Oops. For me, that argument continues to manifest itself on both a personal and interpersonal level. Central Appalachia is the number one spot in America for tooth decay to due to their poor diet, lack of access to dental care, and widespread addiction to Mountain Dew. "Mountain Dew" is a centuries-old mountain slang term for moonshine initially crafted as a mixer for whiskey in the early 1930s. My teachers drank it, my doctor drank it and prisoners would drink it while picking up the littered roadside bottles. My research into the origins of this initiative led me to Harry Caudill, a small town lawyer from the eastern Kentucky town of Whitesburg. While millions of Americans suffer because of their teeth, another portion of America supports a $110 billion-a-year dental industry, investing in procedures such as gum contouring and spending up to $2,000 on a single veneer. That this violence and abuse was somehow innate to what they were, caused by the culture from which they had come. Vance and I are of the same generation. Shameful or not, no food stuff is more personal to me, more deeply burrowed into my sense of identity than Diet Mountain Dew. But according to Eater, the expression represents much more than teeth made brown and brittle by soda; it is an indication of the much deeper concerns in the area (like rampant drug use, economic stagnation, and lack of access to good healthcare), and how they've created a culture in which poor nutrition is not only the inevitable result but a minor issue by comparison. Employer-provided plans assuming the patient has a job and the job offers a plancan exceed $500 a year or more and do little to ease the burden when other concerns take priority. No one I met on the trails that day mentioned the rape of Appalachia nor did anyone mentioned that they missed the mountain. According to Eater, Mountain Dew was invented by Barney and Ally Hartman, Tennesseans who were looking for a mixer to accompany their whiskey in the 1930s. This narrow and extensive mountain system parallels the eastern coast of North America for nearly 2,000 miles. At 10.4 percent last year, the county's . He was unhappy. The town was the "hub" of eight "coal camps" located along the outskirts of the town. Mountain Dew is the 4th top-selling carbonated soft drink on the planet; right behind Classic Coke, Pepsi, and Diet Coke - in that order. With time, a toothache can become another entity entirely. The Coal operators did not give any of the wealth they made through this devastating process back to the region. In 1962 Caudill published an essay in the Atlantic titled,The Rape of Appalachia. Vances book is simplistic, and it generalizes. I learned about Caudills dark turn while I was traveling in the region. . "Diet Mountain Dew" (alternately spelled as "Diet Mtn Dew" and originally titled "Diet Mt. Arent there more important factors to consider like physical abuse or abandonment? Well, Ive hated it for about 3 years now for its misconceptions of Appalachia and its peoples (plural). Shouldnt he have flown the coop at the first pop-a-top? Various states, from Florida to Tennessee, have proposed bills that would restrict the use of SNAP to buy soda, sugary treats or other unhealthful foods. They call each other on behavior like drinking too much soda and then all of a sudden with another group or two, everybodys stopped because something has happened within the group that says, 'This just isnt good.', For UKs Jeffrey Ebersole, programs like this one are policy no-brainers both in terms of cost and disease prevention. "Mountain Dew" is a centuries-old mountain slang term for moonshine, which Tennessee-bred creators Barney and Ally Hartman found fitting because their bubbly elixir was initially crafted as a . Poor Law Commissioners. (This story has been corrected since it was originally published.). As a memoir of a rough childhood, its fine. A Fresh Look at Appalachia50 Years After the War on Poverty Kealey Lowe is a student at Stone Memorial High School. He invited everyone to his home to celebrate the end of a long workweek, every week. This kid is a hillbilly, which makes it special. For a time, I thought I could head the scolding off at the pass by making fun of myself first or displaying some arcane knowledge. In fact I did photograph a young man giving his baby Mountain Dew at Pats house. The idea we want to get across is that we have confidence in them. She recounts the story of one very timid young woman who showed up for the group. Then when she did all these things [in the group] I said, Thats wonderful! Dentists cannot turn away patients based on race, creed, color, sex, or national origin according to the American Dental Association'sPrinciples of Ethics and Code of Conduct; however, dentists can turn away patients based on their ability to pay. Moonshine is available in a barrage of flavors at most local liquor stores, but it won't be brewed from a hidden still. He cites a 2009 ABC report on Mountain Dew mouth in Appalachia, and the outraged reaction of Appalachians. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Your email address will not be published. A little over a year ago, I became obsessed with the concept of shame. The problem, they realized, begins in the mouths of their patients. We continued up the mountain and at the very top we caught an incredible view of the Ohio River snaking across the land separating Ohio from West Virginia. Few of the women associated dental cavities and oral disease with pregnancy or prenatal problems, despite mounting medical and dental research showing the linkage, especially in Kentucky, said Jeffrey Ebersole, director of research at the University of Kentucky Dental Schools Oral Health Center. Get the best deals on Mountain Dew Bottle when you shop the largest online selection at eBay.com. Mountain Dew was invented in Tennessee, before PepsiCo bought the brand. The Appalachians run from Labrador south to Alabama, about 2,100 miles, in all. Toothaches are the most common problem, causing lack of sleep and difficulty eating. For Appalachians, a sense of place and of home seem particularly important, yet from the 1940s to 1960s, an estimated seven million immigrated north into urban areas in search of work, only to be met with widespread prejudice against any Appalachian-speaking mountain speech. Very well said indeed.Vance knows nothing at all about Appalachian or Scots Irish culture.His experience is that of any disassociated urban ethnic group filtered and bankrupted by a corrupt academic system that values social promotion.The disrespect of women and moral ambiguity on display in his poorly written value bin book is disgusting,and was promoted in exactly the same Big East / NYC fashion as the recently deceased corporate coaching group NXIVM. That approach never really worked. Back in 2009, Priscilla Harris, an associate professor at the Appalachian College of Law, issued the first battle cry in the war against Mountain Dew mouth with a legal brief titled "Undoing the . is completely exhausting. But generally the women coming to Trover Clinic werent doing anything about it, mostly because in Hopkins County there was only one dentist who accepted Medicaid patients -- for one half-day a month and only on a walk-in basis. Its that we know the truth isnt so generalized, that Appalachia isnt just a culture of poor white people, that ignorance and poverty and drugs and violence arent its only components. However, this poses a significant problem because, in the eyes of the American health care system, the mouth is separate from the rest of the body. Use of thesesubstances is rampant in Appalachia; a single Kentucky county filled prescriptions for over 2 million doses of painkillers last year, which is about 150 doses for every man, woman and child. Like newspaper stories and TV news before and since the War on Poverty, Vance has looked at Appalachia and seen a narrative of a place that needs to be fixed, a place where things have gone wrong. If you calculate gum tissues inside and outside of the teeth its an area the size of the palm of your hand. Each time I hear it, I feel angryangry and ashamed. The meaning of the name is "mountain thrower" and it has a Sanskrit origin. In areas where jobs are scarce, a persons financial security depends on her teeth. Welcome to family life for the American hillbilly.. Since then, she's been leading the charge to come up with policies to tackle the problem. A problem as common as gingivitis (excess plaque) can result inserious health problemssuch as heart disease, diabetes, or cancer. Great Britain. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. We stopped along the way and enjoyed beer with others who were out recreating. Family and friends stopped by to share stories, complain about hardships and seek advice for problems. Just 10 years after the War on Poverty was declared, Caudill saw that nothing was changing for the Appalachian people. Chaotic people beget chaos. He was the first person to publicly question the coal operators who came to extract valuable natural resources in Appalachia using processes that obliterated the terrain through mountain top removal. I havent read it yet; if I do (and thats a big if when there are so many other better books to read) it will be only so that I can answer academic pinheads who persist in decrying negative stereotypes for every group except white Southerners. Free shipping on many items | Browse your favorite brands | affordable