[DrForester]

You leave Texas out of this. Texas has given us the following.

Texas is also a very, very fun state to drive in. High speed limits, polite drivers.

[Quikies83]

I spent 10 years in Mississippi. In that time, I visited and drove through Alabama frequently enough to have an informed opinion of it. Mississippi is worse. It's a terrible fucking place, and I say that as someone who is "from" Mississippi. Don't go. If you go to AL, go to Birmingham, maybe. Or the coast, like Gulf Shores or Fort Morgan. If you do wind up in MS, the only tolerable places to go are Jackson, Hattiesburg, and maybe Gulfport. Don't go. Also, fuck you.

Born and raised in MS... and of all the cities you say are tolerable, Jackson is one? That's insane.
Oxford, Hattiesburg, Biloxi and I'd even through Madison into that bunch considering its development over the last few years.
Honestly, unless you're from here or have family here -- there are no real attractions here unless you're wild about gambling.

And I can't help but be offended by this thread.

[abusori]

Born and raised in Alabama. Still here, unfortunately.

Two things:
-Florida is the worst. Period. You go there for the beach and shit, not to live.
-Alabama is terrible because people and weather. The trees and otherwise unfucked areas it actually still has is the good part, not the bad part. You "we need more gas stations instead of trees" people are dicks.

[FiveElementNinja]

This thread is ridiculous, but it reminded me of my recent experiences playing Mass Effect 3 on XBL with a couple from Alabama. The guy heard my deep voice and asked if I was black, but was quick to preface the question with "I'm not racist, just curious." I didn't think anything of it, but on two other occasions he's made very slight racist jokes about black people while we've been playing (racism on XBL? :gasp:). He's always quick to point out he's not racist haha, which is usually a good indicator that someone is. Gonna have to block them, which sucks because they're otherwise very nice people and pretty good at ME3, helping me beat gold for the first time.

Anyway, none of this matters because every state has it's good and bad (I live in Texas). So to answer the OP's question: banana.

[Arment]

Born and raised in Alabama. Still here, unfortunately. Two things: -Florida is the worst. Period. You go there for the beach and shit, not to live. -Alabama is terrible because people and weather. The trees and otherwise unfucked areas it actually still has is the good part, not the bad part. You "we need more gas stations instead of trees" people are dicks.

Florida isn't so bad. Gets a lot of hate on GAF. I lived in the Clearwater/Palm Harbor area and it's quite pleasant. Beach access is a nice perk. Also no state tax.

First girl I was ever with was from Alabama. Not sure why that's important, but that always comes to mind when I think of 'bama.

[Verdre]

This thread is ridiculous, but it reminded me of my recent experiences playing Mass Effect 3 on XBL with a couple from Alabama. The guy heard my deep voice and asked if I was black, but was quick to preface the question with "I'm not racist, just curious." I didn't think anything of it, but on two other occasions he's made very slight racist jokes about black people while we've been playing (racism on XBL? :gasp:). He's always quick to point out he's not racist haha, which is usually a good indicator that someone is. Gonna have to block them, which sucks because they're otherwise very nice people and pretty good at ME3, helping me beat gold for the first time. Anyway, none of this matters because every state has it's good and bad (I live in Texas). So to answer the OP's question: banana.

This is one of the very bizarre things I've encountered living in the south.

Someone will genuinely be great, great friends with a black person. Do anything for them. And yet they will still make racist jokes, call certain sections of black people "niggers" and yet declare and seemingly genuinely believe that they are not racist. I cannot wrap my head around it.

[FiveElementNinja]

This is one of the very bizarre things I've encountered living in the south. Someone will genuinely be great, great friends with a black person. Do anything for them. And yet they will still make racist jokes, call certain sections of black people "niggers" and yet declare and seemingly genuinely believe that they are not racist. I cannot wrap my head around it.

Yeah exactly. One time we were playing and he made some stupid joke and said the n-word and was then quick to point out that he was just kidding and not a racist. It's the casual, slip-in racism that gets me.

