Save the Hillbillies!

[Ozark Outlaw]

Uh, we do not use the word “hillbilly” in my household. We call them hill people, or country Americans.





Nah, I’m just teasing! 

Why the big fuss over hillbillies? Heck, even hillbillies call themselves hillbillies.

[Hatfield McCoy]

Wow, I completely missed this thread and had already posted a political correctness comment in the "Train holdup thread".  This just reinforces my comment on the sterilization of anything that "might" offend someone on any level.  

Historically the word "patriot" was meant in a derogatory way when the British used it to describe the rebellious colonists.

While I am sure that the corporate folk are trying to move away from the Hillbilly caricature that in no way resembled anything to an actual Hillbilly; it seems misguided.  Although if you look back they have moved away from this in many ways for quite a few years.  

History Buff's description of a true Hillbilly is spot on.  I think city folk took the vernacular and poor dress and stereotyped them as somehow dumb.  Of course the truly educated would realize how amazing it was for them to settle some of the most unforgiving land around and make a go of it through back breaking work, and an independent spirit.  

[Joy]

I'm totally with you, Junior. Methinks HFEC is becoming less of its F(amily) and more of its C(orporation). It seems that the wider they expand their holdings, the less attention is paid to the details, which is sad and so wrong, because it was the detailed attention to theme that got them where they are in the first place.

I'm scared that if it weren't for us fans and Citizens, things would be even MORE different. Thank goodness for the Internet where we can make our voices heard to them. If enough of us express our displeasure, they'll hopefully see the errors in judgment they've made recently.

This all saddens me to no end. I have been a patron of SDC for over half my life, and I'm beginning to worry about the future of the park. There are so many Citizens and shows that have been a mainstay of the park since before I even started visiting, so I worry that as people get older and start to retire, there'll be these gaps that could easily find themselves filled by less-than-stellar replacements.

What will we do when longtime groups like Cajun Connection and Pure Heart get to the point of retirement? What will we do when wonderful people like June Ward and Terry Sanders feel the need to move on to other things?

This is one reason why I am so strongly adamant about securing a full-time job at SDC once I graduate next May. I feel like it is up to my generation of young'in's who actually appreciate the crafts and music and not just the rides; who cherish the memories that are created, the family trips that cannot be replaced; I feel like it's up to us to become nothing less than apprentices to the older Citizens, to learn and absorb all we can and try our best to preserve the past and keep it alive for future generations.

I want my 2-year-old niece, ten years from now, to be able to walk around the park and have the same experiences I did at that age; to learn and explore and develop a deep admiration for the wonders of the Ozarks. I want her to know and genuinely appreciate the genius of Mark Twain, the masterpiece of Shepherd of the Hills, the beauty of Marvel Cave.

So, yes, this may be a small issue at the moment, but I feel as if it is one of many tiny steps that are building into a very disturbing turn away from what Silver Dollar City's core purpose is: to entertain the masses in a unique, educational way that garners admiration and respect for the Ozarks and its culture.

"Becky" Joy Helvie

[Ozark Outlaw]

I’m not trying to deviate too far off topic, but does anyone remember back in the day when a crowd would welcome the saloon girls by yelling “howdy hussies!” by chance? A few years ago they changed it to a more politically correct greeting of “howdy toots!”

It’s great to live in world today where if you take 100 people, and 1 person is offended, then the other 99 people must sacrifice their view to match that 1 person.  

[History Buff]

^I'm not starting a "Save the Hussies" thread!

Remember when they shouted "Howdy bimbos"? 

[Junior]

Chris, (Pete's son) Ron, (Jack's son) Jared, (Ron's son) and other Gen2 and Gen3 Herschends...WE NEED YOU! IT'S TIME TO TAKEOVER! KEEP MARY'S MIND AND HEART AND SPIRIT...LET'S GET BACK TO A FEW BASICS IN THE "GAME OF LOVE!" Expand the street troupe, put some quality merchandise in the stores, NO MORE Bouncing basketballs on the streets...would love to see a "sipper cart" or two (Remember those?) Revamp the treehouse. And yes, I'm going to say it HILLBILLIES! HILLBILLIES! HEY, you know what to do, go out there and DO IT! NOW! NOW! NOW!

(This ad paid for by former "citizens" who are fat, grey headed, middle aged Juniors for retro-progress, a non politcally correct organization that believes in a unique, quality theme park adventure at an 1880's ozarks "town" called Silver Dollar City.)    Five generations of my family have been entertained at the Branson properties...we will keep coming back, uh, provided the above.

