point

In fact the traditional Blue Collar joe was a tradesman with a house in the burbs and a family and a dodge...the kind of guy that would look at a mulleted redneck and think "What a loser"

[Maddy McCall]

6. So you guys are investing in the myth that working southerners are...

mullet-sporting hillbillies.

Keep on stereotyping...it's so democratic.

[jeff30997]

10. Dang i'm tired of them stirotypes !

[Maddy McCall]

13. What an intelligent contribution...

You add SO MUCH to this conversation.

[jeff30997]

18. Thank you.

:evilgrin:

[HEyHEY]

17. What does this have to do with southerners?

[Maddy McCall]

3. Maybe Mississippians got sick and tired of being referred to as...

ignorant rednecks.

And there ARE lots of blue collar workers in this state. LOTS.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

4. Good question. It is sad and disturbing to see that...

the hard working people of America who are not affluent are being
"characatured" into Toby Kieth's and Gretchen Wilsons.

:puke:

[no_hypocrisy]

7. 1980. When Reagan officially began the Class Warfare strategy to

win the election. Otherwise, blue collar families would have continued to vote democratic.

[BlueCollar]

8. let's see

i drive an SUV, believe in the second amendment, fly the flag on the fourth, union member and get paid by the hour, live in Texas

and vote Democrat...

I like my member name...and won't get a mullet

[realisticphish]

12. good point

though i will note that being union is as un-repuke as you can get...

:hippie: The Incorrigible Democrat

[Mojambo]

9. I wrote a little mini-rant

about this phenomenon on my blog.

http://mojambo.blogspot.com/

Just scroll under the NFL preview.

(And yes I'm ashamed of this blatant plug)

[Ohio Dem]

11. They stole it.

Just like they managed to make the word "liberal" seem like a bad word, they've changed "blue collar" to mean "redneck."

Just like when they say "Democrats don't care about the little guy anymore," they mean "Democrats want to help all the people, not just the whites."

They've done this with lots of phrases. "Pro-life" instead of "anti-choice." "Pro-abortion" instead of "pro-choice." "You hate America" instead of "you don't like Bush." "Supporting the troops" instead of "pro-war." "Blame America first" instead of "trying to fix what's wrong in America." And so on. "Christian values" instead of "anti-Jesus doctrines" is another one.

[BlueCollar]

14. jeez...

do I have to change my name to liberal bluecollar prochoice...yadda, yadda, yadda...?

I mean...I will if it really pisses the freepers off...

[Ohio Dem]

15. LOL

You don't have to try so hard to piss off freepers. I'm sure my handle pisses them off, too.

[Khephra]

16. I think it's a recent situation--my thoughts

With The Cable Guy leading the front.

I remember when it was used for lower-middle class comedies that at least had a heart to it (Rosanne & Butler). But notice one thing--both of those Stars were women.

I'm bluish/red-necked from my upbringing. Raised in wheat fields and brought to the suburbs as a teen.

Rosanne and Butler spoke to me as being understanding of a person from my class and being (primarily) raised by women.

Today's "blue collar" comedy seems to be drunk men making fun of women while enjoying being work less. Am I wrong?

[SoCalDem]

19. Blue collar used to mean

people who worked with their hands..usually union..and usually wearing blue overall uniforms.. The upper crusties wore white dress shirts..

Now that the unions are pretty much defunct, MOST jobs are blue collar.:( and NON-UNION.. )even suckier).. at least "back then" union guys sometimes made MORE than the white collar guys..