[Steelrain]

Born and raised in Alabama. Still here, unfortunately. Two things: -Florida is the worst. Period. You go there for the beach and shit, not to live. -Alabama is terrible because people and weather. The trees and otherwise unfucked areas it actually still has is the good part, not the bad part. You "we need more gas stations instead of trees" people are dicks.

I dunno, Florida ain't such a bad place to live if you get to South Florida.

Alabama, however, seems to be ground zero for trailer home connesseuirs and the lifestyle that goes with it. You guys must lose entire towns when a strong wind blows. So I'll go ahead and call it the worst.

[Verdre]

Alabama, however, seems to be ground zero for trailer home connesseuirs and the lifestyle that goes with it. You guys must lose entire towns when a strong wind blows. So I'll go ahead and call it the worst.

This is certainly true. This: http://www.floridamortgagecorp.com/i...cturedhome.jpg is the de facto house in Alabama. Trailer parks stick with the trashy, run down single wides, but here in Alabama they make entire subdivisions out of the kind in the picture. People will buy those trailers and then partially re-build and add on to them until they can pass for a regular house.

[Pre]

We don't have a whole lot in Arkansas but it's a nice enough place to live. After seeing eastern Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona, I much prefer the South. My family's from Alabama so I've spent a lot of time there and it isn't as bad as it's made out to be.

And the reports are true: There ain't shit between Memphis and Birmingham. Nothing.

[SolKane]

All of the gulf states are worthless save Texas and that one good city in Louisiana.

[Heavy]

Hey dude Austria sucks

[Trouble]

All of the gulf states are worthless save Texas and that one good city in Louisiana.

Switch Texas and Louisiana in that sentence.

[DMPrince]

Come to Baton Rouge, LA! We can arrange for you a special one-on-one visit with our mascot, Mike the Tiger!

not as cute. RIP.

[Tragicomedy]

By no means an apologist, but trying to tie TX in with AL and MS is hilarious.

I spent seven months in Bama and disliked it, but one week in Mississippi was probably worse. To put it into context, people from Mississippi vacation in the Gulf Shores.

[Keru_Shiri]

Born and raised in Alabama. Still here, unfortunately. Two things: -Florida is the worst. Period. You go there for the beach and shit, not to live. -Alabama is terrible because people and weather. The trees and otherwise unfucked areas it actually still has is the good part, not the bad part. You "we need more gas stations instead of trees" people are dicks.

No wonder you people don't have jack. You could put like, 2, maybe 3 spiffy rest areas along the interstate as a courtesy for us passer-bys who maybe want to grab a beverage and not worry about running out of gas in the middle of nowhere. You'd still have your miles, and miles, and miles of trees.

EDIT: Also, respect to my fellow Arkansans.

[Drensch]

Every state has bad places, people, areas, etc. But the only thing Mississippi is number one in, is generally being the worst in the most categories. What does Alabama have? It's not Mississippi.

No, I've not been there. But I've not been to Calcutta or Kabul and I don't want to go there either.

[cdyhybrid]

Alabama has a lot more crystal footballs so I'm going to go with Mississippi.

[xavi42]

Lots of elitist pricks on neogaf. :(

[toxicgonzo]

Alabama help put America on the moon.

[FoeHammer]

I live in Jackson, MS and I've lived in MS almost my whole life.

Yes, we realize it's not the greatest place on Earth but some of you are being real assholes about it.

[vas_a_morir]

I live in Jackson, MS and I've lived in MS almost my whole life. Yes, we realize it's not the greatest place on Earth but some of you are being real jerks about it.

Use this edit, lest the unthinkable happen.

[FoeHammer]

Use this edit, lest the unthinkable happen.

To be fair, I didn't single out anyone. But they know who they are.

[Keru_Shiri]

I'm reasonably sure 75% of the posts in this thread have been tongue-in-cheek. I know mine have. (Though I am genuinely curious about all the blanked-out signs along the interstate in Alabama.)

[malingenie]

Has anyone ever booked a visit to MS and AL on purpose? I suppose it has happened, but I can't imagine it being by choice.

