Senator Slams MTV Reality Show Buckwild
Buckwild
West Virginia Senator Jo Manchin has a bone to pick with MTV's new reality show Buckwild.
The series, which premieres next month, follows a group of twentysomethings living in a small West Virginia town and has been described as "The Jersey Shore of Appalachia." BuzzFeed obtained a letter the senator sent MTV requesting the network cancel the series.
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"As a U.S. Senator, I am repulsed at this business venture, where some Americans are making money off of the poor decisions of our youth," Manchin wrote. "I have no problem with people in this country trying to earn a profit, but I would ask them: Would they do this to their own children, in their own neighborhood, in their own home state?"
According to Manchin, Buckwild is a "travesty" which "plays on ugly, inaccurate stereotypes about the people of West Virginia." Buckwild's producer John Stevens spoke to Entertainment Weekly in defense of the series, explaining: "It's not like looking at a train wreck. That's not what it is.
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"It's quite the opposite of everything else on TV," Johnson continued. "These kids aren't hooked into the internet. They don't do Facebook. Shane doesn't even have a cell phone. The parents have to go find in the woods when I call to find him. He's usually out there on his ATV and motorcycle. That's their idea of fun. That's what so refreshing."
Watch a trailer for Buckwild below. Do you agree with Manchin or Stevens?
Buckwild premieres Thursday, Jan. 3 at 10/9c.