The Liberal Redneck Manifesto: Draggin' Dixie Outta the Dark

The Liberal Redneck Manifesto, Draggin’ Dixie outta the Dark, by Trae Crowder, Corey Ryan Forrester, and Drew Morgan, is well-written, persuasive, important, and hilarious. (Disclaimer: I am a seventy-something little old white lady, born in New Orleans during The War, raised a Yankee in Ohio, highly over-educated, and militantly retired after 46 years of university teaching right here on the Mason-Dixon line.) Even with all that against me, I highly recommend this book to everyone, liberal, conservative and non-aligned. You will certainly learn something, you will probably laugh out loud, and you will not be wasting your time. First, as I have already said, The Liberal Redneck Manifesto is very well-written. Even considering the dialectal speech, which gives Mr. Mark Twain a run for his money, and the constant cussing, which loses its sting around page 3, the sentences are true to the rhythms, patterns, accents and grammar of actual human speech. The paragraphs are well-structured and the arguments, for the most part, unfold logically. The diction is a charming and dis-arming mix of dialectal speech and academic-ese: “In case y’all haven’t picked up on it, the South is poor. Did we mention that? Well, it is. But it would still be disingenuous to try to depict the experience of being poor in the South as a consistent one.” The writing is persuasive because Mr. Crowder and his cronies provide historical background, precise definitions, and clear evidence before they even begin their arguments. They do genuine research, and they offer statistical data, usually from government sources. They liberally salt the meat of their argument with personal details provided by each of the three in their individual “Porch Talks.” Equally important, to my mind, they face up to unpleasant facts, acknowledge them, explain specific cause and actual effect, and then recommend that “we” do better. “We can’t fix stupid anywhere. Neither Aunt Tammy nor Tristan the barista is gonna change. But their kids might. Their friends might. We can’t save every one. We’re here for those who wonder if maybe, just maybe, things could be a little bit better. We’re here for the reckoning. Let’s get to it.” Because this Manifesto brings into the open quite a few issues that have not been (to my personal knowledge) previously addressed in quite this folksy or big-hearted way, this book is important. While I consider myself mostly to the left of liberal, and rather snottily, I confess, I consider myself well-informed, I learned quite a bit from this book that I simply did not know. From the local definition of “Redneck” and human details of the “Draw” to the nuances of regional country music, the horrors visited upon families by alcohol and “Pillbillies,” and the facts behind Southern racism, I stand corrected and much better informed. To top it all off, this “tome” of theirs is an easy read. No, actually, it is hilarious. From the first page I was laughing out loud and began to mark in the margins every time I did it again. By page78, I had made 37 check marks. That adds up to about one guffaw every two pages. If I were still teaching university English classes, I would require The Liberal Redneck Manifesto (or large parts of it) in every persuasive writing class. This is how it’s done, folks!

I read this book because I was terrified of rednecks, even though some of them are my best friends :). But since I moved from Wisconsin to Atlanta a few years ago...there was no escape!! One fine day the scientist in me needed some explanations. I stumbled across this book and then decided to start over from a more culturally naive place. I still continue to be shocked at how much my perceptions have changed after reading this book. Clearly, I knew so little about pockets of the deep south. But these three gentlemen, waste no time in smashing the shackles of unfair stereotypes that have been doled out by the magnanoumous elite in this country. Although the content of this book ranges from politics to upbringing and religion, there is a solid unifying theme that basically implores the reader (even if you aren't an American, like me) to step back from the common view that - 'Rednecks are _____' (fill in the blank with whatever you've heard) and really understand where they're coming from. A rare combination of the bare naked truth in their personal anecdotes and innumerable hilarious descriptions of southern reality as they see it - is what makes this book hit! Kudos to them for covering some touchy subjects in such an authentic manner and most importantly for not pulling anyone else down. Not only do they not bad-mouth or belittle any other culture, but they actualy scrutinize the shortcomings of the familiar redneck mentality that is relevant to their discussion. I particularly love the writing style they adopt because it allows you to read this book as if it were narrated with that typical southern drawl. My highest praise goes towards the fact that they write with such modesty, an undertone that continuously overshadows even their most unapologetically crass, albeit on point, explanations. This is what I absolutely needed to read to realize that not all rednecks are xenophobic and that there are reasons to their apparent madness. The information is this book has eventually lead me to explore a whole other chasm of southern history that I would otherwise never have cared for and for this I am ever thankful! I enjoyed getting lost with these three 'guardians of hick dystopia' that I now oddly respect and will definitely re-read this book everytime a redneck freaks me out :). Love it!

