Graceland and Rednecks

[sundropsue]

I tried to post this, but the kiddie safe program on the f-ing lobby computer wouldn't allow it. Too many curse words apparently.

I spent the better part of the day in Memphis visiting Graceland. It is beyond tacky. I did not spend $50 for the grand tour, but they did get $30 for the middle grade tour. I wanted to see his car collection. The white monkey statues in the Jungle Room were beyond tacky. His mother's purple bedroom looked like a bad Austin Powers homage.

Does every GD city in America have to have a Hard Rock Cafe? On Beale Street?

I got lost getting to this f-ing hotel and if one more fat-a$$ed redneck says, "You're not from around here, are ya?" I'll kill him. Because Bubba doesn't know his butt from a hole in the ground, I was late checking in beyond the time I'd told them. They gave my non-smoking room away.

Drury Hotel = Dreary Hotel.

[gypsy]

if you were a day earlier, you could've caught junichiro koizumi's elvis act.

http://www.smh.com.au/ffximage/2006/07/01/koizumikarate_narrowweb__300x320,0.jpg

[power5483]

You dissing Elvis? Puhleese. Guess you don't remember the 60s/70s, a lot was tacky. Been to Memphis, didn't even notice a Hard Rock. Went to B.B. King's. Had a GREAT time. Hotel was within walking distance to Beale Street. And, I have always found it fun when someone says I'm not from around here. Must be doing something right. Are you sure something else isn't bothering you? Why don't you try Nawlins next? You'll love it down there.

[lynnpoint]

I got lost getting to this f-ing hotel and if one more fat-a$$ed redneck says, "You're not from around here, are ya?" I'll kill him. Because Bubba doesn't know his butt from a hole in the ground, I was late checking in beyond the time I'd told them. They gave my non-smoking room away.
I'm going to go out on a limb here and say it appears there is going to be somewhat of an adjustment period for your sojourn in the South.

And for what it's worth, I'll take Graceland over Starbucks any day of the week.

But welcome. You'll find Knoxville a wonderful place to live. As well as the South.

[shoetick]

if one more fat-a$$ed redneck says, "You're not from around here, are ya?" I'll kill him. Because Bubba doesn't know his butt from a hole in the ground

way to threaten of my entire fucking family. Maybe you should, when coming to an new area, learn to be tolerant of the people who live here already instead of fucking threatening to kill them. "You're not from around here, are ya?" is a way for people to be nice and start a conversation. Don't role your eyes at courtesy.

[lynnpoint]

Because Bubba doesn't know his butt from a hole in the ground
Well, a feller what goes by the name of South Knox Bubba is one of the smartest guys in East Tennessee. And most successful. Even has a blog and writes editorials for the local paper. Has a history with this Blab to boot. Not sure about his ability to distinguish between his rectal cavern and a depression in the ground however. I'd say he does but only he could truly answer that.

[Scott]

Aww I'd like to go to Memphis, Dirty music town, all rebuilt to suit a visitors taste. It's still got some gravel in the gut though; I'd go down to the river and have a reliquary for Jeff Buckley, and the BB King statue would crack me up. Are the the Grifters still a band?

I occasionaly get that "your not from around here" up in Boston, but not so much as a lot of folks are from somewhere else. Monica got it our first day here she was telling the lady at Ryder trucks "There is never a good reason to be rude" and the lady just stopped and said "Where are you from?" Because well rude is a way of life here in Boston.

Knoxville is a different place than Memphis a bit more conservative in dress and demeanor, and you don't find the Blues so much there as Bluegrass. Knoxville is a crossroads from the Cumberland Gap, Tennessee River,The University of TN and Oak Ridge National Labratories, not to mention the trains which are almost a thing of the past yet you still here the whistle blow at night.

I highly suggest that you read James Agee's "A death in the family" and Cormac Mccarthy's "Suttree" This will give you a flavor of the local dialect as well as the history that any good knoxvillian would know lol.

Oh and you'll want to think of some good comebacks "to that you ain't from around here are ya" I used to relish irritating out of towners with that statement. I always got a big kick out of Yankee's getting upset when I called them Yankee's as well. The most obvious comeback would be.

"No Thank God, and you?"

Ya'll tell her were to go in Nashville and Chattanooga she should be there next.

[fluffy]

And for what it's worth, I'll take Graceland over Starbucks any day of the week.


does Graceland have $5 lattes though?

[fluffy]

I occasionaly get that "your not from around here" up in Boston, but not so much as a lot of folks are from somewhere else. Monica got it our first day here she was telling the lady at Ryder trucks "There is never a good reason to be rude" and the lady just stopped and said "Where are you from?" Because well rude is a way of life here in Boston.


heh, our first day in boston we got our moving truck stuck in an underpass. you dont know the full wrath of bostonians until youve blocked their way home at drive time.

and anyways, no one is from boston.

[Hank IV]

There's a place just up EP Blvd from Graceland called #1 Chinese Soul Food Buffet. Two lines converge in the restaurant that has ribs and kung pao chicken on the bar. No wonder Memphis is one of the fattest cities in the country. There is the Stax/Volt museum and the R & B museum downtown, Sun Recording Studio, Lorraine Hotel lots of places if you have the time. I have noticed that N. Memphis smells like a tire fire (or as some of us locals would say, "tar far").

