The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia

I waited a while before seeing this film because I thought it might be exactly what it was. A documentation of the sort of people I grew up around in central Missouri. While many people who have not grown up in such areas may believe that the Whites are not a significant part of the population, unfortunately many rural communities especially Southern rural areas of America produce tons of folks like the Whites.

Even those who break away from this sort of dysfunctional rural white trash lifestyle often merely become Bible thumping, intolerant leaders in the community who still do not know or understand history, art or the value of education.

It is the extremely poor schools, glorification of anti-intellectualism and Fundamentalist Christianity that produce these people generation after generation. It is these types of folks that build the base of small town American Republicans. It is not surprising that statements made by Michele Bachmann could easily sound like things said by any of the Whites. It is no accident that Hank Williams Jr said the ignorant stuff he did about playing golf with Obama and that his son is hanging out with the White family.

You can see similar homes of VERY similar people in central Missouri http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avq3-lBgyzs or my longer version at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTKWqKTGwTg

This is why I STRONGLY advocate a lot more funding of rural schools especially in the Midwest and the South. The increased funding should also include a great deal of Federal oversight of the schools and long term counseling to help the next few generations climb out of this ignorant and intolerant lifestyle of destruction.

This documentary is like a train wreck...it's awful, it's ugly...but you can't stop watching. It really is mesmerizing....and I've never seen anything like it and it's sad that it's apparently true and the people in the film are so happy, proud and open about their completely sick and crazy lives. The movie follows the White family in West Virginia, an extended family that is about as trashy and worthless as any in the world...and a wonderful argument for retroactive euthanasia. I know that's horrible to say that, but watching this inter-generational family on their BEST behavior on camera is like the very, very worst families on "The Jerry Springer Show"---on crack. The White family's prison records, drug use, violence and ignorance is overwhelming to watch--it's just hard to imagine a clan like this being proud of themselves--and I could imagine this film being shown in various countries where they hate Americans so they could 'prove' how evil and decadent we really are!

While the film is awful to watch, it has several qualities that I would consider important to a truly excellent documentary. First, the narration is minimal and lets the subjects themselves just talk...and talk...and talk. Second, the subjects are allowed to do or say whatever they want....and this seeming lack of direction is what makes it so compelling. Sad, sick and provocative...this is one to see.

By the way, my timing for watching this film was amazing. I'd just watched "Idiocracy"--a film that warns us that this sort of family IS our future--especially as the ignorance and irresponsible seem to breed at a VERY high rate. Sad...very, very sad.

I first scanned by this movie while staying at a hotel. At first while channel flipping I thought it was a bad episode of cops. Only after further viewing did I realize it was much much worse.... and better.

Although the documentary format leaves something to be desired, the subjects fill the time with their crazy lifestyles. No real way to describe the documentary.

One strange phenomenon is that the young kids are much smarter than the adults. The adults have fried their brains on drugs for so many years that some of them can barely talk.

Check it out.

"They took her baby. Prolly cause they found drugs in it."

You really can't imagine anyone doing a much better job depicting this scourge on society. I've watched this three times and showed it to friends. No one seems to be able to turn away from the Whites.

Being born into that family is an incredible handicap. Life really isn't fair for some people from the git-go, especially those who are addicted to drugs in the womb.

Also, we all aren't created equal, because although crafty, the Whites are completely dim and dysfunctional in their outlook towards life. The sad thing is that there are many people like the Whites in America; leeches on the rest of us, sucking the lifeblood out of this country.

I work in a therapeutic residential environment. I specialise in taking care of children who come from families like this. Everyday is a battle to try and undo the behaviours that they learned from the people they grew up around.

Drugs and gang culture is the norm. They act impulsively as soon as there's a gut feeling. There is very little planning for the future if any at all ever. No consequence training. No boundary setting. The word "no" is a signal to begin arguing or to throw a tantrum. They tend to be self serving and inconsiderate. I deal with laziness, they're always expecting to be served by others. They put up a fuss when it's their turn to help out in even the smallest way. Also, families like this typically distrust professional institutions run by educated people.

They wonder why their lives are the way they are and they can't figure it out. "It must be the Devil in us" one of them says. Change can only happen when people are willing to look at their own selves critically. Life is all about the choices that we make.

These guys have a looooong way to go.