| Opinion and Comment by Dianne Weaver
"Imagine the episode where they have to interview maids," joked a CBS executive, speaking of the new "reality" program
Real Beverly Hillbillies. The show will be based on taking a real family from rural America and putting them in a
Beverly Hills mansion to live for a year, just to see what happens. The producers of the program are looking for a
low-income, multi-generational family from rural America or Appalachia as the cast, a family with limited education and
minimal exposure to travel.
The idea is to make big Hollywood bucks off those with few, the hillbillies won't have a clue about how to deal
with money, servants and other material things, they hope. It will be a real laugh-fest for the viewer and a gold mine for CBS. Never
mind the fact that the laughs and money are at the expense of one of the few groups left in this country that it's apparently
politically correct to ridicule.
"A lot of it will be funny, but a lot of it will be real. We want to find a family that's different from what most people know but
still relatable, a family that loves each other a lot," said CBS exectutive Ghen Maynard who also promised that the family
"won't be mocked." Excuse me but how are they going to manage that? The very premise of the program is to mock.
The producers are hoping to capture the family's wide-eyed response to "swimmin' pools and movie stars." They say, "A
maid and personal assistants will be among the indulgences afforded to the family. Participants will be able to earn money
each week as part of the contest.". Oh really? How about just having Pa arm wrestle one of you for the money? Maybe Ma
can rustle you up a fancy dinner of possum, sweet taters and dandelion greens for it? This would better adhere to the
stereotype and boost ratings.
"The intent is to be respective but at the same time enjoy the humor that comes from the fish-out-of-water scenario of the
show," said Maynard. "We want a family who has a sense of humor about themselves."
Well, we rural folks do have a sense of humor about ourselves, Mr. Maynard, but we don't cotton much to being poked fun
at by the pseudo sophisticated, "make bucks any way we can" Hollywood clan. You should be reminded that
approximately one in five, or 20 percent, of the U.S. population is rural, believe it or not, most of us do have television, but a
lot of us won't be watching or buying the products the sponsor's of your mockery are promoting.
It's true that much of rural America, about 56 million people, have a higher poverty rate than the rest of the nation. In 2000,
13.4 percent of rural residents fell below the federal poverty line, while in metropolitan areas the figure was 10.8 percent.
Two point six percent isn't that big of a difference and we double-dog dare you to go into the inner cities, find a poor family
to exploit and get away with it.
So CBS, if the program is a go, successful or not we rural American's, especially in Appalachia extend to you an invitation.
Bring a handful of your top exec's to our mountains and hollers to live for a year and film it, don't forget Mr. Maynard. It'll
be a real hoot watching you feed and clothe yourselves, keep a roof over your heads, buy health care insurance and maintain
a vehicle, on a few bucks a day. We won't be laughing at you, we'll be laughing with you...right?
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