Calling all fans of the Great Depression

[tuppence]

Suggestion: do your neighbors a good turn. Make some salsa or something and give some to your neighbors. (Just tell them you made too much for yourself--it'll be true.) Or have a weenie roast or something. I bet they'll be more helpful when you need a good turn.

You and my Mother would get on well Paisley.
She organises Street Partys for X-mas and Halloween. This is where they get permission from the council to close of the street for an evening and all come out and bbq in the street. Each family donates $3 which pays for hiring the barriers and lo llies(candy) for the kids, handed out by a neighbour dressed as Santa.

 

[Paisley]

I thought Americans called homeless people 'Trailor Trash' , wouldn't that be treating them like pariahs?

If you're living in a trailor (actually a mobile home), you're not homeless. I have perfectly wonderful relatives who live in mobile homes--so do many other Loungers.

 

[Paisley]

True, but the subject line is "...fans of the Great Depression." Very odd choice of words. Can't imagine there are any fans of the Depression.

Perhaps a better title would be "For those intrigued by the Great Depression."

 

[vintage68]

The term "trailer trash" as used in America is used as a derisive term, describing low social and economic status.

We call homeless people.... homeless.

 

[tuppence]

Oh but my point being that....
If people living in mobile homes are treated badly,
it won't be too long before people living in tent cities get the same treatment,
Tent trash maybe or Canvas cr_p.

I just realised I was being very arrogant. I was going to say that there is no stigma to being poor in Australia,as I am poor and don't feel it but I am wrong,
While nobody has come up with a witty name yet; if you live in a Housing commision estate(Goverment Housing) it is just assumed you are a alcholic, drug addict with seven kids who all have different fathers and will probably all end up in jail

 

[tuppence]

Oh Dear

And I just spent a long time writing about Australia during the depression, to make amends for going off topic.
But every time I write a lengthy entry my computer logs me out of the site.
Is it my silly computer?
Any hints appreciated

 

[Hemingway Jones]

And I just spent a long time writing about Australia during the depression, to make amends for going off topic.
But every time I write a lengthy entry my computer logs me out of the site.
Is it my silly computer?
Any hints appreciated

If you're writing something long and involved, it is always good practice to compose in Word or some other such program, then cut and paste.

 

[Lefty]

Oh but my point being that....
If people living in mobile homes are treated badly,

This is a false premise that you seem to be stuck on. It's not the home that causes anyone to be called names, it's the person. Many people in mobile homes have lesser incomes. Lesser income is sometimes paired with lesser education. Lesser education is sometimes paired with bad behavior or even crime. Therefore, mobile home residents are sometimes trailer trash. Then again, multi-millionaires with bad attitudes, like Donald Trump, don't have a much better reputation.

 

[John in Covina]

Trailer trash is a derisive term and it is a combination of trailer park / white trash. It is conditional, simply living in a trailer home doesn't qualify you. The trash aspect is more the qualifiyer. Many people live in wonderful trailers in comfort and near luxury with the park as picturesque and neat as some formal gardens, this is not what we are refering to here.

As things go I will lay out some elements but even then it is a broad brush and people who are in some of these conditions don't fit the term so there are always exceptions to the rules. Trailer Trash may fall under one or more of these guidelines. (Also cousin to the American term Redneck.)

People try to "pigeonhole" others and as such the bad thing is some of these elements when seen will lead to being "prejudicial" or prejudiced and is considered a bad thing.

The general description of white trash and add living in squalor in a trailer or trailer park.

From a Southern or rural, outdoorsy backround.

Poorly educated: usually minimal education probably no college degree nor a high school graduate.

In the lower segment of the economic ladder, if a job holder it is consumate with education level.

The level of etiquette is low, they usually have a lack of understanding of what would be considered "proper" behavior in most social situations, this is one thing that really tends to isolate them from higher levels of social strata. Think of Pygmallion(?) or the musical "My Fair Lady" as an example. A friend of mine's mom uses the phrase: "Poor people have poor ways."

Some will be obsessive about TV, pop culture, Jerry Springer and or Doctor Phil. The Trailer trash segement of society also is fertile ground for the shocking behavior and behavioral problems seen on these programs. Some will pattern their dress after rock, country or pop stars as seen on various TV music channels and often at some point become stuck in time fashion wise. (This leads to first being out of step and moving on to being very out of step with the world around them, furthering isolation.)

Much like the etiquette level, their mores and value system are an odd combination of old traditions, backwoods lore and pop culture.

Similar social strata lines occurs across the US whether rural or urban and they have regional differences.

For more information please view the movie "Raising Arizona' and the Jerry Springer Movie. Also if you have access to the US TV shows such as "My Name Is Earl" may help you gain some insights as to this phenomenona. Also see "King of the Hill" as the neice of the Hills can be considered nearly TT.

As to the Great Depression the failure of farms and you have people leaving small towns for city life. Then as a great many of the displaced attempted to relocate, that was seen as a not so wonderful thing by those that lived in the greener grass areas where the depressed attempted to go to. Similar to Trailer Trash in the west, especially California, those migrating to here were refered to as Oakies, as in from Oklahoma and they were considered to be the lowest of the low. Compassion was running on empty in many areas and bad things happened. Either read or see the movie of "The Grapes of Wrath" by John Steinbeck for some insights. The low regard for Oakies continues to this day in some areas.