[SteamFreak]

While SDC may distance itself from terms and characters that can be deemed racist or derogatory, I highly doubt they're really moving away from the hillbilly aspects of things. They did just open an entire ride themed around Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer, and half of the t-shirts sold at the park are sloganed with various redneck sayings. They also just completed a generous refurbishment of FITH, which of course is themed around the baldknobbers. I also noticed just a year or two ago that the J&P figures next to TNT's helix had be re-set up and cleaned up, and I'll bet the hobos out on the caboose have received some attention too.

So I don't really see where the park is losing it's hillbilly love. I was actually pleased to see how much they've done with Huck Finn, considering the controversies there.

Indeed the HOBO's did get a nice touch-up for the 2010 season, as did the ole wreck of 82'

[bthomas]

I certainly hope that those in Georgia don't loose sight of what made this park so successful.  It's celebrates America and the family values that are at the core of this country.  In it's effort to appeal to a larger demographic, I hope they don't try to sanitize the park to make it more inviting to others that may not hold what this park stands for as dearly as those of us here do.

Something so iconic as SDC needs to be treated as such.  I don't believe you can run a park as unique as SDC like you would run a typical park.  Running it as just another spoke in the corporate wheel will spell disaster.  This park was the start of something wonderfull and needs to be treated with the respect it as earned.  As the corporation as grown I have seen SDC's prominence lessen to other parks that have been acquired.  Let's not allow a corporate mentality to ruin a place that we have come to cherish.  Let's hope that the attention the park as garnered from corporate with River Battle and the anniversary doesn't fade with the arrival of 2011 season.

[jeffthephotog]

I embrace the title 'Hillbilly'. Growing up in Springfield I was always amused by uppity folks here who wanted to distance themselves from that title. I've often said (when in a social setting with a group of uppity types) that Springfield Symphony Orchestra has some of the best FIDDLE players in these here parts. That never gets a very warm response...hahaha but its all said in good fun. Some folks around here just take themselves WAAAAY too seriously.

[PastorDon]

Hey!  I've got an idea.  Let's have some fun with this.  (Maybe we should start a new thread, but as a newbie I'm not sure I've earned the right yet!)  Let's brainstorm on the Top Ten Ways Political Correctness Would Change SDC! 

I'll start:

PC CHANGE #10:  Guests will no longer be allowed to shoot at the prisoners in the Great Flooded Mine Shootout, as this might offend members of the "Incarcerated Community".  Instead they must read them their Miranda rights and secure for them a government lawyer (they'll replace the clueless guards seen throughout the attraction.) ...THEN you can shoot them.  (The lawyers are fair game.)

[History Buff]

^Oh, great minds think alike.  I wrote up several suggested changes, but then did not post them because the changes themselves were offensive!

Here go anyway:

PC CHANGE #9:  Love My Country will henceforth be known as Love Any Country Other than the USA.  It is offensive to illegal aliens and some on the left coast that the American flag be flown, saluted, or pledged to; therefore all opening ceremonies and acknowledgment of veterans will be canceled for the remainder of the season, and patriotic portions of music performances will be "softened" to include a new SDC version of "We Are the World".  Guests will be encouraged to hold hands in a special "Hands Across the City" ceremony at the end of each day.

And as for your #10 suggestion, all projectile weapons will henceforth be confiscated from all attractions including the Flooded Mine, Geyser Gulch, Lost River, Fire in the Hole, and yes, the new River Battle.

[PastorDon]

^As the butter said to the jelly, "We're on a roll". 

[Copper]

They put the hanging Baldknobber scene back in FITH, I don't think SDC is trying to get too politically correct. I haven't heard anyone on park say, "Don't be hillbilly!" or "Don't use the word hillbilly!" I know there were a few things that were a little off-putting that they changed on park, actually I can only think of one thing.

[shavethewhales]

I hate to be the downer again, but I really don't understand the small explosion of posts in the last two days about the park loosing it's touch. If anything, the park is doing more than ever to get back to its roots at the present, and I certainly don't see any evidence of politically correcting anything in the park. The park has been doing some exceptional work to maintain it's integrity over the last decade, even as the bolster their collection of rides and mainstream attractions. Considering how much money they could be squeezing out of the park by going down the mainstream path, I think we have a lot to thank them for. This year they have given us a big new ride themed around Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer, and though it doesn't bring everything back that we used to enjoy about the area, it does pave the way for a whole new generation of similar fun.

I think the topic should be dropped for now, until we have reason to actually complain. This is a lot of complaining over nothing, and it will only tarnish our reputation.

[bthomas]

In other words....reactive, not proactive.  Let's see how that works out.  Seems to be working really well with Obamacare...