GS302: Theories of Cultural Studies (Spring 2012)

The stereotypes that have been used in the creation of identities in this show are very typical for the South, and they perpetuate the essence of Southernness. This show recreates the archaic notions of someone who is from the backwoods and their ways of living. For example, there is the main character Tim. He is the head of his distillery and he is virtually uneducated in the sense that he never received a formal degree. In the show, he is most often not wearing a shirt but he always has a dirty cowboy hat on and overalls. He drives an old pick up truck that is rusting on all sides and looks very cheap. “The function of myth is to empty reality,” in which this southern discourse does just that (Barthes 143). The representation of Tim is not a realistic one; it is created by the producers in order to ignite the essence of Southernness in the audiences mind. In the beginning of the season he is boasting about his love for moonshining. He explains that he grew up in the business and that he has been watching and helping his father makes it for his entire life. He also shows a small portion of arrogance for having watched his father’s distillery get raided once, but it not having the ability to scare him away from the business, and it has taught him what to do in order to stay one step ahead of the law. There is a large shift in his attitude by the end of the season. He begins looking into the process of making his distillery legal, despite the social implications within the moon shining community.