Wendy Young Photography | Southern White Male

Redneck. Good Ol’ Boy. Cracker. Racist. Misogynist.

For many, the term “Southern White Male” conjures these pejorative descriptions. For me, “Southern White Male” conjures images of individuals I have known, some of which were rednecks, good ol’ boys, crackers, racists and misogynists. Most were not. I have grown up with, been inspired by, and been patronized by Southern White Males. I married, procreated with, and divorced a Southern White Male. I am the sister of an amazing, talented Southern White Male and am a daughter of a loving “Southernized White Male” (my father has spent 45 of his 75 years in the South). I have been taught by, preached to, and employed by Southern White Males. Some of their names I remember: Ronnie Lord, Elvin Miller, John Buck, Odell Barnes, Warren Thompson, Randall Everett,. Others are simply memories of good times, fast cars, chivalry, Confederate flags, bad dates, and raunchy comments. I can visualize the men of the South that I have had contact with, yet, I never photographed them. These pictures are an attempt to create images I didn’t make while living in their midst, to understand Southern White Males, and to shed light on the men who impacted me during my thirty-four years of living in the South.