MTV has ordered 12 episodes of a docu-series that will follow the lives of recent high school graduates from West Virginia to be called Buckwild. While you may think that folks would get excited to hear that MTV would be featuring their state you’d be wrong on this one.
According to TV Guide Buckwild will have elements of the show Jackass as the, “budding adults take part in regional pastimes like mud racing, squirrel hunting and rope swinging.”
MTV programming head David Janollori said of the show’s soon-to-be stars:
“They are definitely authentic with a capital ‘A. These kids have the same kind of issues and goals and desires as we all do. They all want to find true love or have families. They just live in a world that’s really different that many of us live in.”
MTV added in another statement to The Daily Athenaeum, West Virginia University’s official student publication, that:
“The series is really about following a group of friends in West Virginia and exploring their own personal stories as they navigate life post-high school. Everyone has been great, and we’re excited to have this dynamic group of friends’ stories evolve over the course of the series.”
As I mentioned not everyone is excited about the prospect of the show in the Mountaineer state. Many proud residents are worried that the show will only further rural Appalachia negative stereotypes including illiteracy, drug abuse and unnecessary violence. Most have singled out the cult hit documentary The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia when stating this position. This film was put together by the folks from Jackass and followed the infamous White family from Boone County who are notorious for their outlaw ways.
Here’s a trailer of the film that would be a direct example of what many don’t want representing their state.
In fact, the state of West Virginia has denied a tax credit for the show out of fear that it will depict their home in a negative light. Via the L.A. Times:
But the West Virginia Film Office was not impressed and twice turned down the show’s application for incentives over concerns the series will negatively portray the state. West Virginia offers tax credits of up to 31%. But in order to qualify, a production has to meet specific content criteria set forth by the state legislature. The denial came to light last month when MTV announced the new series.
“It [the production] can’t portray West Virginia in a significantly derogatory manner,” said West Virginia Film Office Director Pam Haynes, acknowledging that what is deemed “significantly derogatory” is subjective and decided by a six-member panel.
This came after New Jersey governor Chris Christie revoked a $420,000 tax credit for Jersey Shore because the show, as he wrote in his veto letter, “perpetuated misconceptions about New Jersey.”
Buckwild is set to begin filming in the spring with a likely airing on TV for late Summer.
So what’s your opinion? If you’re from West Virgina are you cringing at the thought of the premise of this show or are you more like, whatever? Personally, I live in Florida which is the only state to have its own tag on Fark because of the amount of “interesting” stories that that seem to bubble to the surface. I think I’d enjoy a show about folks like Carter “Coonskin Cap” Johnson but hey man that’s just me.
Of course MTV already has one mega-reality-star from W.V. in the form of Teen Mom Leah Messer.
If anybody has info on the casting, drop us a line in the comments section below.
