“Thank God for Mississippi” is an adage used in the United States, particularly in the South, that is generally used when discussing rankings of U.S. states.[1] Examples include rankings of educational achievement, business opportunities,[2] obesity rates,[3] overall health,[4] the poverty rate,[5] life expectancy, or other criteria of the quality of life or government in the 50 U.S. states.[6][7][8]
Since the U.S. state of Mississippi commonly ranks at or near the bottom of such rankings, residents of other states also ranking near the bottom may say, “Thank God for Mississippi”, since the presence of that state in 50th place spares them of being ranked last.[9] The phrase is in use even among state government officials[10][11] and journalists,[12][13][14][15] though occasionally with a slight modification
I’m not posting this to make fun of Mississippi. I just think it’s telling that the opposite of “Mississippi Goddam” (Nina Simone civil rights song) is “thank god for Mississippi” (ghoulish joke at the expense of Poor and Black misssissipians)
At the expense of poor and black Mississippians?
One one hand, someone always has to be at the bottom.
On the other hand, no one has to be this hard at the bottom
Yeah, you’ll sometimes hear it with alabama instead, but it really is a thing
As someone from Alabama we say it exclusively about Mississippi
If we’re talkin songs dunking on them, ~Here’s to the state of Mississippiiiiii!
And here’s to the cops of Mississippi They’re chewing their tobacco As they lock the prison door And their bellies bounce inside them When they knock you to the floor No, they don’t like taking prisoners In their private little wars And behind their broken badges There are murderers and more
Mississippi can feel better these days knowing that Florida and Texas are in a race to outstrip them in every field down there at the bottom.
