West Virginia boils at 'inbred' epithet; movie casting director fired

Pittsburgh Tribune Review ^ | David Brown & Mike Wereschagin

[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.

[purpleraine]

Howdie! My grandfather was in the Battle of Blair mountain. I was born at Loigan General Hospital in 1946.

I have been up some hollers where the mail boxes all had the same last name and some of them were married couples. My aunt is 96 and she carried moonshine up the hollers for a few bucks a week.

[Abundy]

So two high school sweathearts from WV are making out in the back seat of a car on a back road one Friday night. The windows are steaming up and things are looking pretty good for them...at which point the young lady starts wispering in her beau's ear "kiss me where it smells..."

So he climbs into the front seat and drives to New Jersey.

[damper99]

They aren’t twins...they’re only cousins in West Virginia.

[purpleraine]

Logan, of course.

[CDHart]

They should come to some small towns in Missouri - they'd find what they're looking for.

Carolyn

[Erasmus]

Hmmm. Brokeback Astronaut.

< }B^)

[Ghengis]

My direct ancestors spent from approximately 1758-1948 in what became NW West Virginia. There's the usual mix of average, to high achievers to ne'er do wells in the family.

Many have moved on to other areas but there continues a great love for this great state of West Virginia. There is a reverence for one's roots and what forged the family's character when we get together and swap tales passed down through the generations.

Give me West Virginia any day over any of our urban paradises.

[gundog]

How anyone can watch that scene in “Deliverance” and come away with anything but the impression that Ned Beatty’s character was the defective one is beyond me.

[gundog]

Methamphetamine...it isn’t just for breakfast anymore.

[SC DOC]

Q: What do West Virginians do on Halloween?

A: Pumpkin

[WV Mountain Mama]

I will put up with the stereotypes if it keeps all the jag-offs, I mean educated folks, from NY, CA, MA, etc. from our beautiful state of West, by God, Virginia.

[jackibutterfly]

What IS the story behind this picture???

[PennsylvaniaMom]

LOL...on the 'jag-off' reference. Ynuz down in WVA are ok n'at.

;) PaMom

[WV Mountain Mama]

:) Thanks n’at. I think I’ll try to go downtown and get some Primantis.

[PennsylvaniaMom]

Worsh it dahn with a cold Irn.

We are like the only two people who 'get' this but its fun!

[atomic conspiracy]

"Belajac could not be reached."

Sounds as though the producers reached her, though, at least long enough to shout, "YOU'RE FIRED!" into the telephone.

This is an important object lesson in freedom of expression: Belajac has a Constitutional right to express whatever creepy prejudices she absorbed in the dysfunctional environment where she more or less grew up, but she does not have a Constitutional right to work for this particular production company.

[old gringo]

west va. is a yankee state.

[Bokababe]

They didn’t have to look far to find that “inbred look”. All they had to do was go to Wilkes Barre, PA and locate the real thing!

[Pining_4_TX]

Nope, her butt’s too big for the wide screen.