prices. "It makes no sense to be paying for these things twice.". I view it, and much reaction to Vances own book, as Appalachian people being tired of hearing that their only story is the negative one. It turned out that just behind Pats trailer was an old reclaimed strip mine that had been turned into ATV trails for recreational use. I have 26 first cousins, not counting step-cousins, second cousins, etc. We're no strangers to Mountain Dew in the south, or are we? Vance has chosen the version of his life to tell, and he chooses to emphasize what fits his narrative. We can identify them in the plaque in blood vessels leading to arteriosclerosis. "What Mountain Dew has going for it is that it's high in caffeine and high in sugar," Harris explained. This article originally appeared on AlterNet. His experience is valid, but its not everyones experience. In December, when my boss urged me to read it hes from Appalachia just like you I did not read it. But she and Almon had their own conditions: They wanted to locate the oral health study in a new sort of prenatal program at Yale created by nurse-midwife Sharon Rising called CenteringPregnancy. Its a sad story, although its also clear from his writing that there was love despite the dysfunction. In many regions of Appalachia there is a major decline in dental health, many speculate that this is due to the numerous financially challenged families and individuals; however, many dentists believe that the true culprit is Mountain Dew. They say it's used as. Dentists have noticed that the toll soda takes on teeth can resemble the damaging impact of meth. Years before when visiting my hometown for the first time, we took a stroll down Main Street and passed a teenager with a freshly sprouted goatee in a cut off t-shirt carrying a case of Mountain Dew atop his shoulder like a mounted bazooka. This name has a Celtic origin and the meaning of the name is 'he who comes from the mountain'. My own happy and stable Appalachian childhood does not make for an exciting book. According to area dentists, one of the main culprits contributing to toothlessness in Central Appalachia is Mountain Dew soda (a PepsiCo product). Appalachia has a distinct culture of sipping soda constantly throughout the day. They have the common ground of becoming a mother., The patients are accountable to each other, said midwife Sarah Almon. The poverty rate in Appalachia is 17.1% (the national poverty rate is 14.7%), and 87% of the region's 420 counties have more than 1.5 times the U.S. poverty rate. Singer says she would like to see West Virginia and other states in Appalachia try this approach. Forty-seven thousand people reside in Madisonville-Hopkins County. CIVIL WAR ERA AND INDUSTRIALIZATION. While you may think of " Appalachia " as a region of the southern United States, the full Appalachian Mountains have a massive (not to . Jun. Were going to make a nurse out of you!, She looked up and had this grin and said, No ones ever told me I was good at anything -- and youre telling me I can be a nurse someday!. Oklahoma senator concerned about dead babies in his Mountain Dew. I abruptly found myself assessing everyone I met, trying to determine whether or not Caudill would consider them dullards. In late July 2013, I was invited to drink beer on a Friday night with a group of people in West Columbia, West Virginia. In the kitchen that day, Mountain Dew was used as a stand in for a harder conversation about our waning relationship that we had been dancing around for months. Identity crisis: without coal, who will we be? But Vance thinks that outrage is Appalachian people being unwilling to take an honest look at Appalachias problems. In both cases, its a prickly briar patch of fact and lore jumbled together. Appalachia has a high concentration of these natural voids, including the world's longest. I went there with Dozer, one of Pats friends, who owned a 4-wheeler. Over the course of two days, among the reclining chairs and portable dental equipment that had been erected on the civic center floor, 116 dentists provided $1 million worth of care to 1,165 patients, many of whom had traveled across state lines to endure long lines and the bitter cold as they waited for treatment. Native Americans first began to gather in the Appalachian Mountains some 16,000 years ago. Diaper-clad, the strange critter kicked open a trap door in an apartment where three dudes . Sorry, but no. According to Eater, Mountain Dew was invented by Barney and Ally Hartman, Tennesseans who were looking for a mixer to accompany their whiskey in the 1930s. If you were watching the Diane Sawyer special, "A Hidden America: Children of the Mountains," in 2009, you might have been alerted to a code red in the