Thought for the day: If you've ever raced a monster truck through knee-high mud, you might be a redneck.
Since this Friday's post will be highlighting my adopted state of Georgia, today seems like an appropriate time to write about the
Redneck Olympics.
Back in 1996, when the REAL Summer Olympics were held here in Atlanta, there was a teensy bit of disparaging chatter about holding the Olympics in (look down your nose when you say it)
redneck territory. So a bunch of good-natured Georgians grabbed hold of that idea with both fists, and held the first Redneck Olympics that same year. Nothing but a raucous down-home good time, it was established as an innovative and fun way to raise money for charity. Touted on their website as
more fun than indoor plumbing, it also boasts
Everybody and their butt crack is welcome --- even Yankees. Was it a success? You betcha, and it continues to be. Not only has the little town of East Dublin, Georgia raised scads of money every year since, but the Redneck Games are now held in quite a few other decidedly NOT redneck areas ... by (gasp) Yankees, and even as far north as Canada.
So, what kinds of competition would you find at the Redneck Olympics, you ask? Certainly no water polo or fencing, but you WILL find some of these thing:
- Hillbilly horseshoes- kinda like the usual kind of horseshoes, only with toilet seats
- Hubcap hurl
- Armpit serenade
- Watermelon seed spitting
- Mud pit belly flop
- Beer-swilling
- Wife-carrying
- Lawnmower racing
- Bobbing for pigs feet
- Pie-eating
Sounds like fun, huh? To further traumatize you reinforce your understanding of these games, how about some pictures?
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| Bobbing for pigs feet |
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| Almost got one! |
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| Got it! |
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| gonna be a good un! |
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| um, no caption needed |
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| His mama's so proud! |
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| He's playing our song. |
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| Double header! |
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| um, good clean fun, right? |
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| Another armpit serenader |
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| Not as easy as it looks, I'll betcha. |
Nobody can say rednecks don't know how to have FUN. And they aren't nearly as uncouth as some people seem to think they are, either. After all, they don't have any belching or pull-my-finger contests, now, do they?
What competition would YOU like to watch . . . or better yet . . . BE in?
Until next time, take care of yourselves. And each other.
What a hoot. We used to have Barnyard Olympics at our local fair back in the 80's. We shared some of the same events, but of course had bale tossing, round bale rolling, corn shucking, pea shelling as well.
ReplyDeleteThanks for a morning chuckle and a walk down memory lane.
Looks like a lot of fun, and how awesome for Georgia to embrace the intended insult and turn it into something fun and pride-worthy!
ReplyDeleteKind of like the Continental soldiers did with Yankee Doodle Dandy!
I'd like to give that horseshoe competition a shot.
ReplyDeleteHi, Musical Gardener. Good family fun, no matter where ya live.
ReplyDeleteHi-ya, Dianne. Yup, they turned lemons into some mighty tasty lemonade.
Hi, Delores. Me, too. Used to love tossing regular horseshoes. Or quoits. And toilet seats would be a lot easier than quoits. (like heavy flattened doughnuts)
Living here in the great state of North Carolina, I'm sure we have one of those too, but I'll be gerl durned if I know where.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I think I'd like to see the wife carrying.
This is great! I would like to do some beer-swilling and then throw in a little watermelon seed spitting while I watch the wife carrying. Have a great day & take care of you!
ReplyDeleteLOL! Now, that looks like a good time!
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun event with, I am sure, a bunch of big laughs.
ReplyDeleteArmpit Serenade sounds like highlight of the day. I wouldn't be able to participate as my arm fat flapping sound would drown out the pure melody of the other contestents. I am sure they make their mother's proud.
We have rednecks in Canada? Hahahhaa. I fancy that toilet-shoe game there. Also, if I could choose something to participate in, it would be burping the alphabet of which I am a master(after participating in the beer-swilling event).
ReplyDeleteGod love em'.
ReplyDeleteThe photo of the guy with the pig foot in his mouth made me gag. Gross!
ReplyDeleteI lost the will to live then I saw the fat kid making armpit farts
ReplyDeleteHi, y'all. Thanks so much for your comments.
ReplyDeleteAnne- You're right. Redneck games have been held at several different locations in NC. (I did a quick google search.) Wife toting could be pretty funny to watch, especially for those skeletal thin husbands with larger than life wives. (Maybe some of the women should tote their husbands.)
Tracy Jo- Sounds like you'd have a grand time.
Linda- Yup. Betcha the games are held in your state, too.
Starting Over- Oh, I'm sure those of us with bat wing flab could come up with an appropriate swishing accompaniment to enhance the serenade.
Carrie- Oh, too funny! You sound like my daughter. She's a master beer-swiller and belcher. (A byproduct of growing up with older brothers.)
Florida- Yep. Somebody's gotta!
Kara- Some people consider pigs feet to be quite the delicacy. I'm not one of them... but my husband is.
What a fun (and informative) post! I'd heard of the Redneck Olympics, but didn't realize how widespread they'd become. And what a great way to raise money for charity.
ReplyDeleteIn Louisiana (where I'm from), it's common to see pickled pig's feet in jars in bars. I've never been able to bite into one, but I know people who drool just thinking about 'em.
I have to admit that I've always fancied a bit of mud wrestling but I can't imagine any of those events taking place at the Wembley Stadium in London!
ReplyDeleteHi, John. Oh, I'm so glad to give you renewed hope for the human race. Armpit farts ain't much, but they're something.
ReplyDeleteHi, Kittie. Yuk, I dunno about keeping the opened jar of feet at room temperature. My hubby usually eats a smallish jar at a single sitting, and on those rare occasions that I bought, cooked, and pickled them myself, we keep the crock in the fridge. On the other hand, I've seen pickled hard cooked eggs sitting in jars in bars before. Guess it's kinda the same. But different. (Both gross.)
Hi, Rosalind. My goodness, the truth comes out. Mud wrestling, eh? That's a hoot. I think I'd prefer wrestling in custard. You know? Wrestle a little ... then eat a little. You're right; the Wembley Stadium crowd is probably a bit too cultured to go for this sort of thing.
LOL I love this idea! It should be adopted everywhere.
ReplyDeleteAs for a sport I would introduce? Hmmm lemme think... Chicken chasing can be fun. How many folks you can fit in a trailer could be interesting.
Just thinking out loud :)
Rory
Hi, Rory. Chicken chasing would be fun, and so is pig chasing, especially when the pig is covered in a liberal coating of grease. (Grease doesn't work too well on the chickens.)
ReplyDelete