Partying until dawn, dancing with very little clothes on, indulging in mud baths and angering politicians. These activities are reality for the teenagers featured on MTV’s “Buckwild.”
Millions of viewers consider the show’s rural West Virginia lifestyle a source of humorous entertainment. One of the group’s favorite activities, called Muddin’, involves driving through the muddy woods at high speeds in their pickup trucks. Often, the show depicts the young adults consuming alcohol, and one of the cast members was recently charged with a DUI.
The reality show became all too real when Shain Gandee, a notorious “Buckwild” cast member, was pronounced dead with two others in a pickup truck last Monday, April 1. Along with two other men in the mud-stained vehicle, it was initially unclear of the cause of death, besides the fact that the truck was submerged in a mud hole. Based on the content of the show, many speculated that alcohol was involved in the crash. The most recent release states that carbon monoxide poison was what ultimately killed the three men.
This generation that frequently lives on the edge by partaking in “YOLO”-worthy activities rarely thinks about what happens when that one life actually comes to an end. Perhaps this is a rude awakening for the “Buckwild” teens who may now understand the horrific consequences of their actions. Despite criticism for being too wild, it is obvious that Shain Gandee died doing what he loved.
Gandee, arguably the most charismatic character on “Buckwild,” is the hometown boy that everybody looked to for a good time. His love for his friends and family was clear through his thoughtful actions. He brought everybody together through his wild and creative ideas. Some of these included building many pools, slides and jumps using the resources and materials they had in their hometown. Although his death was accidental, fingers will accusingly point to MTV for the potentially dangerous lifestyle portrayed.
Seen as a horrible representation of their state, a call for the show to end rings throughout the community surrounding Charleston, W.Va. In the shadow of Gandee’s death, it will be interesting to see if MTV can maintain viewership by filming the same carefree attitudes. Hopefully there is not a marketing ploy here, using Gandee’s death as a lure to gain more viewers. There is a possibility for backlash against the show if it continues.
This is nothing new coming from a station that originally broadcast “Jackass,” which had similar incidences and much uproar. Ten years later, there’s a new generation of young adults who live freely without concern about how their actions affect the world. This rebellion against the norms of society is what draws so many viewers to the show in the first place. It coincides with being young and carefree. This attitude has existed throughout time, but with reality TV, it has a new perspective. Although parents and politicians alike criticize what the program represents, they can relate by remembering a time in which they were young and rambunctious themselves.
By televising real lives as a source of entertainment, it’s forgotten that the stories told become a commodification of life itself. The ability for media outlets to profit from the accidental death of a seemingly normal young man shows that perhaps there is too much fixation on obtaining morals from television. We all make mistakes. We all aspire to enjoy our youth.
The cast of “Buckwild” is not the first group of teenagers to receive disapproving criticism from adults, nor will they be the last. The teens are not responsible for anybody’s actions, nor are they advocating for others to copy or mimic them. Careless teenagers will always exist, whether they are features on cable television or not. MTV will continue to broadcast the programs that are popular and are making money. As long as America continues to watch, the program will continue to exploit the group of teens.
