52 I Can Read You Like a Book
Latin-language areas hear as harsh. So, how did people with a
contrasting background, say, East Coast English, tend to describe
Texans? They strutted. They were loud. Their gestures were too
big. This became the heritage of the modern Texan. Just as the
mentality of the Old South affects the psyche of the modern Southern
child, or like the magnitude of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade
Center will affect generations of New Yorkers, so too does the
larger-than-life Texan affects a child of the Lone Star State. Though
much of the old culture is gone, it is still echoed in the behavior of
people who call themselves Texans.
Almost invariably, you will observe distinctive body language
associated with a group, as large as Texas or as small as a high-
school cheerleading squad. Even temporary groups, such as a fra-
ternity pledge class, a clique of pot-smoking kids at school, a street
gang, or a team of gung-ho salesmen will create unique “tribal cus-
toms.” Sean Hayes’s prancing, limp-wristed portrayal of Jack
McFarland on Will & Grace established him as a proud member of
the social group known as “gay men who don’t even remember
where the closet is anymore.” In contrast, a lot of gestures com-
mon within foreign cultures may go unnoticed by us or may arouse
an inappropriate reaction because we have no idea what it really
means. These cultural norms are direct responses to social pres-
sure, both positive and negative. While the super-typical may get
away with introducing something new, an average Joe will be chas-
tised for the attempt. Similar to the alpha-chimp, human societies
have a way of forcing compliance.