Back in the antiquated days of 2007, a television show burst upon the scene with the provocative title, Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? By and large, the adults who competed proved that they weren’t. Which really says something, considering that today’s 5th graders aren’t exactly well educated.
The popular program was hosted by comedian Jeff Foxworthy, who achieved notoriety through his “You might be a redneck if…” jokes. Foxworthy, like many a comedian smarter or not smarter than a 5th grader, recognized that there was gold in gently ridiculing the intelligence, habits, and appearance of “rednecks.” After all, to be a redneck, you have to be White. And devoid of fantastic riches. So they’re fair game. And with the culture effectively banning comedy routines directed at any other group, where else are you going to go? Just imagine what would have been the reaction if Foxworthy tried, “You might be a ghetto rat….” or “You might be an illegal….”