100% dyed in the wool coonass here. Saban saying coonasses talk funny is merely a statement of fact. Cajun accents are cool most everywhere I have been in this country. I've never taken offence at being called a coonass.
When I was fueling tow boats in St. Paul, I'd guess 85 percent of the skippers and crew were coonasses...
I was about to say. That is banted about as high praise in the circles I have been around. About as offensive as saying homeboy in La.
I love the cajun accent. I was born in Slidell, yet we moved in 1964 when I was only 4. Much of my early speech was painted with cajun accents, to the point that when we moved to Texas people would comment on the way I spoke. Not so much an accent but the way I pronounced certain words. I remember catching grief for the way I said water and wash.
To this day a true Cajun accent just feels cozy to me, even if I can't always follow the conversation! Gotta run 'make groceries' now!