What do you guys think of Texas and the people who live here?

[Paksenarrion]

You're asking for misconceptions from people who have never been or know nothing of Texas, right?

Well, I heard a lot of the english dubbing for anime happens in Texas, and that there are huge anime conventions there. I would guess that there are a large group of people in Texas who enjoy anime.

In other words, they like what I like.

I know there's the whole Wild West mythos that clings to Texas, but a lot of the misconceptions and preconceptions you're probably expecting are caused by sociohistorical drift.

There could be groups of individuals that continue that momentum, but that's true for any sort of bias or stereotype.

 

[geldonyetich]

I'm of mixed minds. The backwoods conservatives who have more Texan pride than common sense I could do without. On the other hand, not all of Texas is yokels, there's actually quite a bit of technology industries going on there.

 

[IncredibleTurnip]

I moved to the Dallas area from Pennsylvania two years ago.

There's a lot of positive aspects of living here. The job market is much better here than back home (not to mention my industry has a fairly thriving presence), and rent and living expenses are significantly cheaper. The weather is a lot nicer, the winters are warmer and it's usually sunny.

I really don't want to stay here permanently. I don't like being so far inland. It's so flat and nondescript here, and I miss hills terribly. I hate how everything is so new, in my day-to-day life I see nothing but never-ending strip malls, highways and there's not much in the way of historical architecture or interesting old buildings. There's not much nature to speak of, it's something you have to seek out. I'm not sure why, but the character of where I live means a lot to me, and it makes me feel like I'm living in some kind of giant biodome.

You miss hills and nature? Cedar Hill shouldn't be too far from you. It's exactly what it sounds like.

 

[Jegsimmons]

probably normal people.

since i live in Alabama im subject to extreme stereotyping, so i dont really judge people by state.
(except Californians )

 

[Hgame]

This is going to sound very offensive to the Texans who are nice people, and I'm sorry for that, but when I think of Texas the first thing that comes into my head is Dumbf**kistan.

 

[DefunctTheory]

I moved to the Dallas area from Pennsylvania two years ago.

There's a lot of positive aspects of living here. The job market is much better here than back home (not to mention my industry has a fairly thriving presence), and rent and living expenses are significantly cheaper. The weather is a lot nicer, the winters are warmer and it's usually sunny.

I really don't want to stay here permanently. I don't like being so far inland. It's so flat and nondescript here, and I miss hills terribly. I hate how everything is so new, in my day-to-day life I see nothing but never-ending strip malls, highways and there's not much in the way of historical architecture or interesting old buildings. There's not much nature to speak of, it's something you have to seek out. I'm not sure why, but the character of where I live means a lot to me, and it makes me feel like I'm living in some kind of giant biodome.

Also, terrible, terrible drivers on these highways. And gigantic, expensive cars. I've honestly never seen so many rich people before in my entire life.


Back in 2002, I was in San Angelo for a couple months while in the army, and my Texas experience there was fairly different from living in the Dallas Metroplex. It was a lot more stereotypically "Texasy", and even though there was nothing to do, the town was in some ways more interesting.

Fuck guy. We're both from Pennsylvania, both moved to Texas, and both of us think Texans are HORRID drivers.

But, yah, what he said.

 

[Aur0ra145]

I moved to the Dallas area from Pennsylvania two years ago.

There's a lot of positive aspects of living here. The job market is much better here than back home (not to mention my industry has a fairly thriving presence), and rent and living expenses are significantly cheaper. The weather is a lot nicer, the winters are warmer and it's usually sunny.

I really don't want to stay here permanently. I don't like being so far inland. It's so flat and nondescript here, and I miss hills terribly. I hate how everything is so new, in my day-to-day life I see nothing but never-ending strip malls, highways and there's not much in the way of historical architecture or interesting old buildings. There's not much nature to speak of, it's something you have to seek out. I'm not sure why, but the character of where I live means a lot to me, and it makes me feel like I'm living in some kind of giant biodome.

Also, terrible, terrible drivers on these highways. And gigantic, expensive cars. I've honestly never seen so many rich people before in my entire life.


Back in 2002, I was in San Angelo for a couple months while in the army, and my Texas experience there was fairly different from living in the Dallas Metroplex. It was a lot more stereotypically "Texasy", and even though there was nothing to do, the town was in some ways more interesting.

Where do you live about in Dallas? I'm out in Roanoke, off of I-35W next to the speedway. We should have a little North Texas Escapist gathering, I'm sure there are a lot more of us out there who'd jump on the idea.

On topic: I've lived in Texas my whole life. I love this place. Nice people, sunshine, Texas Tech, aviation, Chihuahua desert, the list goes on and on. You do find your bad apples here and there but in my experience they tend to be rather far between. Did I mention we don't have a state income tax, fuck yeah!

 

[Owlslayer]

The first thing that came to mind was the Engineer from TF2, who is also a Texan.
But yeah, i suppose in reality it's just another state of Amoerica.
But loads if other stuff come to mind when i hear it.
Things like: cowboys, ranches, oil, cows, steak, very though laws ( the electric chair, maybe?)