I will be buying several copies of this as Christmas gifts for family members who probably haven't read a book in years. It's long overdue. One of the book's co-authors, Trae Crowder, gained internet fame with a series of hilarious (and profane) videos overflowing with common sense and his particular Southern style of humor. So the book is salty at times--the three authors are all stand-up comics from the Deep South--but that's intentional and I highly recommend it as a light and funny (but very informative) read on what makes Southern culture tick, what has gone wrong with it, and how to fix it without fundamentally changing what it is--a uniquely American culture that values personal freedom, patriotism, family, faith, and fun (while also being prideful and stubborn as hell). Though the authors' goals are essentially non-partisan (they have plenty of criticism and gall for both major political parties), they tend to criticize one of the parties, by name, more than the other, mainly because, well, that's the party that runs every single Southern state. Still, this is by no means a partisan political screed. As a Southerner it all rings quite true. I'm not exactly a "redneck" (though I am fluent in their dialect, in which much of this is written, making it fun to read). My family has been in the South for centuries, and I grew up around this culture. Having since moved away to New England, I have struggled for years to come to terms with my fellow Southern friends and family members who seem to see the world in strictly black and white terms (sometimes literally), whether the subject is religion, guns, race, immigration, women's rights, LGBT rights, etc. These authors work very hard to unravel these binary narratives to help their readers understand the importance of valuing the grayness in our complicated modern world--and holding them accountable--while never becoming overly pedantic or losing their comedic edge. If you ARE a Southerner, and you happen to be a conservative, please don't judge this book by its title. The authors are absolutely liberals, but they are as country and redneck as anyone I've ever met, and they love the USA, their guns, their beer, Dale Earnhart (boy do they love him!), their music, their "Mamaws," sweet tea, and all that delicious Southern food. They mostly aren't very religious, but were raised in the church and have the utmost respect for those who are (but be prepared for some hard truths about that, too). You owe it to yourself to read this, if for no other reason than to be reminded that we aren't all cut from the same cloth and it's possible to be a true Southerner and a liberal at the same time without anyone getting hurt. If you're NOT a Southerner, and maybe you tend to look down your nose at Southern culture and make big, sweeping assumptions about Southern people, be prepared to learn a thing or two, as well as have your own hypocrisy checked a few times. These guys take no prisoners.

A funny and sardonic look at American politics.

OMG, I am having so much fun with this book! I have been a Trae Crowder fan for some time and finally bought this book (in hardcover, not on my Kindle, so I could make margin notes and share it with people). Got it in the mail early today and am not quite halfway through it. Just finished the chapter on Southern food. I grew up in Arkansas (poor but "genteel") and this all resonates with me, especially after my visit home just last week (I now live in California). I expected some political fun and pertinent commentary here, but this is so much more than politics. It's socioeconomic commentary in a very funny, very vernacular style. I'm 65 years old, so some of the slang and colloquialisms are new, but it is still completely in line with what I grew up with. I'm actually quite amazed at how little this area of the country has changed since I was a child and how the experiences of these young men are so in line with my own experiences growing up. I am so looking forward to sharing this with my born-in-California son (who also went back home with me last week), because he is very much interested in exploring his roots and understanding the context of his background (and he's an aficionado of sweet tea). The references to muscadines were so fun for me, as I used to pick them wild when I was a kid. I noticed that, so far, they haven't referenced scuppernongs (another wild grape variety I experienced as a child). I could go on, but I won't. My advice to anyone, be they liberal or conservative, is to read this with as much of an open mind as you can. Understanding the South is vital to understanding the entire country and, up until Trae and his cohorts, has been mostly of the Beverly Hillbillies variety (which was also great fun and something our Arkansas family always enjoyed). Hearing the voices of well-educated and very intelligent Southerners who also know how to make things relevant and funny for all of us is really important. These guys are worth reading and worth listening to.

I loved this book for many reasons, but mainly because it resonated with me the same way Trae Crowder's videos do. It is at turns hilarious, poignant and insightful. Many of the authors' experiences (growing up dirt poor, not really knowing where the drive to pull oneself out of poverty comes from, and being a liberal progressive in the South) and observations (the dangers of judging "all" of any group -- be they rural Southerners or members of the LBGTQ community or Muslims -- as being exactly the same; how the real enemies of the poor are rich and wanting to get richer businessmen and politicians, not other oppressed and looked-down-upon groups; that while the South has genuine issues that need to be addressed -- racism and drug addiction among them -- they are not alone in this, etc.) are so similar to my own that I could have written much the same sentiments. Although they are definitely funnier than I could ever be. Their criticisms of the South are made with genuine affection for the region and its people because they see the potential for a change in attitudes to elevate the region and help out its people at the same time. After all, Trae, Corey and Drew are products of the South themselves. Sometimes it takes observations from the inside -- and that of comedians and satirists -- to really get at the complexity of problems rather than the simplistic view touted by politicians and big business who want to maintain the status quo because keeping large swaths of the country poor, ignorant and angry at everyone but them serves their own agendas. Oh, and the chapter of Mamaws and Papaws made me smile. :)

