No where else I would rather be born and raised in than Kentucky. Kentucky is one of my favorite places to exist considering it so unique. As I have grown older I appreciate my hometown more and more. I love how much we embrace our local foods, local bands, basketball, horses, driving on back country roads and much more.
"Oh, you must eat at KFC a lot? Since you're from Kentucky, right?"
This phrase I hear too often when I tell others I am from the good ol' state of Kentucky. People assume all of the stereotypes about Kentucky to automatically seem true (as if we actually go around in public with no shoes on). I am here to clarify these stereotypes for y'all not from Kentucky.
The past few years as I have traveled to different parts of the world I have heard some of the funniest stuff about Kentucky. First of all, the way people pronounce Louisville. Depending on where you're from in Kentucky it could be totally different based on our accents. Many people seem to pronounce it as "Looeyville" which personally makes me cringe. It is always a joke to ask others how they pronounce and continue to debate over the correct way to say it.
Not to jump too far ahead but yes, we do wear shoes!!! The most typical stereotype is that we don't wear shoes which I don't know if people actually believe that or not? I mean you never know what you could come across but majority of us do indeed wear our shoes out.
The past summer my family and I traveled to Europe, among London and Paris people just automatically knew we were tourists. As we met people and told them we were from KY, they made sure to ask us about KFC. "Kentucky Fried Chicken!! You all must love that!" Personally, I have eaten at KFC only a few times in my life. No one seems to fantasize about it here in Kentucky because it's just another food place to us. While I visited Europe I passed a few KFC's which did remind me of home. Fun fact: there are 98 KFC locations in Kentucky. Shoutout to Colonel Sanders.
Not necessarily stereotypes but things we are known for:
Kentucky Derby - Yes, it is madness. Yes, we love it. The races that lead up to the Kentucky Derby is what gets us through the year. It truly is the 'The Greatest Two Minutes in Sports". Kentucky is known for the horses, just a drive home who knows how many horses you could pass. It's very casual to us to pass them on a farm on a drive to school or work.
Basketball- You're either a Wildcat or a Cardinal fan. There is no in between. Being from Lexington I am a Wildcat fan just like many others. Nothing can compare to the spirit and fans among Lexington when it's UK Basketball season. I am extra proud to be a Kentuckian when others mention UK Basketball.
And to end it all, my favorite word "y'all". If I had a dollar for every time this word came out of my mouth I would be rich. Most of the time I don't even realize I am saying it, it is apart of my vocabulary. It's not until I meet others from different states to call me out from saying it. Along with my "southern accent".
Being from Kentucky we do joke about our stereotypes when we pass a KFC, when we're barefoot, and when our accents stand out. Kentucky is a wonderful place full of everything you could imagine. GO CATS!!!!
