Ignorant outsiders in the 18th century who made assumptions about the Appalachian mountain people simply because they lived in a remote region isolated from society. "They're poor and cut-off, so they must fuck each other's siblings!" Never mind that West Virginia has anti-incest laws in reality and actual genetic studies disprove this myth. A lot of the stereotypes originate from a "study" published called ""A Strange Land and Peculiar People," which was just somebody rambling, a la Seduction of the Innocent.
More recently the stereotype got popularized with horror movies like No Wrong Turn.
It's a convenient excuse that makes them feel better about the shitholes they live in, even if it's based on nothing factually true. Interestingly enough, they shut their ears when you tell them Muslims practice first-cousin marriage at a 40% rate.
Ignorant outsiders in the 18th century who made assumptions about the Appalachian mountain people simply because they lived in a remote region isolated from society. "They're poor and cut-off, so they must fuck each other's siblings!" Never mind that West Virginia has anti-incest laws in reality and actual genetic studies disprove this myth. A lot of the stereotypes originate from a "study" published called ""A Strange Land and Peculiar People," which was just somebody rambling, a la Seduction of the Innocent.
More recently the stereotype got popularized with horror movies like No Wrong Turn.
It's a convenient excuse that makes them feel better about the shitholes they live in, even if it's based on nothing factually true. Interestingly enough, they shut their ears when you tell them Muslims practice first-cousin marriage at a 40% rate.