CBS declared hicks were uncool in about 1970 when they started dropping top hit shows like the Beverly Hillbillies and Green Acres. There is a name for what they did: “the rural purge.” (readily googled and wiki’ed).
For some reason they started feeding us shows about people who lived in cramped apartments and basically just embarrassed and shredded each other with smart-ass comments.
Me? My role model is still Uncle Joe on Petticoat Junction.
I think mainstream TV added to our ruiniation right about the time CHIPS was on TV as a hit show and suddenly name calling became cool...
I always thought it was the beginning of major rudeness when Eric Estrada’s character started calling everyone a “turkey”
The first time a real life cop called me a “turkey” I almost lost it on him and made it a point to write to his boss about it, after which he STOPPED AT MY HOUSE TO APOLOGIZE - he said he was just imitating that silly show.
I think those days are long gone and I WISH the worst thing people called each other was “turkey” these days
But it was a short step from that to “you a$$hole” - people were NOT that rude and name calling before hand.
my 2cents.