The Liberal Redneck Manifesto: Draggin' Dixie Outta the Dark

by Trae Crowder, Drew Morgan, and Corey Ryan Forrester

Trae Crowder (Narrator), Drew Morgan (Narrator), and Corey Ryan Forrester (Narrator)

The Liberal Rednecks—a Southern-based stand-up comedy group known for their scathing political satire—celebrate all that’s good about Dixie while leading a progressive revolution toward a New South.

The American South is home to some of the best music, cuisine, athletics, whiskey, and weather the country has to offer, but its reputation as a haven for its “right-wing, Bible-beatin’, assault-rifle-totin’” citizens precedes it—and, according to the Liberal Rednecks, rightfully so. Yet, as they explain it, the situation in the South is far more complex than “hypocritical, nose-up-in-the-air Yankees” give it credit for. And they should know—they are native sons.

Whip-smart, hilarious, and incisive, the Liberal Rednecks are lifelong, down-home Southern boys who aren’t afraid to call out the outdated traditions and intolerant attitudes of their native land—while also shining a proud light on the most misunderstood region of the country. Their mission: to provide a manifesto for young progressives south of the Mason-Dixon line to rise up and claim their homeland—without abandoning the best of their culture.

Exploring race, class, guns, religion, drug addiction, alcoholism, and homophobia, the Liberal Rednecks tell it like it is while challenging stereotypes at every turn. Fresh, funny, and surprising, The Liberal Redneck Manifesto gives us a vision of Dixieland as it exists now—and what it could become.

• ISBN10: 1508229651
• ISBN13: 9781508229650
• Publish Date: 4 October 2016
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Imprint: Simon & Schuster Audio
• Edition: Unabridged
• Format: Audiobook
• Duration: 8 hours and 27 minutes
• Language: English

Reviews

[Beth C.]

I'm a HUGE fan of Trae Crowder - otherwise known as the Liberal Redneck. I grew up in a town, though not in the South, that has much the same mindset. Very small, very conservative, logging/fishing kinda place. So while he is very much from the South, there were many things he spoke of that I could relate to. Not all, but enough. So I was curious about the book and what might be in it. Frankly - I loved it. Every single so-called redneck (along with every so-called liberal) should have a copy of this pressed into their hands come Christmas. Or birthday. Or Friday. Whichever comes first.

Honestly, I was somewhat surprised by the book. I guess I expected more of the humor and less of the learning, though both were intertwined in such a way as to keep the learning from getting heavy-handed. The book covers such topics as "pillbillies", rap music (seriously), and things that "hit" (there are a lot of 'em). It also covers guns, poverty, and grandmothers. See? Something for everyone!

The biggest take-away for me, however, was a better understanding of why so much of the south tends to vote against their own interests. Don't get me wrong - it's still frustrating as hell. Probably always will be. But the three comedians-turned-authors make very clear the historical and present-day factors that contribute. They make no bones about the fact that they want their southern brethren to read this book, and maybe do some thinking about their own prejudices - and they are also very honest about those liberals in other places who spend a lot of time looking down their noses at those in the south.

Really, this should be a must-read for everyone, regardless of race, religion, color, creed, political views, or location. Because at the end of the day, they are right. We are more alike than we are different, and we could ALL use a hell of a lot more understanding, some give-and-take, and maybe some drinkin' to tie it all together.