"Obviously, people in Texas have big hearts"
About this Quote
“Obviously” is doing a lot of work here: it’s a wink dressed up as a fact. Couric’s line flatters Texans with the soft power of regional myth-making, tapping the long-running cultural brand of Texas as outsized in every direction: big hair, big trucks, big pride, big generosity. By choosing “big hearts” instead of “big personalities” or “big opinions,” she aims the exaggeration toward virtue, not ego. It’s praise that doesn’t feel like praise because it’s framed as self-evident.
The subtext is transactional in a way broadcast journalism often is. Couric isn’t just describing Texans; she’s aligning with them, signaling respect to an audience that is famously sensitive to coastal condescension. In national media, Texas frequently shows up as a political shorthand (guns, oil, conservative swagger). “Big hearts” counterprograms that stereotype without picking a fight. It’s an attempt to pull the conversation back from ideology toward character.
Context matters: Couric’s public voice is the polished, approachable authority of mainstream TV news, where rapport isn’t a bonus, it’s part of the job. A line like this is likely delivered at a moment requiring warmth - after a tragedy, during a charity drive, or in a human-interest segment - when a journalist becomes a national emcee. The compliment also functions as narrative glue: it turns individual acts of generosity into a shared identity, a way for viewers to feel part of a community that’s bigger than the story on screen.
The subtext is transactional in a way broadcast journalism often is. Couric isn’t just describing Texans; she’s aligning with them, signaling respect to an audience that is famously sensitive to coastal condescension. In national media, Texas frequently shows up as a political shorthand (guns, oil, conservative swagger). “Big hearts” counterprograms that stereotype without picking a fight. It’s an attempt to pull the conversation back from ideology toward character.
Context matters: Couric’s public voice is the polished, approachable authority of mainstream TV news, where rapport isn’t a bonus, it’s part of the job. A line like this is likely delivered at a moment requiring warmth - after a tragedy, during a charity drive, or in a human-interest segment - when a journalist becomes a national emcee. The compliment also functions as narrative glue: it turns individual acts of generosity into a shared identity, a way for viewers to feel part of a community that’s bigger than the story on screen.
Quote Details
| Topic | Kindness |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
More Quotes by Katie
Add to List






