Yep.
As a Southerner who spent most of his career in NYC, I think the “Southerners aren’t intelligent” stereotype stems from a rural vs. urban divide. Rural folks may seem naive about city life, but the reverse is equally true—city folks would be just as lost, if not more so, on a farm, ranch, or range.
Intelligence is contextual, and each environment demands its own expertise.
“Southerners aren’t intelligent” stereotype”
That and we’re all racist card carrying Klan members looking for the next opportunity burn a cross.
Back in the 80s I went to California with my then girlfriend to visit her parents....they had a get together one evening and had invited a black couple they knew. They had been told I was from the deep South and when I met them I could tell they were expecting me to excuse myself at any moment to go change into my sheet and hood because they were there.
It really is unbelievable that people still have that mindset about Southerners in this day and age. SMH