GA Senator Protests Hillbilly Reality Show

Jim Raynor · Post by **Jim Raynor** » 2003-02-26 05:44pm

http://entertainment.msn.com/news/artic ... ews=115793

Feb 25, 6:49 PM EST

A proposed hillbilly reality show has struck a nerve with Sen. Zell Miller, who hails from the North Georgia mountains and contends poor rural residents are America's last acceptable target of bigotry.

Miller lashed out at CBS executives in a Senate speech Tuesday for their plans to air "The Real Beverly Hillbillies," which would chronicle a rural, lower-middle-class family that moves into a luxurious Beverly Hills mansion. The program is modeled after the hit 1960s sitcom.

The Georgia Democrat, a former two-term governor, called the proposal a "minstrel show" and "Cracker Comedy" at the expense of hardworking Americans. He said he doubted CBS Television chief executive Leslie Moonves would dare try such a spoof featuring a black or Latino family.

"I plead with you to call off your hillbilly hunt," Miller said. "Make your big bucks some other way. Appeal to the best in America, not the worst. Give bigotry no sanction."

As criticism built in January over the prospect of such a show, Moonves apologized and said the network meant no offense.

On Tuesday, CBS spokesman Chris Ender also stressed the network wasn't trying to offend anyone and said it's not clear when — or even if — the proposed show, which did offend Miller, will air.

"It's bizarre and unfortunate that he's formed a conclusion about a project that doesn't even exist yet," Ender said. "It's a program in development that is being considered but has not yet been given a production commitment. Not a stitch of film has been shot."

This isn't the first time Miller — a self-described hillbilly — has spoken out when he felt others were using the term in a disparaging way.

In July 2001, he fired off a letter to Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld demanding an explanation for news reports that Rumsfeld or his aides had used the term "hillbilly" to describe some members of Congress and their staffs. Rumsfeld denied using the term, and Miller said he took him at his word.

As governor, Miller took on an editorial cartoonist who put these words in the mouth of a mountain couple looking at a Picasso painting: "Mabel, ain't he a dead ringer for your cousin up in Rabun County?" Rabun County is in North Georgia.

Miller also blasted actress Jane Fonda when she told a United Nations group that parts of Georgia resemble a Third World country, with some people in North Georgia living in "tarpaper shacks." Fonda later apologized.

What do you guys think?

HemlockGrey · Post by **HemlockGrey** » 2003-02-26 05:55pm

It's a fucking stupid show and protesting something is a perfectly acceptable way to try to change it.

That said, I don't really care.

DarthBlight · Post by **DarthBlight** » 2003-02-26 05:56pm

If reality TV wants a bigotry target, they can take Ohio residents. Ohio has the largest ratio of hicks, rednecks, and ridge-runners to smart people in the country it seems.

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2003-02-26 06:38pm

I'm sending this to Off Topic as I see no real reason for it to be in SLAM.

brothersinarm · Post by **brothersinarm** » 2003-02-26 07:01pm

I admit we shouldn't make fun of people for just being poor and uneducated. But when they are rich and educated and they go out and make a stupid mistake such as for instance "dangling a baby off a balcony" then that person does deserve some ridicule.

Joe · Post by **Joe** » 2003-02-26 07:30pm

You tell 'em, Zell!

Post by **Darth Wong** » 2003-02-26 08:12pm

Hillbillies are not a race. Anyone can avoid being a hillbilly by going to school and living like a normal person, and there are sound, rational reasons to look down on people who failed to graduate high school and don't want to get a job. I'm sick of people trying to silence criticism by throwing the word "bigotry" around indiscriminately.

Superman · Post by **Superman** » 2003-02-26 08:15pm

Bring on the hillbillies! Maybe some of them will take a look at that show and think to themselves, "do we really look like that?" Maybe they will change... Okay, maybe not.

My stupid ass uncle married into a white trash, hillbilly family. They also live in a hillbilly trash town. It's funny, they're quick to call others "oakies" but they're just as oakie as anyone else around there and they don't even realize it.

I don't like oakies. I never have. They should do this show. I could use a good laugh at some stupid ignorant morons.

Post by **Sea Skimmer** » 2003-02-26 08:15pm

The real question is, do the hillbillies give a shit? I sure don't.

Frank Hipper · Post by **Frank Hipper** » 2003-02-26 08:18pm

DarthBlight wrote:If reality TV wants a bigotry target, they can take Ohio residents. Ohio has the largest ratio of hicks, rednecks, and ridge-runners to smart people in the country it seems.

A person's cultural identity has no bearing on their intelligence.
Having said that, try Texas, or Oklahoma, or Arkansas, or Kansas, or Florida, or Arizona first. I'm from Hamilton, and let me tell you, rural Arizona is about as scary as it gets.

Defiant · Post by **Defiant** » 2003-02-26 08:18pm

DarthBlight wrote:If reality TV wants a bigotry target, they can take Ohio residents. Ohio has the largest ratio of hicks, rednecks, and ridge-runners to smart people in the country it seems.

As a fellow Ohio resident, I have to disagree. We're surrounded by Indiana, Kentucky, and West Virginia. They import their "hicks, rednecks and ridge-runners" to us.

HemlockGrey · Post by **HemlockGrey** » 2003-02-26 08:19pm

I say now I say, listen' here, boy, we ain't gonna have us no darned hillbilly shows 'round here, nope, hyuck hyuck...

Superman · Post by **Superman** » 2003-02-26 08:26pm

I wonder if the series will show Billy Bob take the sheep out behind the barn to give it a good shagging.

Keevan_Colton · Post by **Keevan_Colton** » 2003-02-26 08:31pm

Darth Wong wrote:Hillbillies are not a race. Anyone can avoid being a hillbilly by going to school and living like a normal person, and there are sound, rational reasons to look down on people who failed to graduate high school and don't want to get a job. I'm sick of people trying to silence criticism by throwing the word "bigotry" around indiscriminately.

Its simply the distinction between ignorance and willful ignorance.....one is somewhat excusiable....the other is not.

SyntaxVorlon · Post by **SyntaxVorlon** » 2003-02-26 09:09pm

This is just one more reason you don't want your public broadcasting stations to go out of business. So remember support your local PBS and NPR stations or before you know it this will be the best thing on TV.