Bill David (wdavid@unf.edu) from relay.accustaff.com at 09/23/96 12:56PM
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    What's so funny about the south? The people. That's right, us. And the great thing about it is, we're the first to laugh at ourselves. We're a peculiar people, and we treasure the eccentricities that separate us from our more geographically challenged brethren. We know what's funny about us; what other group of people would participate in the transformation of one of their cultural icons - Elvis - from groundbreaking artist into supermarket tabloid headline? We recognize our foibles and shortcomings, and a barb that truly finds the mark will be greeted with as much laughter from the target as from the audience. The cardinal rule is not to take yourself too seriously. Someone who is full of themselves can find the can see the good-natured ribbing that's typical of southern humor turn into the biting sarcasm of Mark Twain before they know what is happening.