Cross posting this because I’m interested in the discussion over here.
One thing I don’t understand from rural folks who don’t like urban living is the absolute need to tear down urban living. I’m urban, I have a lot of friends who are urban, nobody I know who is urban just goes out and says “Woof rural living, that’s a stupid way to live. Everyone who lives that way is stupid and dumb” like how rural “small town” folks speak about us city dwellers.
I mean, I personally hated rural living. I found it limiting, there was nothing to do, it was hard to get around, and I felt like gossip was just abundant. BUT I don’t tear down people for choosing that life, urban living isn’t for everyone.
I guess I just don’t understand why it can’t go both ways. Why small town people are always demonizing city folks.
The song here just highlights all of that. They have to treat cities as crime ridden hell holes, rather than just admit they are two different ways to live.
My contempt for small town and rural America comes from living in it for about 5 years, and then regularly visiting it for another 3 or 4 years. I’m glad I live in a walkable city now. But I don’t really criticize people for living that rural life, except in defense to someone else attacking my own lifestyle.
When this song came out, I remembered joking with my Army friends (many of whom are from rural areas, and definitely shared the experiences of getting stationed in rural areas) that it’s weird the song! didn’t include stuff like “find decent sushi” or “attend an NFL game” or “order pizza after midnight.” Or if I’m feeling particularly mean spirited, I’d throw in “find a six figure job” or “hold hands with a white woman in public.”
Realistically, though, something like 60% of Americans live in suburban America: close enough to a major city that they can go in for events, but far enough that they can feel that they’re isolated from crime or whatever. Nobody actually likes rural living, but some residents of suburban America likes romanticizing rural ideals while still living in an environment that gets the benefit of the economic engine of a nearby city, and the density to support a variety of restaurants and stores and activities. There’s an entire subculture of people who own $80,000 trucks and $3,000 guns, who have $200k+ jobs in the city but say their heart is in the country or whatever.
100% this. Aldean himself is even one of them, and they were everywhere when I lived in Southern California. The lived their whole lives in the burbs of one of he largest cities in the world but considered themselves “country” because they drove a truck and were racists. Before moving to California I lived on a dirt road in a town of under 3k people. Those posers in Fullerton had no idea the reality, just some nostalgia version they saw on TV.
Absolutely the truth there. Actual rural living is like my friends who live in a town of 800 people. That’s true rural living, and they love it. It sounds absolutely soul-sucking to me, but they like the quiet simple life, so be it.
You’re right, most Americans think they want the rural life, but feel more at home in the city. Those are the ones I get annoyed with easily, because why not just admit you like the conveniences of a city?
Just had to throw that in because I just eye roll so hard whenever I see someone proving how country they are by pulling out a massive 8 year car loan to own an 80-100k truck while making a very modest salary. (Then of course drive it from the burbs every day to a parking lot, squeeze it in, then do low level accounting or something)