Posted on 02/27/2008 8:21:05 AM PST by Salena Zito
West Virginia boils at 'inbred' epithet; movie casting director fired By David M. Brown and Mike Wereschagin TRIBUNE-REVIEW Wednesday, February 27, 2008
The producers of the horror thriller "Shelter" have fired the Pittsburgh casting director who outraged West Virginians by publically seeking odd-looking -- even physically deformed -- people to portray residents of a West Virginia "holler." The reaction from West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin and others was swift after a story appeared in the Tribune-Review with a comment from Donna Belajac Casting of Pittsburgh indicating the script for a movie being shot here needs actors with an inbred look for scenes in that state.
(Excerpt) Read more at pittsburghlive.com ...
I reckon his mouth just weren’t purdy-looking enough....
Q: How do we know the toothbrush was invented in W. Va.?
A: Because if it were invented elsewhere it would be called “teethbrush”!
They could have just used Robert Byrd.
I guess the producer hasn’t been up a holler.
I always wondered how they handled those casting calls where they were looking for an ugly or overweight person to make fun of in a movie.
Guess they have to do it in a more politically correct way than this.
Question!!!! Was the casting director doing as told by the producers? If so, why fire the casting director? It’s the fault of the directors for wanting these character actors in the movie.
>> Pittsburgh casting director <<
Must be a college football fan.
If you get off the main roads and go back into some very small towns and hollows, the family tree is a straight line.
I know that both of those folks from WV that can read are going to flame me, but before you do, splain this.
This post is a josh, I'm know there are more than two people in WV that can read...
Never embarass the boss....
When you get a divorce in West Virginia, is your ex still your sister?
They will still have the same type of people in the movie...they'll just carry out their casting calls differently.
>> Was the casting director doing as told by the producers? If so, why fire the casting director? <<
The producer won’t fire the producer, and someone must pay. So he complains the casting director was “tactless.” Now the movie company could fire the producer, but you know their burning with lust to stereotype red states.
Let’s see the local police do some routine traffic stops and pat downs of the Hollywood folk and see what the geniuses have in their pockets.
Hillary will soon be available.
True. But, sometimes it’s the boss that brought about the embarrassment - it’s usually someone lower down that pays for it.
MIke
Such it has always been...
Thems folks gots the Web Hubble ears and lips.
WTFIIWWV?
I’m glad to not be in a position where someone above me would get away with blaming me for their muck-up.
You were able to ascertain this by driving through?
Wow! You're amazing!
Tell me, which finger am I holding up?
Folks in Philadelphia make the same joke about a neighborhood called Kensington.
I think Ms. Belajac thought she was being funny...and was blindsided by the firestorm. That and she got the movie a boat load of free publicity :)
WTF, those guys are better looking than I am. (8^)
Cousins are for practice only.
That looks like two failed attempts to clone Thomas Hayden Church.
Me and my high school buddies used to camp out on top of a mountain at an old moonshine still pit, that sat next to an old deserted cabin. The only "horrors" we had to watch out for were packs of feral dogs and an occasional bobcat or timber rattler. But we had our Winchester, Remington, and Mossberg walking sticks with us and were prepared to deal with those critters if they decided to try and make a meal out of us.
You forgot your sarcasm tag.
Keith Olbermann has 6 vertebrae; he’s probably available.
For the record this guy’s last name is Osborne and he is still a resident of Williamson County, which is due south of Nashville Tn. In response to all the burgeoning misconsceptions formulating in your furtile minds, Williamson County has three of the Top 10 Per capita incomes,by zip code ,in the the United States. His Family just sold the family “homestead” for several million dollars.
Incidently, the house, with the front porch used in the movie, Deliverance, was he and his families actual residence. They dwelled there for several generations.
He also is an accomplished harmonica,and guitar player.
Family
Family tree
Are you sure about that..per my post #35?
where oh where are you tonight?
why did you leave me heare all alone?
I searched the world over and thought I found true love
you met another
and pfft! you was gone!
Obviously our urban legendres, are working overtime.
LOL!
These stereotypes of southern people being inbred and ignorant just make me sick. Its just not true! I have lived up north out west and down south. The southern people are the best people in the world. They are not uneducated boobs like they are portrayed to be. Billy Ray Cyrus had a special on TV about the Applachian Mountain people that everyone should see. I understand the stereotype came from some big city liberal who came to the Smokey Mountains in the early part of the last century to do a documentary about the mountain people and because the mountain people were a close knit group, they were suspicious of him. Of course he probably came on like a stupid liberal and got their backs up right away. Anyway the story goes that their unacceptance of him so enraged the liberal that he wrote a book depicting the mountain people in a bad light and since there wasn’t a whole lot of travel back in those days, especially to remote rigions like the Smokey Mountains, the book was widely read and accepted as fact. And the stereotype was born and thrives to this day. Just senseless!
In all honesty , a large part of that films first 15 minutes was shot in Leipers Fork/ Hillsboro communities here in Williamson County. The house was definately in the flick. It was the Osborne clans claim to fame around here. One of the family still lives in the shotgun shack he was born in. Wouldn’t have any idea he was VERY wealthy now.
No, it’s Billy Redden. Go here:
http://us.imdb.com/name/nm0714681/bio
A quote out of the link:
“At the age of 16, this boy from Rabun County, Georgia, was the only “authentic” local to play the role of The Banjo Boy in John Boorman’s disturbing hit movie Deliverance (1972). He was hand-picked from his local elementary school, largely due to his “look” (his large head, skinny body, odd-shaped eyes and moronic grin had sadly branded him a poster-child for inbreeding and mental deficiency).”
I think there’s pork somewhere in their family tree!
I certainly can, but then again I moved here from Pennsylvania.
Kids in West Virginia may have webbed toes but at least they know who their dad is. The most difficult thing Hollywood is keeping a marriage a secret until word of the divorce leaks out.
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