[summer]

CBS seems to me to be playing it two ways here -- on one hand, they're sticking to a script used for ages, the "fish out of water" story. However, on the other hand, as they well know, I think CBS wants to get this message out to voters:

"Remember folks, we've got [GW and] a bunch of country bumpkins running our nation now!"

In short, some not-so subliminal political advertising from CBS, IMO...

More links HERE.

[lexington minuteman 1775]

The philosophy of Hollywood seems to be its okay to make fun of some folks, but I bet if you pitched a show with a similar scenario, say a poor black family out of some urban ghetto into a mansion in Beverly Hill, a few would get quite wrankled at the idea.

[SandRat]

IMHO anytime the "oh-so enlightened" Hollywood crowd get a dose of the "you can't do that you're belittling me with a racial/ethnic/economic stereotype" that they've been jamming down our thoughts, the better for all of us. Enjoyable too! He-he-he-he!

[Will_Zurmacht]

i think they should move the "ignorant hillbillys" to a big white house in washington dc...oh, wait, we tried that

[Dakotabound]

Someone suggest to CBS that they do the exact opposite: Take a liberal rich family and put them in the hills of Appalachia. Would have to be liberal, because the conservatives would buckle down and do the work.

"Imagine the episode where Dad has to kill the chicken, and mom has to pluck it. And the kids have to eat it."

[rface]

I'd go vist my Grandparents when I was growing up. Watching the Beverly Hillbillies was not allowed......and you were supposed to call people from West Virginia "Mountain Folks"

Ashland, Missouri

[upchuck]

KY FReeper ping and a big BUMP!!!

[1riot1ranger]

Who is playing Ellie May????????

[Vinnie]

How about a 'reality' resurrection of Green Acres.
Take some Hollywood millionaires and place them in an ordinary family house. They would have to cook, wash the clothes, mow the yard, fix the car, drive, grocery shop. And the worst, eat tuna casserole.

[Archangelsk]

I've got an idea, as "The Real Beverly Hillbillies" is being run, concurrently run a show - call it "OhmyGod, We're Dirt Poor!" - which takes a wealthy family and puts them into a poor, Appalachian community or urban ghetto and forces them to try to survive. Any guesses as to which show a majority of Americans would tune into?

[Vigilantcitizen]

It doesn't bother this country boy that CBS and the rest of the media like to make fun of poor, rural people.

When city folks from Atlanta drive all the way out here to pay way to much for fresh veggies, they get made fun of too.

[KarlInOhio]

How about this for a show. Take a corrupt and sexually out of control governor of a southern state and his power mad wife and put them in control of the most powerful nation on earth.

This even has spin-off potential as the power-mad wife finds a state leftist enough to elect her to the Senate as she schemes to get back into the White House.

No, on second thought, that concept is even too stupid for network television to show.

[NoControllingLegalAuthority]

This is pure nonsense. America is now so wired, nobody is so out of touch as to be befuddled by a transplanted life into a Beverly Bills mansion. The Internet, DVD players and satellite dishes bring the world to the most remote "hillbillies." The small towns in Kentucky's hills have McDonalds and Wal-Mart nearby. Hollywood has a view of rural America at least 40-years-old. Hollywood isn't hip - it's clueless!

[IronJack]

Imagine if the subjects were crack ho's from Chicago's South Side. Or illegals from East LA.

Certain stereotypes are okay, huh?

[Keith in Iowa]

Reality TV is an Oxymoron!

[mikeb704]

Michael M. Bates: My Side of the Swamp

[F.J. Mitchell]

Wasn't there a show about D.C. Hillbillies back in the ninties, ran about eight years as I recall. A pair of Arkansans moved into the White House and pretended to be the President and first lady. Now that show wasn't only an insult to the south-the whole country was humiliated.

There was a take off from that show planned for the 2 thousands-something about the hillbilly gal former first mama, running for the Senate and winning, while the DC hillbilly ex-President played a Jethroesque,idle rich jetsetting bozo. So far it is only shown regularialy on CNN.

[Hildy]

I actually think it would be funnier to put Tori Spelling in the Appalachians than vice versa

[ContentiousObjector]

Appalachian Americans?

Don't tell me this is a new victim minority group in the making

[Fintan]

Heck, I find "The West Wing" to be demeaning to the U.S. Constitution, the United States of America, and acting in general, but hey...am I making a fuss????

[weegee]

"Fish-out-of-water themes have been a staple in movies and television for many years - from 'Pretty Woman' to 'Crocodile Dundee' to 'The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.' And the fish that's out of water has always been the hero or heroine."

This is real life. There won't be any "heroics" as there will be no "drama". There will be laughing at the real life country bumpkins who don't fit in though.

If Pretty Woman was so great, how about going to the Vegas Strip, taking a prostitute off the street and setting her up with a mansion?

The real life Crocodile Dundee was gunned down in an Austrialian version of the Waco seige. Lottsa laughs. What a pinhead.