Thursday, July 13, 2006

Putting the "South" in South Jersey

A Confederacy of Dunces, by Rich at fourfour.

In high school, my marching band used to perform in a parade in Wildwood every year, so I was there more than most other shore towns. For years I didn't go down the shore, because it was dirty, cheap and horrid- at least, that was my impression, based on the Wildwood experience. It was not until I spent some time in Seaside Heights and LBI that I had to recant my earlier position, realizing that the shore has some really nice areas and can be fun.

I'm going down the shore in a few weeks- to a slightly more upscale town than Wildwood- and I sure hope to find less of this garbage than Rich did. You expect some nasty crap in the cheap t-shirt joints (last year's winner for most tasteless tee: "Future MILF" on a little girl's shirt) but maybe we'll see less of it on the people.

Ah, who am I kidding. Probably we'll see just as much of it. People all over like to cherry-pick. They'll insist it's a rebel symbol and ignore the racism aspect because they avoid cognative dissonance that way.

Yeah, good luck with that. Ask your black friends how they think it looks.

6 comments:

Rob S. said...

You might as well have them ask the elves at Rivendell. If someone's considering a Confederate flag teeshirt, how many black friends can they have?

Bob said...

yes, Wildwood has all that garbage. But not all shore towns are like this. I grew up next door in Cape May and we did not hawk these things. Avalon and Stone Harbor never had that element. I suspect Margate didn't either.

Rob S. said...

I'll let you know about Sea Isle City next week.

Sharon GR said...

Thanks Rob. I knew as I wrote that line that someone would say that, but the elves at Rivendell was a nice touch.

Some folks don't realize how bad it looks or the images it calls up to other people. Sure, most yahoos who wear this shit don't care, but some just don't get it. I don't know which is worse- the bigotry or the ignorance.

Bob said...

I love Wildwood.. The rebel flag stuff is bad, boardwalks always display lots of the stupid & ugly. That blogger thinks he's above all that, the carney atmosphere & games & scams & odors & fat kids buried in cotton candy. But hey, he can always drive up to Stone Harbor & Strathmore or down to Cape May & be with the "nice" affluent white folks. No racism there.

Nikki E. said...

Wildwood. It's unique! It's definately the ugliest of the beaches, hands down. But diversity? Oh yea. I'm a fan of Margate m'self, it's nice there. Plus, it's got Lucy. And she's a hottie =)