Manchin asks MTV to take down 'Buckwild' reality show depicting his constituents

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) asked MTV to cancel its new reality show “Buckwild,” on Friday, saying he was “repulsed” by the show.

“As a proud West Virginian, I am writing to formally request that you put a stop to the travesty called ‘Buckwild,’ ” Manchin wrote in a letter to the president of MTV. “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.”

The show is set in West Virginia and has been called an Appalachian version of “Jersey Shore.” The show follows nine young West Virginians who brag about the Southern way of life and shows them partying and trying wild stunts, similar to “Jackass.”

Manchin sent MTV President Stephen Friedman a letter Friday asking him to stop “preying” on the show’s participants.

“Instead of showcasing the beauty of our people and our state, you preyed on young people, coaxed them into displaying shameful behavior — and now you are profiting from it,” Manchin wrote. “That is just wrong.”

In the letter, Manchin says the show plays on “ugly” and “inaccurate” stereotypes about his home state and should be taken off the air.

“I am writing to urge you to reconsider airing this show,” the letter states. “I hope that as you consider your decision, that you would consider your own state, your own community and your own children. Would you try to portray them in this light?”

“Buckwild” is set to premier early next year.

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