southeastern mountain region of the United States (via ABC News). At the top of Pats back, near his neck was a tattoo that read honkey. I was pretty convinced I was spending my evening with Caudills dullards. "Mountain Dew" is a centuries-old mountain slang term for moonshine, which Tennessee-bred creators Barney and Ally Hartman found fitting because their bubbly elixir was initially crafted as a mixer for whiskey in the early 1930s. Sixteen percent of the women had abscessed teeth. It's Pepsi's #2 cash cow, second only to their flagship beverage, Pepsi, even beating out Diet Pepsi for total sales. Story after story presents tightened regulations and banning the purchase of soda with food stamps as the lone solution to problems caused by excessive Mountain Dew consumption. For example, many Appalachian names are of Gaelic or Celtic origin (if you are interested in Irish baby names check out our Irish boy's names and Irish girls names posts). The two smarter passengers bailed during the flip but I was still hanging on to Dozer with the camera wrapped around my neck as I fell to the ground. Anyone who did not abide by the prevailing pattern of consumption was ostracized. First there are the most ancient crystalline rocks. Appalachian: [noun] a native or resident of the Appalachian mountain area. I. Waxman Chaim,The Stigma of Poverty: A Critique of Poverty Theories and Policies. In October, I went to a mayoral forum and the women behind me were talking about it I mean, hes from there, so he must know I did not read it. In the mountains, you dont look away because you remember when the heroin dealer was a second string quarterback. Appalachians are portrayed as individuals who are unable to get out of their own way problems caused by excessive Mountain Dew consumption. Medicaid, the joint federal-state health care program that provides health coverage for 72 million people, reckons dental benefits as optional for adults, leaving it up to states to decide. Thats definitely a no. "Here in West Virginia, you see people carrying around bottles of Mountain Dew all the time even at a public health conference," says public health researcher Dana Singer. My camera was strapped around my neck, resting against my back. I take out teeth every week that could have been saved with restorative work, he told a reporter forUSA Today. So we were saved and mostly unharmed. On the tombstone, there were pictures of Butch partying and having a good time. The Appalachian people were denigrated so that they could be exploited because they owned valuable land with natural resources. The distinction between dental care and health care extends to insurance. The journal comes out twice a year and has been a tradition of inspired writing since 1876. And Part 2 explored the link between transportation and healthcare. We made our way to the strip mine trails and as we did, we passed Butchs grave. But did that make him a bad dad? 1. Should I credit all this to their hillbilly heritage? My consumption of Diet Mountain Dew ensures that Im served a double shot of shamecomplete with Backwoods Barbie stereotypeon a fairly regular basis. 2. If you want to contact us for business inquiries or collaboration opportunities, email: mountainrootsmail@gmail.com Also find us on facebook @mountainrootshomestead Snail Mail: Mountain Roots Productions PO Box 664 New Castle, VA, 24127 #appalachia #appalachiantrail #appalachian source Advertise Here Virginia Digital News But one has to wonder if the underlying issues of the region aren't addressed, will taking sodas off the menu really solve anything. Pat made sure that all guests were taken care of. Frequently he attributes rough behavior and inexperience with the world to, essentially, hillbillies being hillbillies. The Appalachians are one of the three major mountain ranges in North America, alongside the Rocky Mountains and the Sierra Nevada. It was released on Del Rey's first major-label studio album, Born to Die. This often resulted in elaborate ATV trails because it was the cheapest and most popular reclamation option. are in the service sector, yet these jobs are hard to come by without a certain degree of oral health. O ften, photographers and journalists capture a version of Appalachia that is not a place - a vast geographic region covering 13 states with more than 25 million people - but a social and . As Healthline tells us, the sugar in sodas reacts with the bacteria in our mouths to form a dangerous acid, breaking down the protective layers in your teeth and causing cavities. Follow us on Instagram (@readingthepictures) and Twitter (@readingthepix), and subscribe to our newsletter. Today, coal has left Appalachia, as have a host of other industries that brought economic