 

[AstylahAthrys]

When I think Texas, I think of the guys from RoosterTeeth. So my opinion is very positive.

 

[Deadlock Radium]

Spoiler

That's about it.

This is so my thoughts too!

It's not that I've got something against the normal Texans, but every time I hear "Texas", cowboys, rednecks and weapon lunatics come to mind. I also think of one of Marcus Brigstocke's quotes when I hear "Texas":

"There was this one time when I asked the audience: "So are there any Americans here tonight?" and some guy in the back of the audience said "Yeah, and I'm armed.""

 

[Hectix777]

You're asking for misconceptions from people who have never been or know nothing of Texas, right?

Well, I heard a lot of the english dubbing for anime happens in Texas, and that there are huge anime conventions there. I would guess that there are a large group of people in Texas who enjoy anime.

In other words, they like what I like.

I know there's the whole Wild West mythos that clings to Texas, but a lot of the misconceptions and preconceptions you're probably expecting are caused by sociohistorical drift.

There could be groups of individuals that continue that momentum, but that's true for any sort of bias or stereotype.

Didn't know about the whole anime dubbing thing, but yeah Texas holds a few conventions. We even have GDC down here and I honestly believe that there is a chance of holding a PAX convention down here. Texas is not only big in tech, oil, and automotive (soldiers too, we make the best DAMN soldiers in the US army) but it's also famous to a lot of groundbreaking game studios. Id Tech is out somewhere near Dallas I think, pretty sure there's a Blizzard(DAMN THEM) studio near here and the guys behind Homestarrunner are Texas natives. Weird thing is that Texas is usually last to receive the latest trends. Hopefully, within a few years (and if PAX, comic publishers and studios like DC and Marvel, more game studios, other geek pleasures) Texas could become another hot spot of our culture. Texas is a REALLY big place that has a lot of room to grow, so no shortage of land anytime soon.(Texas should really ask Japan how to get more bang for their land). My only regret with Texas is that people always suspect that Texas will secede from the rest of the US, not exactly on our agenda, at all. But I always wonder what would happen if we did secede again some time in the '70s or '80s (end of racial discrimination and all that, maybe even cut off communication of TV broadcasts to MTV before they turned to... BY GOD, if we did that every person in Texas could be gods!) or if we never joined the US in the first place. In terms of world events like WW1, WW2, Persian Gulf War, etc.

Also, practically everyone in Texas speaks more than one language. Mainly, if you go through the school system, you learn Latin American Spanish. Some people learn more, I'm working on Japanese right now. "English" is the usually the expected language hear, but some times it's Spanish or Spanglish. You're not a real Texan unless you know some Spanish that you learned from a source that's not from the internet or books.

 

[Kryzantine]

As a NYer... normal people, for the most part.

I mean, there's a fair amount of state pride in there, Texas does boast the only state-kept militia in America (on top of contributing to the National Guard and the army), gun laws are fairly lenient there, but the state as a whole is quite balanced politically. West Texas is apparently the stereotypical Texas, though. Houston and Austin are fairly liberal cities, really normal people there, but you cross this imaginary line to places like Lubbock, and the state turns on its head.

But it's really quite alright. Great place if you want to get into IT or computer software, those jobs are opening up fairly quickly and NASA is always expanding.

 

[thethingthatlurks]

Inbred degenerates, all of them! That drawl is just another symptom of what too much sun and a few generations of procreating with close relatives will do to a population. Except us people in Austin, we're perfectly normal (hence the saying "the best thing about Austin is how close it is to Texas"). The rest...ugh. Pity them, people. Pity these poor, sub-human creatures.

 

[Diligent]

Canadian here, and for the most part my impression of Texas is limited to talking to people in my Warcraft guild when I used to play a year or so ago. There was a lot of them from Texas. They had the stereotypical "American accent" just as I suppose people from Newfoundland tend to have that stereotypical "Canadian accent." Besides that, all very nice people who were easy to talk to.
I want to try Shiner Bock, and have a real proper Texas BBQ.

Also there is a part of my brain that automatically thinks of

Spoiler: this guy.

 

[nuba km]

the majority of vocal Texans (I don't know if they are majority or minority of all Texans) I despise with a passion I won't go into detail because it will properly offend some people.

 

[The King of Rock and Roll]

Well it's nowhere near as stupid as Arizona.

 

[Bugerion]

I think about some shows where they do experiments idk why

 

[Gudrests]

I'm from Canada, and I don't buy into the whole "stupid American" stereotype so many people seem fond of perpetuating.
I've never been to Texas, but I don't have a negative impression of the people there.

what someone from another country who doesn't think were all dumb....*gasp* but yeah....some of us are...most of us aren't. we just dont give 2 shits what the rest of the world thinks because lets face it..if we just dissappeared....shit would crash lol.. So thank you.

I like to believe as Texans as the Wild Wild west..i know im wrong but...i wanna be a cowboy too and save women from trains rolling over them....not because i like the women but just because of the "reward" at the end