West Virginia Residents Not Wild About MTV Reality Show

February 2021 · 3 minute read

Many West Virginia residents are not fans of Buckwild, MTV’s new reality show – and replacement for the retiring Jersey Shore – which premiered last night.

Set in Sissonville, W.V., the network’s latest "authentic comedic series" follows the antics of nine twenty-something cast members who are … a little bit country.

Punches are thrown and words are exchanged. Turmoil brews among the roommates.

MTV teases that the show follows "an outrageous group of childhood friends from the rural foothills of West Virginia who love to dodge grown-up responsibilities."

Sound familiar? Only in the backwoods and not the Garden State coastline?

 

As we saw with New Jersey residents upset at the portrayal of their homeland by Snooki & Co., some West Virginians are angry about it feeding "redneck" stereotypes.

Samantha Markos, a nearby waitress, said if MTV filmed a "real" show about the state, "You would find a lot of hardworking people that provide for their families."

Melissa Whitman, who lived across the street from where the Buckwild gang resided during shooting last year, witnessed more than she probably wanted to see.

Especially as arguments and even some nasty fights broke out.

"I watched producers actually talk to a lady and tell her exactly how he wanted her to come off on film," she said. "I guess they thought we were all uneducated."

Danny Jones, mayor of Charleston, W.V., added, "You can find all kinds of people that live here and they’re not people that are going to be portrayed in Buckwild."

U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) also criticized the program.

During the premiere, Cara, Katie and Anna moved in together in an attempt to trade country life for city life, but things quickly took a turn for the worse.

Neighbors frequently called the police over noise violations, but the girls, with the help of Southern belle Shae, decided to throw a summer bash.

This resulted in the first fight of the season, involving Anna.

"I’ve known Anna since I was 4 years old. I know she has a horrible temper. And watching the footage back, that fight, I was surprised," Shae recalled.

"I was impressed because she usually snaps like that. I think she handled herself well. She was pushed to her limits and was just going to snap at anyone."

"If anyone gets in her face she’s going to snap at them."

Shain added, "I didn’t want to be around, I’m going the other way when she gets mad. I’m tucking my tail and running like a little puppy dog."

Sadly for the girls, the party ended … in eviction.

"I thought it was pretty awesome that they got kicked out because it brought them to the country," Shain said. "I didn’t have to go to the city to get my flirt on."

Good to know. What do you think of Buckwild?

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