For a mixture gift, of Father's Day and her father's approaching 44th birthday (September 22nd), our daughter got her father tickets to the WellRED Tour with Trae Crowder, Drew Morgan, and Corey Ryan in Boston, MA. In one of Trae's interviews, he said they were thankful for all of their fan support and that the guys would be happy to sign any book that was brought to one of their shows, so my (early) birthday gift to my husband was their physical book; The Liberal Redneck Manifesto: Draggin' Dixie Outta the Dark (he received the Kindle version for Father's Day from our youngest daughter). Well, apparently, The Wilbur was running things a little differently than we'd anticipated and you were supposed to buy a VIP bracelet to meet the guys so they could sign stuff. Chris asked The Wilbur's manager if he could just have his book signed and that he didn't need to meet them. The manager asked the guys' road manager if that'd be okay and he said it would be, however, Chris was told due to his handicap power wheelchair and the stage not being handicap accessible he couldn't go up there himself. So our daughter was allowed up on stage to get the book signed for him. When she explained she'd brought her Dad to the show as a gift and that he and she were from a small town in Maine, the guys asked where Chris was. Rose pointed him out and explained he wasn't allowed on stage due to his non-ability to get up the stairs, so the guys (all three of them) jumped down from the stage and walked the distance to Chris to shake his hand and thank him for being there. They then walked back to the stage, crawled back up, and signed Chris' book. Chris was so excited that they'd gone that extra step to shake his hand and just say, "hello". Below is the book that they signed and the tickets that she'd purchased. This book is a fantastic read and even before the guys making my husband's night I would have recommended it to anyone who has seen any of their videos and/or podcasts and liked them. Now I must give a bigger shout out to the men themselves and recommend that you catch one of the shows in person in a town near you! (You might want to find out in advance the venue's rules on signing things, though.)

You've probably seen Trae Crowder's "Liberal Redneck" YouTube videos. (If y'ain't, y'ort to.) And the other two comics currently touring with him on the WellRed Comedy Tour are just as funny as he is, so when I found out the three of them had written a book together, I knew I had to read it. I expected the book to be funny, and it definitely did not disappoint on that score. But I was pleasantly surprised by that fact that it was also insightful and informative. They delve pretty deeply into some serious subjects, and make some very important social and political points regarding those subjects, all while continuing to be funny as hell. Their stated purpose in wiring this book (beyond making money) was twofold; to explain liberalism to their fellow rednecks, and to help the coastal liberal elitists understand the South beyond the caricature that so often define the region in the minds of others. And as a liberal who has lived most of his life in the South, I think they largely succeeded at both. Hell, I even learned a few things about how growing up in the South has changed from my generation to theirs. Like the pillbilly phenomenon. Or how rednecks like rap music now. (Who knew?) And they make you laugh along the way. Of course, the best humor is that which serves to illustrate a serious point, and theirs usually does. So understand, this is not the light hearted Blue Collar Comedy Tour humor. Nothing wrong with that stuff, just that this ain't that. This is a little darker, more in your face, and definitely not "family friendly". So be warned, there will be cussin'. Cuz, you know, redneck. So yeah, read this book. If you're a Southerner who wants to understand liberals, read this book. If you're a liberal who wants to understand Southerners, read this book. Or if you just want a good laugh, read this book. Whoever you are, just read the damn book already.

Excellent. Took only a short time to get used to the slight language difference between UK and Redneck . It was humorous, informative and sad in places. The great sense of pride that you get from the authors, as well as the frustration, that only a few small changes might make Dixie a better place for everyone is palpable. How people have been wronged in this post Industrial Age, and the emergence of severe morphine addiction is terribly sad. The way addicts are criminalised when not violent, instead of being helped is awful - and the drug responsible is legal! And yet the relatively harmless weed is not. A lot of the problems of poverty in the area of the UK where I live is reflected in this book. Only one small criticism. , in the music section, they missed out Nine Pound Hammer, a Redneck Punk band I love. Lending this book to my sister next then my brother.

I have to admit that as a white English Canadian from Ontario, I had a tonne of misconceptions about the South. After all, my part of the world was the northern terminus of the Underground Railroad. But these three fellows really peeled away those misconceptions to show us a very dynamic culture that has its many imperfections (Canada is no different in that regard) but has many advantages and is peopled by very strong folk who (as witness the case of Trae) can go places when given the chance. I hope that not just Americans from the old Confederacy read this book. It’s a work whose lessons can be applied elsewhere in the world (with the necessary modifications to take into account local history and culture, of course). People worldwide need to read this book. Oh, yeah! And watch Trae on YouTube, eh!

The Liberal Redneck "gets" it, and he "hits". I recommend everyone who wants to understand liberals from the south, to take a few nights to read this. These guys are enlightened, and funny!

A great comedic review of the US south from the inside. Between laughs it's educational and offers some hope.

Enjoyed it through and through