If anyone lives outside of Appalachia, they could tell you that it’s all about rednecks or hillbillies, country music on the banjo, and people without shoes. Where do they get these ideas? If anyone has ever been to northern West Virginia, they probably don’t get them from there. Even in the southern part of the state, there are people who, yes, have shoes, and grand pianos, and could be the next big pop singer. So, the big question is, where do they get the stereotypes? One word: Hollywood.
My theory? Hollywood likes the attention the stereotypes give the region. Negative or not, they like the attention, and feel like if Appalachia didn’t have a dramatic reason to be noticed, they wouldn’t be recognized at all. Take the new series, Buckwild. Most people have heard of it, but if a reader hasn’t seen it, it’s about college-age rednecks in southern West Virginia doing college-age “redneck” things, like having fights or making a pool in the back of a dump truck. Sounds fun, right?
When I moved to West Virginia, I saw that the people were completely normal. Lots of the kids in my middle school had brand name clothes, and I met tons of smart people. They acted more mature than the kids had in my school in Indiana. They were really friendly, and since I was the new girl, everyone made an effort to reach out. The proud stereotype of West Virginia friendliness is still around. You’re probably wondering why there aren’t any movies or shows about the positives of Appalachia. Actually, there are. There’s a movie coming out soon that was filmed In West Virginia, about the hospitality and goodhearted personalities of the locals in a little town. It shows how it’s not all about burning couches and drinking. It shows the beauty of the mountains, and the slower pace of some of those little towns.
I think Hollywood needs to make a bigger effort to show how good Appalachia is. Drinking and burning couches is just a small part of it, and mostly, that’s just for college. Did you know that a bunch of kids who take part in those activities actually aren’t from West Virginia? They come from all over, specifically New Jersey. Did you also know that Buckwild is scripted, and that some of the cast is from California? It’s been proven. Think about that next time you watch the show!
-K
2 comments:
Even though things that happen here in West Virginia such as burning couches attracts negative attention, that's why college students want to go here. The negative attention attracts the students. It looks bad on the people already from here though because most of us don't participate in activites such as that. I love how friendly everyone is here. For an example, I always tweet about how much I love my job because the people I work with are the nicest people you would ever meet. -M
They say there's no such thing as bad publicity. I strongly disagree. Bad stereotypes and negatively toned publicity might bring a little revenue to the state, but it chips away at the pride and the esteem of the people. A show like Buckwild actually makes me slightly ashamed to be from West Virginia, which is something I should never be. I'm afraid to tell people out of state that I am from WV sometimes, because I just don't want to have to deal with the ridicule that comes with it.
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