My potatoes bring all the Irish to the yard, and they're like, "That famine was hard"

Appalachia.  I had never actually thought about what that term referred to when I heard it.  I had actually never heard it so much until I got to Ohio University.  Little did I know, I've pretty much been living in Appalachia my entire life!  But for some reason people here like to acknowledge the existence of this culture/area much more than my hometown twenty minutes north of the heart of Pittsburgh.


"Oh yeah that's what it's like here in Appalachia!"
"Oh those people definitely look like they're from Appalachia!"
"Haha Appalachia!!"


Okay.  I know we're in Appalachia.  Thank you.  For some reason everyone in Ohio University and their mother wants me to know that for some reason.  The most I heard anything remotely close to "we live in Appalachia" back home was in my geography classes in 7th grade where we talked about the Appalachian Mountains.  So in other words, I never heard it, I guess that's why I never really knew about it or that I lived there.


So I started hearing this word a lot.  What exactly is everyone talking about when they say Appalachia? Context clues gave me hints, but it wasn't until a week or two ago where I finally found out what defines Appalachia and the stereotypical Appalachian man: a right-winged, redneck, poor-ass, uneducated, squirrel shooting hillbilly that lives somewhere around the eastern United States between the Southern Tier of New York state to northern Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia.  Of course, most of that doesn't seem to be the case for anyone I've met in Athens OR Pittsburgh, other than the whole, living there thing.


So as everyone I'm reading this to right now knows, I had to interview three people three simple questions and record their responses on this here blog.  First, I asked my Dad.  I called him on the telephone and said "Oh hey dad, I'd like to ask you some questions."  
He went ahead and said "Ask away son."
Why did I type that.


So I asked him what he thought when he heard Appalachia.  He pretty much just dolled out this list:
White Lightning (another name for moon-shine)
Bluegrass Music 
Poor people in the woods
Pick-up trucks 
Blue Ridge Mountains 
Cole mines 
Nascar
Dirt roads


He then went on to say is that enough, I don't have time for this.  I asked him if he was appalachian and he said no.  Then I told him that Pittsburgh was in Appalachia and he said never mind, yes.  So stereotypically he doesn't consider himself Appalachia, I don't think he wants to, but he is.  Hell, he says warsh instead of wash and yinz.  And then I asked him if he knew anyone who was Appalachian and he said "Well.. you live in Pittsburgh, so that makes you Appalachian, so yes.  Can I go now?"
He wanted to do the assignment less than I did.  I guess that's where I get it.  


At the very least, this blog is entertaining.


Next I interviewed my friend Hayden Wolford.  I asked him what he thought of when he heard the word Appalachia.  All he said was "Truthfully, I just think of home.  Oh, and red necks." 
He's from Jackson, Ohio, and thats only about 40 minutes north of here I think.  The other two questions had obvious answers so I didn't even ask them.


Finally.  I interviewed my twin brother Dennis.  And I was too lazy to type so...







This was easier than making up a 3rd interview.


I didn't post this in class or anything.