I'm sure this is true throughout the world, but here in the South, we seem to follow all the usual stereotypes. If you follow the novels, movies and TV, women down here seem to fall into two categories. You are either Melanie or Scarlett. The angel or the demon. Selfless or selfish. Giver or taker. Chaste or harlot. Love of a lifetime or one night stand. What people don't realize, though is that most women hold each one of these inside of us. A few weeks ago, I watched The Blind Side for the third time. Now, there's a GREAT picture of a Southern woman! She's strong enough to take on a her family, her children's school, the worst part of Memphis and the NCAA! Not to mention her least favorite SEC football team. I have grown up with and known women like Leanne Tuohy my entire life. She is so much bigger than either the Melanie Box or the Scarlett one. To her fans, Laura Bush seemed more like Melanie, but those who hated her didn't. My stance is that she couldn't have survived eight years in the White House without some of that Scarlett survivor in her. Ruth Bell Graham might have seemed more Melanie as such a strong Christian. But the woman who raised all those kids while her husband was preaching the Gospel, had more than enough Scarlett in her.
If you ever want to have a more precise visual of a Southern woman, let me recommend some resources to you. First, Steel Magnolias is a very well rounded picture. The TV series Designing Women shows you our sense of humor along with how we build our friendships. Of course, The Blind Side is now one of my favorites. Try reading Jan Karon's books. She beautifully combines the Southern women with Smoky Mountain women.
Now, I could be wrong about all this, but I am a Southern woman and I have yet to meet any woman who is all Melanie or all Scarlett outside of that great movie, Gone With the Wind. But prove me wrong. I dare you!
