It seems that no matter where you live, you're going to be accompanied with stereotypes. I haven't lived in Louisiana my entire life, but even I am affected by these every time I go up north to visit family. People assume that living in Louisiana means that you're guaranteed to be the typical southern "hillbilly." Sorry to break it to you, but not everyone down here is the same. Here are a just a few of the Louisiana stereotypes to which I've been a victim.
1. I don't bleed black and gold...
Sorry, it's just not my color. Just because I live here doesn't mean I have to like the Saints. However, I did get out of school when they were in the Superbowl so there's that.
2. Or purple and gold.
I love my college, thank you very much. Go Dawgs!
3. Sorry, but I don't have alligators in my backyard.
When people ask me if I have alligators in my backyard, I'm really not sure how to respond anymore. In fact, most of the time I don't say anything.
4. I've never seen Duck Dynasty or Swamp People.
When I go up north during the summer it seems that this show is everyone's only experience with Louisiana. As such, they assume that I either have seen these shows or I know at least one person who has been on it.
5. I don't say "y'all."
I absolutely cannot say this. I refuse.
6. I'm not dumb...
Don't let my southern accent fool you--I'm not dumb or a hillbilly.
7. Or a redneck.
Really, I'm not. I'm pretty sure that nothing I do or have done can be classified as being redneck.
8. I don't live in New Orleans or Baton Rouge..
I honestly think that people just assume everyone from Louisiana is from either New Orleans or Baton Rouge. Sorry to break it to you but there's a lot more to the boot than these two cities. Even Britney Spears wasn't from either of these places.
10. Or a swamp.
Really, this should go without saying. Not all of Louisiana is swampland. I don't even live near a swamp nor have I ever been in one.
11. I don't eat crawfish, jambalaya, or gumbo all the time.
As much as I wish I could, I can't eat these delicious things all the time. Crawfish is my favorite, but unfortunately it's not always in season.
12. I don't hunt.
Nothing sounds appealing about waking up at the crack of dawn to sit in a deer stand for hours on end in the freezing cold hoping that a deer will walk by.
But hey, go ahead and think I do all these things. I'm just going to sit over here, eat my glorious king cake, and laugh.