Why does West Virginia have such a bad reputation?

Question

Why does West Virginia have such a bad reputation?

Answer 1

I've often pondered it myself, and from the times I've been there, everyone seemed very... "hickish". Whether or not that's how it is the cities like Charleston, I don't know, but it definitely is hillbilly-esque from my personal experiences.

Answer 2

Largely due to ignorance. People automatically assume that the state is full of uneducated rednecks who marry their cousins and have s*x with their sisters, based on a few isolated incidents, when in fact:

The state boasts one of the highest high school graduation rates in the nation

You can literally trip over colleges and universities in West Virginia (WVU, West Liberty State, Marshall, etc.)

While there probably are a few inbred rednecks in West Virginia, they are actually in the minority of the population...

Some of the greatest contributors to American society have in fact come from West Virginia (though at the moment, only Don Knotts and Sen. Robert Byrd come to mind...)

Answer 3

Any state that regularly votes for a senator who used to be in the KKK and then names a lot of buildings in the state for that person should have a bad reputation.

Answer 4

to much kkk

Answer 5

those little known movies called wrong turn and wrong turn 2 are all you need

Answer 6

because its full of hicks and people who have s*x with their sister

Answer 7

What bad reputation ??

It s a beautiful state ! One of the most affordable place to live in the mid-atlantic area especially the one bordering with Northern Virginia where all the Washingtonians decide to move further west since they cannot afford the housing anymore in Northern VA / Maryland area.

Check W.VA out during the fall foliage . What a beautiful color especially in the Harpers Ferry area.  

Answer 8

I don't know if West Virginia has a reputation that is any worse than states like Mississippi and Louisiana.  The hills and rugged scenery of the Appalachian mountains in WV could be considered beautiful to some.  The state has been forever immortalized in the John Denver tune "Take Me Home, Country Roads."

It is true that West Virginia was, and still is, a poor state.  It is a state built on the backs of coal miners.  Education in WV is generally lower than other states, and it is not unusual to find many adults in rural towns and villages who cannot read or write.  Now, I am not saying this to be rude in any way, just stating the facts to try and answer your question.  Hillbilly country, and the South in general, has always had a stigma attached to it since the Civil War days.  A lot of Northerners, even today, see the Southern states as second-class.  Some people are even scared to go down South simply because they will not take the time to understand the culture and the people.

I for one think West Virginia and all of Dixie is a beautiful place.  I love country music, and I am a New Yorker.  I think we could improve the region's reputation if more people just gave it a chance.  You might just end up liking the place.