If you went to Tennesse and you thought it was the same culture as Florida or Louisiana, that’s also true. What’s your point?
Florida is East Coast/Caribbean except for the panhandle. Louisiana is in many ways the most southern state. Of course it’s not 1:1 but Western Tennessee does have a culture distinct from Western Kentucky. There’s a very distinct historical reason for that.
Okay, then if there is not one monolithic Southern culture, I’m not sure what your point is.
Amongst multiple other Southern cities, I’ve been to Knoxville. I’ve been to New Orleans. I’ve been to Birmingham, I’ve been to Atlanta and I’ve been to Jacksonville. If you think any of those cities are remotely the same culturally, you were the one who drove through without stopping. And if any of those cities fail your “The South” purity test, well I doubt most of the people there would agree.
Incidentally, calling Jacksonville either “East Coast” or “Caribbean” is fucking hilarious.
I never said NO, Birmingham, or Atlanta weren’t Southern. Jacksonville is absolutely East Coast. Yes the area to it’s west is Southern. But the coastal cities have a shared culture right up through Baltimore. After which it’s pretty much North East culture. Sometimes it’s referred to as South East but that belies the culture between the coastal cities and the Appalachians.
