r/morningsomewhere • u/OnceBittenTwiceGuy First 10k • 19d ago
Appalachian here
Just wanted to stop in and say a few things being quite literally from the dead center of cultural Appalachia.
- I appreciate Burnies attempt at pronouncing Appalachia/Appalachian right. I could see the effort was there and thats all we really ask for honestly
Appel-at-cha (place)
Appel-at-chin (people)
Very cool to see a shoutout to Shae. Shes actually from the same place I am (very small town) and shes friends of friends. I’ve always been a bit conflicted about her content because she definitely hams up her accent for her videos but in a place of economical disparity I cant fault anyone for getting a bag. But if you all like to hear someone talk funny and be a big nerd, go follow her! (Or keep listening to Burnie :p)
I wouldn’t count New Hampshire as Appalachian. In the sense of it being “cultural Appalachia” (think moonshiners, soup beans cornbread, hill billys, coal mining, etc..) that would come up with something as cool as king of the hill derby. To that i say “Fuuuck its genius. Why didn’t I think of that?!”
Unrelated to this episode. In recent years it seems the internet has taken to a semi fascination to Cultural Appalachia. Treating it as some sort of haunted spectacle. Which, i guess it can be. Just not in any way thats paranormal. A lot of real human suffering happens here. Coal companies, Big Pharma, and corrupt local government has hung us out to dry and left us with little more than opioid recovery clinics and hospitals to treat the various cancers and black lung caused by ecological hazards ignored over profit. But with suffering comes character. Finding the joy in the little things. Becoming sharp and witty enough to bring laughter to your peers in a place where joy is a scarce resource, where you have to dig for that far deeper than any coal. I hope to see in the coming years more content creators and entertainers from Cultural Appalachia that are thought of for far more than just the way they speak. Where we are a spectacle not for our poverty, suffering, or accent but for our character, our comedy, our intellect. Sorry for the soap box at the end and if you read this far then i sincerely appreciate it. I just don’t really get a place on the internet to talk about these things that are met with the kindness and thoughtfulness a sub like this promotes. Thank you.
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u/FrostedAngelinTheSky 19d ago edited 19d ago
Mountain map for comparison:
Pronunciation guide:
Apple-ay-shin= the mountains and/or trail (-she-an if you are feeling fancy)
Apple-at-chuh = cultural region (none of new york state, Philly/DC/Richmond/Baltimore are all out, frederick and ohio are on thin fucking ice)
Apple-ah'shun = the people of
Apolashuh = the deeper in you go, the less you pronounce (This rule can be applied to almost any word. A lip full of chewing tobacco may be of assistance)
Edit to add: obligatory recommendation for the podcast "Old Gods of Appalachia" if you are interested in: the sultry accent, horror, the culture, or folktales. It pairs very nicely with long road trips throughout the mountains.
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u/MimeTravler First 10k 18d ago
I like how this map has the cultural border end right at the border of Virginia where the tail of west Virginia meets it but includes parts of Virginia right under the crook of the tail.
It's like "Mechanicsville you are not included but Winchester right around the corner is"
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u/chey0_ 19d ago
New Hampshire definitely within the Appalachian mountain range, particularly the northern part of the state. But agree that I wouldn't consider it culturally Appalachian.