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The Shocking Truth Behind ‘It’s A Southern Thing’: 9 Facts About The Viral Southern Comedy Empire

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It's a Southern Thing has exploded from a simple concept into a multimedia empire, becoming the definitive voice for Southern culture, humor, and lifestyle across the internet. As of December 19, 2025, the brand continues to dominate social media feeds, but its history is filled with surprising twists, including the unexpected background of its founder and the high-profile departure of its biggest star, a major event that reshaped the company's creative direction.

Launched to celebrate the often-hilarious and uniquely authentic Southern experience, the brand has successfully tapped into a massive audience hungry for relatable content about sweet tea, Southern manners, and the quirks of life below the Mason-Dixon line. This deep dive uncovers the key players, the most recent updates, and the cultural entities that make this phenomenon tick.

The Key Players and the 2022 Departure

The success of It's a Southern Thing is intrinsically linked to the personalities who brought its sketches to life. However, the most significant recent update to the brand’s history is the departure of its most recognizable face, which fundamentally changed the on-screen dynamic.

Complete Profile and Biography

  • Pete Susca (Founder)
    • Role: Founder of the media brand and Executive Chef/Owner of the related "It's a Southern Thing" restaurant concept.
    • Origin Story: Contrary to expectations, Susca is a self-proclaimed "Jersey boy" who moved South approximately 20 years ago.
    • Inspiration: His initial confusion and eventual fascination with Southern life and common phrases like "It's a Southern thing" inspired the entire concept.
    • Related Ventures: He is associated with the Southern food restaurant of the same name in Durham, North Carolina, and also in Naperville, Illinois, further blurring the lines between the media brand and a culinary experience.
  • Matt Mitchell (Former Star/Writer)
    • Role: Principal writer, comedian, and star known for recurring roles in many of the brand's most popular series.
    • Background: A genuine 7th-generation Alabamian, Mitchell brought a deep, authentic understanding of Southern life to the content.
    • Key Series: He was the face of popular shows like So True, Y'all, Bless Your Rank, and Backporch Bickering.
    • Departure (Crucial Update): Mitchell departed It's a Southern Thing in 2022 to focus on his own independent channels and content creation.
    • Current Projects: He continues to create content for millions of followers, focusing on his unique brand of Southern humor and commentary.

Mitchell’s 2022 exit was a turning point, leading the brand to introduce new series and characters to maintain its creative output and audience engagement.

The Content Engine: From Viral Sketches to Topical Authority

It's a Southern Thing, which was launched in 2017 under Red Clay Media, a division of the Alabama Media Group, succeeded by focusing on highly specific, relatable Southern experiences. Their content strategy is built on a foundation of topical authority, covering everything from regional debates to the nuances of Southern etiquette.

The Pillars of Southern Comedy

The content is primarily delivered through short-form video sketches and articles, often employing a simple but effective formula: taking a universal experience and injecting it with regional Southern flair. This approach has led to several successful, recurring series and sketch themes:

  • The "If It Was Southern" Parodies: These highly popular sketches reimagine classic pop culture with a Southern twist, such as "If The Twilight Zone was Southern" or "If Law & Order: SVU was Southern."
  • Recurring Characters and Series: To build a loyal following, the brand developed recurring characters in shows like The Real Church Ladies of Burndale, Lollygabbin', and Talia's Kitchen. These characters personify common Southern tropes like the nosy neighbor or the church gossip.
  • The Debate Series: Newer content, like the Hash Out series, focuses on debating "the biggest issues facing Southerners," such as the controversial question: "Is Texas Southern?" This format drives high engagement by leveraging regional rivalries and cultural identity debates.
  • Improv and Live Content: The brand has also branched into live, collaborative content with shows like Sketch Cobbler, where they cobble together sketches based on audience suggestions.

This diverse content creation model, which successfully blends humor with genuine cultural commentary, earned It's a Southern Thing three honors at The BookFest Awards Spring 2023, showcasing its reach beyond just digital video.

The Ultimate Southern Culture Encyclopedia: 15+ Entities They Mastered

A key to the brand's success is its mastery of the minute details of Southern life. By consistently referencing over a dozen specific cultural entities, they have achieved true topical authority and created a recognizable, marketable identity. These references form the core of the "Southern Thing" that the audience "wouldn't understand."

Specific Entities and LSI Keywords in Their Content

The brand's humor thrives on the following cultural touchpoints:

  • Southern Sayings: The ubiquitous use of phrases like "y'all," "bless your heart," and "fixin' to."
  • Food Staples: Obsession with fried food, the debate over the proper preparation of sweet tea, and the importance of casseroles at gatherings.
  • Family Dynamics: The unique experience of spending the night at "Grandma's House" and the inescapable presence of Southern neighbors.
  • Regional Quirks: The necessity of monogramming everything, the difference between "real" country music and what's on the radio, and the constant battle with bugs and opossums.
  • Social Institutions: The powerful influence and social structure of "Church Ladies" and the etiquette of Southern weddings and funerals.
  • Merchandise and Games: The brand capitalized on its popularity by releasing products like the Granny's House Expansion Pack for card games, featuring their signature phrases and themes.

By focusing on these deep-cut cultural references, It's a Southern Thing has become more than just a comedy channel; it is a cultural touchstone. The brand successfully navigates the complex, often conflicting identities of the South, offering a space for both self-deprecating humor and proud celebration. The ability to consistently produce fresh content, even after the departure of a major star like Matt Mitchell, proves the strength of the brand's core concept: the Southern experience itself is the true star.

The future of It's a Southern Thing, under the continued leadership of Red Clay Media, involves expanding its content formats, introducing new faces, and continuing to engage in the cultural debates that define the region. Their ongoing success is a testament to the power of niche humor and the enduring, complex nature of American Southern identity.

The Shocking Truth Behind ‘It’s a Southern Thing’: 9 Facts About the Viral Southern Comedy Empire
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