Hope no one gets peeved by this, I am not trying to re-enforce prejudice but help get the idea as to how it can happen and where the term TT comes from to someone outside the US.

 

[Paisley]

This is a false premise that you seem to be stuck on. It's not the home that causes anyone to be called names, it's the person. Many people in mobile homes have lesser incomes. Lesser income is sometimes paired with lesser education. Lesser education is sometimes paired with bad behavior or even crime. Therefore, mobile home residents are sometimes trailer trash. Then again, multi-millionaires with bad attitudes, like Donald Trump, don't have a much better reputation.

Slightly fftopic:

My brother-in-law, for one, lives in a mobile home in a nice park. His mother threw him out when he was 15--she had remarried and didn't want him around. He had to quit school and go to work. In later years, he went through a divorce and a bad wreck that put him on disability. Nevertheless, he was a good husband to my sister. It's not his fault he's poor.

 

[Paisley]

John in Covina: you forgot loud. Very loud.

 

[Lefty]

You're right. Good character is certainly not a product of high income and I hope I didn't imply otherwise.

Slightly fftopic:

My brother-in-law, for one, lives in a mobile home in a nice park. His mother threw him out when he was 15--she had remarried and didn't want him around. He had to quit school and go to work. In later years, he went through a divorce and a bad wreck that put him on disability. Nevertheless, he was a good husband to my sister. It's not his fault he's poor.

 

[mannySpaghetti]

*********
Yup it does sound odd in a way, FANS. One thing is that from the depression in many places good came out of it and we find that time and again the charitable nature of people can bring hope to the hopeless. Even in the Depths of the great Depression there was hope and a can do spirit that allowed people to get by and some even improved their lives during such tough times.

Yes, I can see what you're saying. What I always wonder though is why can't it be that way in our communities all the time? Does society have to have some sort of hardship in order to be nice or charitable? And though few people are, most are so stand-offish these days it's sad. Hell, I know in my part of the world, if I just offer a simple "hello" to someone, they think I'm nuts or have this look on their face like "who's he talking to?". Definately not the way I grew up. Back home in Hawaii, everyone respected everyone. It just isn't the same anymore, but I hope it changes.

 

[vintage68]

Yes, I can see what you're saying. What I always wonder though is why can't it be that way in our communities all the time? Does society have to have some sort of hardship in order to be nice or charitable? And though few people are, most are so stand-offish these days it's sad. Hell, I know in my part of the world, if I just offer a simple "hello" to someone, they think I'm nuts or have this look on their face like "who's he talking to?". Definately not the way I grew up. Back home in Hawaii, everyone respected everyone. It just isn't the same anymore, but I hope it changes.

Reminds me of when we get a heavy snow in the winter, and everyone is stuck at home. Suddenly all the neighbors are standing in their driveways, having actual conversations with people and helping each-other out. Creepy.

I watched a news story the other day about how pedestrian deaths are increasing because people are so focused on texting while walking that they're killed walking right into traffic. Very sad, but a reflection of the times...

 

[tuppence]

MannySpaghetti,
I walk my dog and I made it a point to force myself to say hello to everyone I pass. I was really surprised that almost everyone replies.
Maybe people got out of the habit in big crowded cities where you are passing a couple of thousand people a day.Just not practical
But still I just assume that if some-one can't spare a "hello" or "Nice weather"
they have the problem not me.

Thanks guys for explaining Trailor Trash
I realise there must be a lot of frustration involved in dealing with Jerry Springer Type people. (Do you still have the Jerry Springer show?)
I still think it's sad to label people, but it's not exclusive to America.

Actually I first heard the term White Trash from "Gone with the Wind" so it must go way back.

Thanks Hemingway for the tip.

 

[vintage68]

A tongue and cheek take (?) on our topic from the NY Times:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/20/opinion/20cohen.html?_r=1&ref=opinion&oref=slogin

 

[Lefty]

Very nice. I liked this:

...the difference between the American and Soviet Constitutions.

Answer: both guarantee freedom of speech, but the U.S. constitution also guarantees freedom after speech.

 

[pigeon toe]

Hell, I know in my part of the world, if I just offer a simple "hello" to someone, they think I'm nuts or have this look on their face like "who's he talking to?".

What bugs me is that more than half the people who say 'hello' to me these days are men more than twice my age with ulterior motives (not that I'm saying you're one of them!). I'm sure that's a change from the past too. :/

 

[Paisley]

Ick. Fortunately, a lady doesn't have to talk to strange men she passes on the street.

Is this situation new? Probably not.

 

[vintage68]

What bugs me is that more than half the people who say 'hello' to me these days are men more than twice my age with ulterior motives (not that I'm saying you're one of them!). I'm sure that's a change from the past too. :/

Nah, I think men have always had ulterior motives when saying hello, especially to pretty ladies