My grandpa calls himself a coonass. He was in the Air Force. He said only the upper class cajuns were offended by it....which I thought was a bit of an oxymoron.
My grandparents (currently in upper 80s) also did not like the term coonass and they were not upper class, although maybe were considered upper class if we're only comparing south Louisiana. I don't think anyone under the age of 50 finds any problem with it. Unless it's Saban telling a story about a coonass that speaks poorly. As with most words that are controversial, it's not the word itself but how it's used.
My family embraces the term. Growing up I remember my mom OFTEN saying we were Cajun Coonasses. I've never heard it used any other way, never. Some of the comments amaze me. I'm not meaning that statement to be judgemental either, just matter of fact. I remember some people around here would literally mount a racoon's ass, with the tail up, and put it on a wall. I always wanted one myself.
I'd never heard a distinction made til this thread but for what it's worth, I'd definitely consider myself a bayou coonass, given the choice. There's a bayou right behind my house. It's small cause it's the beginning end of it but it's one. I also grew up with a camp (15 miles or so from here) right on a bayou.
