12mo ago

is Texas really that cold and cruel as depicted in movies of the Coen brothers, the novels of Cormac Mccarthy and the movie Hell or High Water?

cross-posted from: https://linux.community/post/844237

I've never been that far to the south but lately I've been reading and watching those novels and movies.
The prevalent idea is: in this world (Texas?) you are alone, nobody gives a cr*p about you, do not trust anyone because they'll take advantage of you, ridicule and mock you. The world (or maybe only Texas?) is an inhospitable, inhuman, Darwinist place.

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I was born in Texas and spent my first 35 years there. It's not like the movies, because life isn't like the movies. I was completely miserable and honestly regret being born due to my life in Texas. Very little help from the government, my schooling was inadequate, and I was exploited by employers multiple times without repercussions. Bad places do make for good people so my dearest friends looked out for me and I them. I'm very glad I moved up North to the Eastern seaboard where there is infrastructure and the average person is a bit less on edge.
- I'm actually pretty happy with MY life, but I'm terribly sad about my education and the way the state treats its most vulnerable.
  I didn't have a good extended family, but my immediate family are all pretty great, if undereducated, people. When I left for several years to see the world I learned a whole lot. I came back with skills that get me paid.
  I really never got the help I needed here, but I got really lucky in a lot of ways that made it good for me. However, I certainly understand it's not a good place for everyone and I'm voting and volunteering to try to help change that.
  Allred has a chance of beating our loudest idiot senator if things go just right. Tell any friends you have out this way that they can make a difference.
  
  Hey good see ya again. Unfortunately I wasn't lucky. I'll let my friends know.
- I've heard they give you a free gun and a concealed carry permit when you're born. Does that get added to your hospital bill or is that a government progam?
  
  The government doesn’t just give you things in texas.

The governor literally had a trap set in the Rio Grande river to drown undocumented migrants that attempted to cross there. It was the death penalty, for a misdemeanor offense. He then lost a lawsuit about it, and refused to comply with a court order.
So I would say that it's likely worse than depicted in books, and the people saying otherwise live in a very soft, comfortably cocoon.

Depends on the part of Texas you’re in. Texas is a very large state.
- I heard you can drive for over 40 hours in Texas and still be in Texas. My mind can't comprehend this.
  
  You'd have to be driving very slowly, or not in a straight line. Coast-to-coast in Canada is like 60.
  
  That’s a bit of an exaggeration. I suppose, if you went in a circle or got stuck in traffic, but at an avg of 50mph 40 hours would be 2000 miles. Texas isn’t that large. It could take about 20 hours to get across though.
  
  "Heck, I had a truck like that once."
  
  Oh shoot I thought were over this
  
  You can drive for 40 hours in Rhode Island and still be in Rhode Island. But if you're going in a straight line, 12 hours seems to be the longest route across Texas.
  
  800 miles
- The European mind cannot comprehend this

I don't know those movies. I've lived in a few places and have been in Texas for the last 26 years. IMO Texas cities are friendlier than Indiana, less racist than Florida, and cheaper than Southern California. We tease that we set our watches back 20 years when we cross the river to Oklahoma. Rural and small town Texas can be totally different! I've been in a small town where an older gay couple runs the local coffee shop and it seems like the whole town hangs out there. I've been in a small town where i was afraid to go into a bar wearing a covid mask.
ETA- You sent me down a rabbit hole and now I'm about to watch Lone Star.
- Highly accurate description of Texas
  
  It was great and yes, felt a lot like smaller towns today. How about the woman who came across the river but now hates people who do the same? I loved this exchange... Sheriff- "I'm going to the other side" Other guy- "Republican?" Sheriff- "No, Mexico."
- You should watch Hell or High Water. It's set in West Texas but the story has broader relevance and it's a great film.

For women in Texas, a new study says you're getting the short end of the stick. WalletHub ranked Texas among the five worst states for women to live in, with its study released Monday, February 26.
Source: https://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/article/worst-state-for-women-texas-18690990.php
Texas is the worst state to live and work ... Factors like Texas having the highest number of uninsured residents in the nation, higher violent crime rates, a low number of primary care physicians per capita, a strict abortion ban and laws targeting LGBTQ+ people were what made Texas’ score so low
Source: https://www.kxan.com/news/texas/texas-is-the-worst-state-to-live-and-work-according-to-cnbc-analysis/
- So You are saying Whole lot of women are living in a hell depicted in Fargo's latest season?

Texans? No. The Texan government? Yes. The AG tried suing a children's hospital here in Seattle for providing care to a trans kid. The government is obviously pretty fucked when it comes to abortion. Taxation largely falls on the lower and middle classes.

I live in the Panhandle and it's a hilarious satire on existence. People go to church and talk about community and family, but cheat on their spouses and screech about hyper individualism all the time. They threaten to shoot you with their "come and take it" guns for sneezing too close to their property but then if we get a bunch of snow dumped on us and traffic goes to shit, without fail, the good ol boys in their lifted trucks are all over the high way pulling stuck cars out of the snow. It's bizarre.
- It’s not that mysterious:
  Happy to be generous with my resources
  But they’re mine to give, not yours to take

Absolutely not lol. Firstly, you're assuming that Texas, a state literally larger than France, has one, singular culture. Secondly, just no. Listen, Texas has a lot of problems. There are a lot of assholes in Texas. However, being unable to trust anyone is not one of those problems.
- Hell or High Water is a pretty accurate depiction of how shittily our government treats our vets I'd say though. The small town struggles of everything that isn't owned by 3 corporations closing is pretty realistic too. Just needed more meth/heroin to be authentic.

no. its so much worse

Why would you pick those particular pieces of media? There is a great deal of media depicting Texas. In my (generally suburban) experience, it's way more like King of the Hill or Office Space than it's like No Country for Old Men.

Blood Meridian is maybe not the best novel to base your opinion of a state on.
Much like anywhere else there's wonderful folks interspersed with absolute shitters.
- I'd rather be on the Ukrainian front than any place accurately represented by Blood Meridian.

Texas is a weird place. If you fit a certain mold in the rural parts people will bend over backwards to help you. Anyone outside of that will view you with suspicion however. Racism in the rural south is more based around cultural signifiers than skin color. A POC dressed nicely will be treated pretty normally, especially if they speak politely. The same person wearing a hoodie will be ostracized and viewed with suspicion.
Of course, as you go into cities people become more atomized and less willing to help. Without the southern hospitality, you just individualist racists. People in the rural areas have shitty opinions but sincerely care about community. They're wrong about rural Texas but right about the cities I would say.

Texas is a beautiful state ruined by a bunch of assholes with authority.

It's not the wild west anymore. The politics are bad, but people are mostly the same as anywhere else. Maybe you should visit.

they're just filled with constant sorrow.

I've lived in the east and the South (Texas) and by far Texans are more kind but not nice while the east people were nice but not kind.
- confused looks
  
  Like how New Yorkers are rude but not mean. I remember a culture shock moment the first time I went to a bagel shop there and the scowling woman at the counter said "whaddya want?!" It took me a moment to figure out that she meant "what would you like to order?" and not "what the fuck are you doing here?"
  I am also confused though as I have family in Texas and they are polite and pretty happy but not sure I would describe them as kind.

It's more of an idea that's like that than a place always being like that I think. Pirates, wild west, etc.

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