Sonny Garrett, the editorial-page editor of The Baxter Bulletin in the redneck heartland of Arkansas, has noticed the redneck movement and likes what he sees:

I’m not sure what’s prompted this turn of events, but rednecks across the nation are standing up to be counted. … Actually, the rednecks of America appear to be taking notes from other groups which have felt belittled, discriminated against and generally treated as second-class citizens. …

I think as long as there are independent, hard-working, hospitable and honorable people with good values there always will be rednecks [link added by me], God bless ‘em. If you think you fit the description, if you enjoy life and good times, you might be a redneck. So be proud of yourself.

Amen to that. And amen to Garrett’s commentary about the Country Music Television show “My Big Redneck Wedding.”

I’ve never mentioned the show on this site, with good reason. It embraces the mean-spirited, media-generated stereotypes of rednecks as hard-drinking embarrassments to humanity, and it mocks the fun-loving nature of rednecks, who know how to have a good time in the mud.

“[T]he show’s tone makes me wonder if the folks featured are in on the joke being made of them, or don’t realize they’re being made fun of,” Garrett wrote. “It’s an interesting and occasionally funny show, but sometimes I can’t help but feel a little sorry for the folks because of all the remarks made at their expense.”

The show comes across as if it were written by Stephen Fowler, the much-maligned (and deservedly so) biggest loser of “Wife Swap,” rather than Jeff Foxworthy, who knows how to laugh with rednecks rather than at them while looking down his nose.

So-called entertainment like “My Big Redneck Wedding” pervert the true spirit of the redneck. But don’t let that deter you from being all the redneck you can be.