You might be a redneck if you think an arm curl is when you lift a pitcher of beer.
You might be a redneck if “karaoke” is what you do for your pal from Oklahoma after he’s had too many Natural Lites.
Or you might be a redneck if you notice big-city marketers sniffing around your wallet like a hound dog on a hot scent.
Redneck cool. Trailer-park fabulous. White-trash chic. Blue-collar vogue. Whatever you choose to call it, it is hip. And the smart money knows there is cash to be made in peddling down-home culture.
How big is the redneck? Pixar’s latest animated film, “Cars,” embraces the down-home nature of the NASCAR culture when it opens Friday. Connect the dots before “Cars,” and the trend shines brighter than a big, fat ‘skeeter getting fried on a bug zapper:
– NASCAR has grown from a regional sport in the Southeast to become the second most popular sport in America (after football), based on TV ratings.
– “My Name Is Earl” makes some of us feel like our uncles have their own TV shows, while the daffy family from the recent movie “RV,” headed by Jeff Daniels and Kristin Chenoweth, is an argument for staying in hotels.
– Trucker hats and big belt buckles are in.
– Gretchen Wilson proudly belts out “Redneck Woman,” the Dixie Chicks swagger on “White Trash Wedding,” and Toby Keith keeps honky-tonkin’ on his newest album, “White Trash with Money.”
– Pabst Blue Ribbon has become the latest hipster beer, after decades of being consumed only by old cheeseheads sitting around ice-fishing holes.
– Books such as “The Redneck Wedding Planner” (“You should NEVER share a septic tank with his momma”) and “White Trash Etiquette” are hitting shelves for them rednecks that can read.
– Online retailers such as White Trash Palace and Jolene’s Trailer Park have become available to high-tech rednecks.
– And finally, there’s the hugely popular Blue Collar Comedy franchise of Bill Engvall, Jeff (“You might be a redneck if …”) Foxworthy, Larry the Cable Guy and Ron “Tater Salad” White. The Blue Collar Comedy Tour movie has sold more than 2.5 million copies and spawned a show on the WB, and the Blue Collar Comedy channel launched recently on Sirius Satellite Radio.