[Wombat]

Vusia Day?!!? I just read this post didn't I?






has ribs and kung pao chicken
HiTop likes Kung Pao Chicken. It ALL tastes like chicken.

[SCUMGOD13]

Yea well, SUNDROP Sue Why Don't You take your Upidity ASS STRAIGHT TO FUC**** Hell. You know If I Started a thread on Here called MEMPHIS and NIG***S people would shoot through the roof. But since you're only disrespecting the White males of the South, it's alright. Why don't you Take your bitch Ass up to Massachusetts, Maybe get away from some of us Rednecks. really, what do you expect to find at graceland. DO YOU GO TO THE ZOO AND BITCH ABOUT THE MONKIES?
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a301/Scumgod13/tn_scan0025.jpg

[jack frost]

http://www.starman417.com/stfu.jpg

[JohnT]

So... we have a woman who went to the city that, more than any other, can arguably called the birthplace of rock 'n roll (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0394587324/sr=8-1/qid=1151929955/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-9934741-3080623?ie=UTF8), and, with Chicago, the birthplace of modern blues, the foundation of the worlds first truly global music form, one adapted by peoples of varying cultures and backgrounds, formed out of the pain of the American South ("Blacks didn't give the blues to America; America gave the blues to the Blacks")...

... and she doesn't bother to get a map.

... and the only thing of note (apparently) on Beale St is the Hard Rock Cafe. (and if you're going to have such things as HRC's, where better place to put one than in the birthplace of rock?)

... and can't even bother to spend an extra $20 to get the full Graceland tour. I mean, when are you going to be in Memphis again?

... and finds nothing else to write about. No mention of the blues, Muddy Waters, BB King, Sam Philips, no sense of history... just "Elvis was tacky and there was a HRC on Beale St."

What a pathetic traveller. You don't even make for a good tourist.

[JFermaggio]

If sundropsue is an actual person, I'm not so certain she will like Knoxville. Heck, I'm from Knoxville and I had to leave it. There are some awesome qualities that Knoxville has, but it can get old fast. I left because I wanted more job opportunities. I miss the mountains. I miss The Strip. Sometimes, I miss running into someone I know on any given day of the week.

However, there are some drawbacks to Knoxville. I had only one African-American coworker the seven years I worked there. Everyone else was Caucasian. Where I am now, I might walk into a store and be the only white guy who speaks English. Unfortunately, racist comments were prevalent when I lived in Knoxville. I think people have a tendency to use certain words when there isn't anyone of a particular ethnicity around.

I have a feeling sundropsue might not like NASCAR or U.T. football. I have a feeling she's going to hate saying, "Can you repeat that?", when she doesn't understand the Southern accent. Heck, I return once a year to Tennessee and I have a hard time understanding the guy at the gas station when I stop in Oneida.

Someone from Cali might not "get" Southern culture. If sundropsue disliked Graceland, what will she make of Dollywood?

Then again, sundropsue might not even be real. If she is, she might be making the wrong move.

[Tess]

Gosh, my next door neighbor moved here from L.A. a year ago, and he LOVES East Tennessee. Guess it is all in what you are looking for, isn't it?

There are two more families in my neighborhood who have moved here from California in the past year or so. Have not met them yet, so don't know how they feel.

I hope people that move here, like it, but heh, there, it is a big country, and if you don't, that big highway runs two ways.

[SCUMGOD13]

Well, I was having a bad morning the day I wrote that. If there is a Sun Drop Sue I certainly don't wish her any ill will. It's just you have to expect that they're will be "Rednecks" at Graceland. White Trash was invented by Elvis fans. What more was Elvis than A Fat Redneck in silly cloths and I bet he said his share of ya ain't from around here are yas too.
It really beat me to see someone complaining about seeing exactly what I would expect to see there. You go to a Chinese restaruant bitching about Chinese food-Or a Rap Show and say If I hear one more black man that thinks he's top shit say I ain't Mad at ya or that Mofo's a Pimp
i'm gonna scream. When in Rome ya don't have to do as Romans but you're not to expect them to do any different.
This is why I haven't came here for a week cause I felt bad for saying things
to sun Drop. This insn't an apology as much as it is an explanation. I was a Foul creature that day.

[dilettantedude]

Wrt Memphis: don't skate through Beale Street on a Sunday morning. The smell of urine and vomit will make you lose your breakfast.

They STILL have a statue of the founder of the Ku Klux Klan in the middle of town.

And the "Ya ain't from aroun' here, are ya?" thing can be a bit of fun. A friend and I were skating around the UT campus one day, when a rusted out, ancient GM sedan of some former description and full of hillbillies (the real thing, trust me!) pulled up in front of us, shaking, coughing and spewing blue smoke as we stood on the sidewalk.

One of the guys in the back seat leaned out and spat a long stream of tobacco juice in our general direction, sort of a friendly, informal introduction. Then he asked us where Thompson Bowling Arena was.

My friend replied, "You're from around here, aren't you?

"Yeah?" said the hillbilly, with a blank expression on his face.

I doubled up laughing.