Buckwild: West Virginia Public Officials Call Show “Garbage” That’s Full of “Stereotypes”
December 12, 2012 by Hollywoodite
This weekend people learned more about the cast of MTV’s Buckwild than they cared to with the release of extended bios and information about the arrests of the cast that appeared to have happened around the time of production (which took place in spring with alleged re-shoots plausibly stretching to the summer).
In addition to a West Virginia senator decrying and predicting the damage Buckwild could do to its local communities, more public officials are speaking to the media as harbingers of what they fear will be a train wreck.
The show was filmed on location around Sissonville and depicts six girls (Cara Parrish, Anna Davis, Ashley Whitt, Shae Bradley, Katie Saria, Salwa Amin), and three boys (Shain Gandee, Joey Mulchy, and Tyler Boulet). And with only the trailer to go by, thus far, it appears the reality show will depict a lot of youthful Jersey Shore-adjacent behaviour. Although, Bradley asks that we don’t judge yet, Amin says she won’t make West Virginia look bad, Davis says the cast are good kids, and Saria says any upset will be offset by the boost to the local economy.
Alisa Bailey, president and CEO of the Charleston Convention and Visitor’s Bureau gave her reaction to the show’s trailer when questioned by the Charleston Gazette. She said: “Wow, that’s just most unfortunate. Obviously, the show is just perpetuating a stereotype West Virginia has been working hard to shed ourselves of. Unfortunately, a show of this nature, if it becomes popular, will make it very hard to sell the state of West Virginia or the city of Charleston.”
Mirroring those concerns, last year the West Virginia Film Office, which “can offer tax credits of up to 31 percent to film and television productions in the state,” denied MTV credits (it’s only a discount to stimulate business, not a permit nor requirement) for fear of how the show would make West Virginia look. Pam Haynes, director of the film office, told the Charlseton Gazette back in 2011, “The legislation is clear that a production company can’t participate in the program if it shows West Virginia in a derogatory manner.”
Kanawha County Commissioner Kent Carper also had a reaction to the trailer: “They’re unfortunately pushing a stereotype I think most people [in West Virginia] will resent, but this is America. You can put that kind of garbage on television.”
A report earlier this week alleged the show was fake, although the noise complaints made to police were real.
Kanawha County Sheriff Mike Rutherford downplayed any trouble though, saying “Nothing serious. Some complaints of vehicles driving erratically, some partying…” (Note: It’s not clear exactly when filming started and ended, although it was approximately through “spring 2012″ onward and Boulet was arrested in February 2012 and June 2012, the latter for “minor in possession of alcohol,” and Amin was arrested July 28, for “disorderly conduct”).