Trailer Chic

PBR
Originally uploaded by The Hoyt.

Only in America can white trash culture become hip. Go to any bar in Brooklyn, and you can order yourself a $2 can of PBR. Put on the television, and Britney is still making headlines along with her husband and partner in white trash pop culture, Kevin Federline.

In recent years, a swarm of trailer park to riches stories have immersed entertainment - from Hillary Swank to Eminem, and the trust fund babies like Paris and Nicole all want to emulate it.

Why is white trash so popular, when it's such a derogatory statement and appears to be erroding our culture? The term came about in the 1890s as a slur against poor and uneducated white families. The definition has evolved into an ironic hipster statement that college kids are eating up by throwing themed parties and going to themed bars like the Trailer Park Lounge here in New York City. There are mail order sites like White Trash Charms where you can get a charm of a Bud can to wear around your neck with pride. This is the part of the dumbing down of society that Pink is rebelling against with her brilliant song "Stupid Girls."

The fact that there is such a thing as white trash couture is both hysterical and frightening. It shows that there's an acceptance for our image of being dumb Americans. No wonder why the global society has portrayed us in this light - and it doesn't help with who we have in the White House.