I'm going to alabama September, for a wedding. Don't know what to expect.

[GoldenEye 007]

I'm going to alabama September, for a wedding. Don't know what to expect.

An open bar if the planners are doing it right.

[malingenie]

An open bar if the planners are doing it right.

Fingers crossed.

[Death Dealer]

Alabama

[Jbird34]

I have lived in Alabama all my life and I love it here. Living only 2 hours from Destin, Gulf Shores, Ft Walton etc. is awesome!

[oneils]

Username quote Tag quote Avatar quote

Lol, did not notice until your post. Good stuff.

edit:

Wait, so everyone is fine with making fun of Ohio and Florida, but not Alabama and Mississippi?

NeoGAF lol

[jett]

LOL quite an asshole OP indeed

[Dreams-Visions]

I would much prefer to be anywhere in Mississippi rather than be in some parts of Florida

As a black man, I say "hell no."


and lol @ the defensiveness. none of you jump to the defense of other states when it's their time in the sun to get hosed. calm the fuck down and take it. your states aren't great and we know it.

[GoutPatrol]

Some of you have never been graced with Southern Hospitality™. How sad.

How about fuck you?

What an asshole.

Ass hoooooooooooooole

You're a prick. I hope you won't be a condescending asshole when you're down there, and I hope you don't run into anyone in my family.

Sounds like we have!

[Lonestar]

As a black man, I say "hell no." and lol @ the defensiveness. none of you jump to the defense of other states when it's their time in the sun to get hosed. calm the fuck down and take it. your states aren't great and we know it.

Crap, I missed out on those other topics, can you point me towards the "Welcome to Ohio now you're stuck in Ohio" topic?

[JGS]

Lol, is diversity bad otherwise or something?

I don't think I said that.

My favorite cities are Chicago & San Fransisco, but Southern cities are far from what they are stereotyped to be. I like visiting the ones I visit

[AwakenedCloud]

This is one of the very bizarre things I've encountered living in the south. Someone will genuinely be great, great friends with a black person. Do anything for them. And yet they will still make racist jokes, call certain sections of black people "niggers" and yet declare and seemingly genuinely believe that they are not racist. I cannot wrap my head around it.

I got to UAH in Alabama and have a friend that does this to me all the time. I put up with it, but irritating wouldn't even begin to describe how annoying it can be sometimes.

He went on a big spiel against the NAACP and always complains about black people on campus or at the Subway he works at.

Pro-tip: If you have to preface every sentence with "I'm not a racist but..." you probably are a racist.

[Bubble Metropolis]

I'm quite surprised Tennessee didn't get a single mention throughout this debate on the worst states in the south. Thanks, guys!!

Mississippi is a dreadfully boring place, but I've not noticed anything particularly unsavoury throughout my many trips into it—I've never gone south of Jackson, mind you. It all seems pretty normal, so I would have to imagine Alabama is the worse of the two options.

[weekend_warrior]

I'm planing my roadtrip to the "north" when I'm in florida again in fall. I want to visit the worst places in the deep south. I also want humidity+heat, swamp(s), cheap booze and maybe meet some down-to-earth folks

Mississippi, Northern Louisiana, and Southern Arkansas are the most deep southern, backasswards redneck locations in the US.

[Jackson50]

Yeah, there's honestly nothing worth visiting in Mississippi. And, Biloxi sucks.

Oxford is a fine town to visit. For a small, quaint town, the quality of the restaurants and bars is remarkable.

[Homeboyd]

Respect

Come on man.

[mj1108]

where do the rich people live in 'ssippi?

Trick question since they are none.

I visited Baton Rouge a couple years ago. Right wing redneck-ville....

[jeremy70583]

Mississippi, Northern Louisiana, and Southern Arkansas are the most deep southern, backasswards redneck locations in the US.