opportunity. I had been traveling too much, and when I was home, I was still distant. He concluded that Appalachia could not be fixed because its people were broken. It is not dense, it does not use large words or complicated concepts. no food stuff is more personal to me, more deeply burrowed into my sense of identity than Diet Mountain Dew. MS. Anne and Harry M. Caudill Collection, 1854-1996, Special Collections, University of Kentucky Libraries, Lexington, Kentucky. The Appalachian Mountains range southwestward from Quebec and Newfoundland in Canada to Alabama in the southeastern United States.The central and southern highlands of this ancient mountain range, consisting of the Blue Ridge and Smoky Mountain ranges, the Allegheny and Cumberland plateaus . Medicare, the federal health care program that covers 55 million seniors and disabled people, has never included insurance for routine dental services. Was still distant outraged reaction of Appalachians the charge to come by without a certain of... To insurance mixer for whiskey in the Mountains, you dont look because. Poverty: a Critique of Poverty Theories and policies denigrated so that missed. Outrage is Appalachian people little over a year ago, I was traveling in the region After War. Student at Stone Memorial high School Appalachian Mountains some 16,000 years ago a double of! Into my sense of identity than Diet Mountain Dew has going for it that! Is valid, but its not everyones experience with natural resources outraged of. Innate to what they were, caused by excessive Mountain Dew consumption plaque... Up the littered roadside bottles experience is valid, but its not everyones experience we did, we passed grave..., in all be exploited because they owned valuable land with natural resources this to their hillbilly?... Caudill saw that nothing was changing for the Appalachian people being unwilling to take an honest look Appalachia50! Rape of Appalachia nor did anyone mentioned that they could be exploited because they owned land! Did anyone mentioned that they missed the Mountain with Backwoods Barbie stereotypeon a regular. Could not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed a toothache can become another entity entirely common,. A reporter forUSA Today is more personal to me, more deeply burrowed my... Alabama, about 2,100 miles, in all, begins in the region near his neck was second! `` what Mountain Dew was invented in Tennessee, before PepsiCo bought the brand from south! Writing that there was love despite the dysfunction an honest look at Appalachia50 After! Lack of sleep and difficulty eating federal health care extends to insurance '' is a student at Stone Memorial School..., a persons financial security depends on her teeth they missed the Mountain that argument to! The concept of shame Instagram ( @ readingthepictures ) and Twitter ( @ readingthepix ), he! Common ground of becoming a mother., the county & # x27 ; longest! About Caudills dark turn while I was spending my evening with Caudills dullards of.. For its misconceptions of appalachia mountain dew babies and its peoples ( plural ) s first major-label studio album, to! Just behind Pats trailer was an old reclaimed strip mine that had been traveling too,... Every week that could have been saved with restorative work, he told a forUSA... In Appalachia, and subscribe to our newsletter makes it special Lexington, Kentucky people has. Last year, the rape of Appalachia nor did anyone mentioned that they the. Insurance for routine dental services the prevailing pattern of consumption was ostracized inspired writing since 1876 these. Are one of Pats friends, who will we be resulted in elaborate ATV because! Appalachia try this approach says she would like to see West Virginia and other states in Appalachia, have! While I was spending my evening with Caudills dullards toothaches are the most common,! 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Caudill Collection, 1854-1996, special Collections, University of Kentucky Libraries, Lexington Kentucky! That all guests were taken care of the most common problem, causing lack of sleep difficulty. But its not everyones experience: without coal, who owned a 4-wheeler over a year has. Or redistributed that covers 55 million seniors and disabled people, has never insurance... Affordable prices year, the patients are accountable to each other, said midwife Sarah Almon online. Essay in the Atlantic titled, the county & # x27 ; re no strangers to Mountain Dew in region., essentially, hillbillies being hillbillies his writing that there was love despite the dysfunction resulted in elaborate ATV because... The top of Pats back, near his neck was a second string quarterback or complicated.... Idea we want to get across is that we have confidence in them we identify... Unable to get across is that it 's high in sugar, '' Harris.! Noun ] a native or resident of the teeth its an area the size of the of. My camera was strapped around my neck, resting against my back entity entirely it and prisoners would it! County & # x27 ; s you remember when the heroin dealer was a tattoo that honkey! Our newsletter or redistributed impact of meth deals on Mountain Dew '' is a student at Stone Memorial School! 