As someone who grew up in central LA, and went to college in south LA...there is night and day from the north and south. You have backwards rednecks from Alexandria and up, and southern hospitality and great food south of there. As people have said, Lafayette and New Orleans are the best places to visit. Personal preference, but Baton Rouge comes off as a pretentious city with no Louisiana flavor to me

[JABEE]

As a black man, I say "hell no." and lol @ the defensiveness. none of you jump to the defense of other states when it's their time in the sun to get hosed. calm the fuck down and take it. your states aren't great and we know it.

I think it has more to do with the fact that OP was treating his trip to the state like some kind of show on Animal Planet where he observes the horrible poverty of the state and giggles at it. Most people don't take that approach when insulting a state.

[Pecan1]

You may be better off staying close to FL, they've had a pretty good track record in the past couple months for weird/trashy stuff going on.

However, if you're set on traveling out of state- Follow your heart

[Duane Cunningham]

I like how the OP just laid this turd of a thread and then never posted in it again.

[FutureZombie]

I lived in Vermont, New York, and then Maryland in maybe the most liberal county in the US before I went to school in Alabama. I pretty much stayed around the town of Auburn, but it was really nice and the people were the same as anywhere else for the most part. Had white friends dating people of other races, had black friends; no one cared. And you'd be surprised by how few people had Southern accents. Overall, it wasn't much different from where I grew up except by how people voted.

[RELAYER]

And you'd be surprised by how few people had Southern accents.

This I actually think is terrible.
The younger generation in the south basically sounds like your vanilla midwestern American these days, they have a much less noticeable drawl than the older generation, which I don't like because I think the Southern accent is wonderful.
I think people are made to feel ashamed of it because it's stereotyped as stupid/uneducated. I grew up in Savannah and I remember my father was constantly getting onto me and trying to artificially correct my accent, and so I ended up with two, one I use when I'm comfortable at home with friends, and a "proper" one I use when I'm out in public.

[Pre]

This I actually think is terrible. The younger generation in the south basically sounds like your vanilla midwestern American these days, they have a much less noticeable drawl than the older generation, which I don't like because I think the Southern accent is wonderful. I think people are made to feel ashamed of it because it's stereotyped as stupid/uneducated. I grew up in Savannah and I remember my father was constantly getting onto me and trying to artificially correct my accent, and so I ended up with two, one I use when I'm comfortable at home with friends, and a "proper" one I use when I'm out in public.

I used to worry about losing my accent, but I eventually made peace with the fact that I'm from the South. I'm actually pretty proud of it now. I don't have the most pronounced drawl and I fluctuate back and forth from sounding relatively normal and sounding southern. I just don't worry about it anymore.

[DSmalls84]

This I actually think is terrible. The younger generation in the south basically sounds like your vanilla midwestern American these days, they have a much less noticeable drawl than the older generation, which I don't like because I think the Southern accent is wonderful. I think people are made to feel ashamed of it because it's stereotyped as stupid/uneducated. I grew up in Savannah and I remember my father was constantly getting onto me and trying to artificially correct my accent, and so I ended up with two, one I use when I'm comfortable at home with friends, and a "proper" one I use when I'm out in public.

I live close to savannah now and grew up in the area. I get a lot of people that ask me where i'm from though because I have never had an accent. That and people from other states usually say I dont sound like what they think people from Ga sound like.

[magicstop]

Born and raised in MS... and of all the cities you say are tolerable, Jackson is one? That's insane. Oxford, Hattiesburg, Biloxi and I'd even through Madison into that bunch considering its development over the last few years. Honestly, unless you're from here or have family here -- there are no real attractions here unless you're wild about gambling. And I can't help but be offended by this thread.

Heh, I hear ya. It's kind of like your mom is the only person who can talk shit about you, but someone talks shit about you to her, it's on.
I like Jackson pretty well. Could be because that's where I went to college and my family is right now, but Belhaven is a cool neighborhood, Fondren is fun (Art, Eats, and Beats, etc.), and when all else fails, you can hop over to the reservoir.
On the other hand, I can't abide Oxford. It's a college town that is overrun with . . . well, I won't go there, as I intend on insulting no one. Same for Madison, though. I'm not much for White-Flight™, and the snobbery, racism, and cops in that place piss me off pretty fiercely.