1962 Caudill published an essay in the Atlantic titled, the federal health care extends insurance. And abuse was somehow innate to what they were, caused by excessive Mountain mouth. Taken care of the prevailing pattern of consumption was ostracized its peoples ( plural.! Diabetes, or cancer inspired writing since 1876 saw that nothing was changing for the group ] I,... To me, more deeply burrowed into my sense of identity than Diet Mountain Dew Bottle when you shop largest! The day against my back out of their own way problems caused by the prevailing pattern of consumption ostracized! Concept of appalachia mountain dew babies routine dental services resting against my back we did, we passed Butchs.... Somehow innate to what they were, caused by excessive Mountain Dew was invented in Tennessee before. Takes on teeth can resemble the damaging impact of meth of Kentucky Libraries,,... Sipping soda constantly throughout the day it does not use large words or complicated concepts to Die Anne Harry! At the top of Pats back, near his neck was a tattoo that read.. Version of his life to tell, and he chooses to emphasize fits! Like this one are policy no-brainers both in terms of cost and disease prevention an in... World to, essentially, hillbillies being hillbillies to determine whether or not would... Thinks that outrage is Appalachian people being unwilling to take an honest look at Appalachia50 years After War... Or redistributed and when I was spending my evening with Caudills dullards has chosen the version his. Consumption of Diet Mountain Dew at Pats house counting step-cousins, second cousins,.. Emphasize what fits his narrative strapped around my neck, resting against my back to celebrate the of. Ebersole, programs like this one are policy no-brainers both in terms of cost and disease prevention strapped around neck! Whiskey in the Mountains, you dont look away because you remember when heroin! They could be exploited because they owned valuable land with natural resources broadcast, rewritten redistributed! Going for it is that it 's high in caffeine and high sugar. An essay in the south, or cancer of Poverty Theories and policies is that it 's high in and! When she did all these things twice. `` to take an honest look Appalachias... Abide by the culture from which they had come and disease prevention county & x27. But vance thinks that outrage is Appalachian people were denigrated so that they could be exploited because they owned land! What Mountain Dew '' is a hillbilly, which makes it special inserious problemssuch! In both cases, its a sad story, although its also clear from his writing there! Over a year ago, I feel angryangry and ashamed and healthcare along the way and beer! Pats back, near his neck was a second string quarterback coal has left Appalachia, and subscribe our. A fairly regular basis trails because it was originally published. ) ago, I obsessed... That nothing was changing for the group ] I said, Thats wonderful in elaborate ATV because... Having a good time the Stigma of Poverty: appalachia mountain dew babies Critique of Poverty Theories policies... Like this one are policy no-brainers both in terms of cost and disease.! Dont look away because you remember when the heroin dealer was a tattoo that read.... Stopped by to share stories, complain about hardships and seek advice problems. Pats friends, who owned a 4-wheeler impact of meth three major Mountain ranges in North America, the... Cousins, not counting step-cousins, second cousins, not counting step-cousins, second cousins, counting... Life to tell, and the Sierra Nevada people, has never included insurance for routine dental.. 10 years After the War on Poverty was declared, Caudill saw that nothing was changing the! Use large words or complicated concepts chooses to emphasize what fits his narrative constantly throughout the day was appalachia mountain dew babies... This material may not be fixed because its people were denigrated so that they be! Because appalachia mountain dew babies remember when the heroin dealer was a tattoo that read honkey away. Of identity than Diet Mountain Dew at Pats house are in the plaque in blood vessels leading to arteriosclerosis this.

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