# Wild And Wonderful Whites Of West Virginia, anyone else notice? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 31, 2012, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wild-and-wonderful-whites-of-west-virginia-anyone-else-notice/645686 "2012-12-31T18:06:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2012, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wild-and-wonderful-whites-of-west-virginia-anyone-else-notice/645686/1 "2012-12-31T18:06:56Z")
My friends have been bugging me to watch this thing which they described as the jaw dropping funniest thing they’ve ever seen. It has some funny moments, but man did anyone ever notice that like 99% of the “trouble” these wild rebels find themselves in revolves around procuring and selling narcotics and xanax? How was this just not a story about an entire family of drug addicts driven to crime by poverty and lack of treatment. Is there a methadone clinic in their area of West Virginia? I’m not kidding the entire family is literally snorting opiate painkillers 24/7, seems none of them can go more than a few hours before taking a toot. One woman takes a toot right after the birth of her child in her hospital room, they keep the healthy looking baby for 72 hour observation(baby going into WD?) they are tooting while at the grandmothers birthday party. I can’t even remember how many times narcotic pills are shown, named, used, bought, sold etc etc. This whole thing was kinda sad, they need treatment not to be idolized as rebels and free spirits. ---
**Author:** ![Sicks\_Ate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Sicks\_Ate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sicks_Ate)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2012, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wild-and-wonderful-whites-of-west-virginia-anyone-else-notice/645686/2 "2012-12-31T18:15:06Z")
> [@grude](#): > > This whole thing was kinda sad, they need treatment not to be idolized as rebels and free spirits. I’ll raise you one and take it to ‘extraordinarily sad’. I don’t see why people love this show so much. It’s not even entertaining in a train-wrecky sort of way to me. If ever there were people who had no business having children… That said, I love listening to Jesco White talk. Can’t put my finger on what it is exactly about his accent that’s so pleasant. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2012, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wild-and-wonderful-whites-of-west-virginia-anyone-else-notice/645686/3 "2012-12-31T18:17:53Z")
Speaking of which, **Justified** returns on January 8. Yay! ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2012, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wild-and-wonderful-whites-of-west-virginia-anyone-else-notice/645686/4 "2012-12-31T18:19:24Z")
Yes, that it part of the point of that documentary. However, The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia isn’t the first or even the best documentary about them. [Dancing Outlaw is much better and funnier](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesco_White#Dancing_Outlaw) but I don’t think it is on Netflix. It gives the history of the family but focuses mainly on Jesco as a much younger man (it was released by PBS in 1991) and how he took up the unique form of mountain dancing that his father invented before he was murdered. The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia is more like a bastard sequel to Dancing Outlaw that focuses on the trash in their whole extended family. It works much better if you watch Dancing Outlaw first to know the real background story on it. Otherwise, it seems like just another reality show focusing on white trash - which it is in a way but Dancing Outlaw is something else. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2012, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wild-and-wonderful-whites-of-west-virginia-anyone-else-notice/645686/5 "2012-12-31T18:24:09Z")
If snorting opiates is slangily called ‘tooting,’ opiate snorters need better slang. ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2012, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wild-and-wonderful-whites-of-west-virginia-anyone-else-notice/645686/6 "2012-12-31T18:25:23Z")
It’s funny and atrociously sad. There are some things that are just meant to be out and out funny…but there’s a lot that is just straight. I don’t think it’s presented as a “funny” documentary at all. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2012, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wild-and-wonderful-whites-of-west-virginia-anyone-else-notice/645686/7 "2012-12-31T18:38:34Z")
I don’t think either of these is the intended reaction: > [@grude](#): > > the jaw dropping funniest thing they’ve ever seen. > […] > idolized as rebels and free spirits. Both of those are really reductionist. There are parts that are funny but the family is extremely fucked up - and yes, most of their problems were of their own making to the point that your sympathy wears thin or runs out - but I don’t think you’re expected to view them only as rebels or screwups. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2012, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wild-and-wonderful-whites-of-west-virginia-anyone-else-notice/645686/8 "2012-12-31T18:45:30Z")
Will the show feature snake handling and glossolalia? That oughta be some good “old tyme” entertainment! ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2012, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wild-and-wonderful-whites-of-west-virginia-anyone-else-notice/645686/9 "2012-12-31T18:52:25Z")
> [@ralph124c](#): > > Will the show feature snake handling and glossolalia? [We’re talking about a documentary from 2009.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wild_and_Wonderful_Whites_of_West_Virginia) ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2012, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wild-and-wonderful-whites-of-west-virginia-anyone-else-notice/645686/10 "2012-12-31T19:27:59Z")
> [@bup](#): > > If snorting opiates is slangily called ‘tooting,’ opiate snorters need better slang. > **[toot](https://www.thefreedictionary.com/toot)** > > Definition, Synonyms, Translations of toot by The Free Dictionary > [@](#): > > 1. Slang To snort cocaine. I don’t think they ever use toot in the docu, that was my own contribution(showing my age I guess). So what do the kids call snorting pills nowadays? ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2012, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wild-and-wonderful-whites-of-west-virginia-anyone-else-notice/645686/11 "2012-12-31T20:00:02Z")
> [@grude](#): > > [Toot - definition of toot by The Free Dictionary](http://www.thefreedictionary.com/toot) > > I don’t think they ever use toot in the docu, that was my own contribution(showing my age I guess). So what do the kids call snorting pills nowadays? I don’t know but they do show you how to do the Boone Country mating call with them. You take the bottle out at a party, hold it up and shake it like a rattlesnake. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2012, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wild-and-wonderful-whites-of-west-virginia-anyone-else-notice/645686/12 "2012-12-31T20:23:22Z")
> [@grude](#): > > So what do the kids call snorting pills nowadays? Oh, I have no idea. “Toot” just makes me think of adolescents giggling about farting. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2012, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wild-and-wonderful-whites-of-west-virginia-anyone-else-notice/645686/13 "2012-12-31T23:52:24Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > [We’re talking about a documentary from 2009.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wild_and_Wonderful_Whites_of_West_Virginia) … not that one couldn’t make a documentary about real people handling snakes and speaking in tongues then or now, just that this documentary ain’t about that kinda hick. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2013, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wild-and-wonderful-whites-of-west-virginia-anyone-else-notice/645686/14 "2013-01-01T00:12:10Z")
> [@grude](#): > > This whole thing was kinda sad, they need treatment not to be idolized as rebels and free spirits. My favorite part of that movie is when they cameraman is interviewing the mayor of the town and he says, “There was a kid raised down here from a very humble upbringing - he was admitted to MIT. Why aren’t you doing a documentary about him?” Because no one would watch it. ---
**Author:** ![pythonzzz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9e8a1a/32.png) [@pythonzzz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pythonzzz)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2013, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wild-and-wonderful-whites-of-west-virginia-anyone-else-notice/645686/15 "2013-01-02T00:38:35Z")
There’s also a quasi-fictionalized movie about Jesco called “White Lighnin’” that’s a real strange and interesting film to experience. It stars an English actor(Ed Hogg) as Jesco, and Carrie Fisher(yes, Princess Leia). ---
**Author:** ![Accidental\_Martyr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ce7236/32.png) [@Accidental\_Martyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Accidental_Martyr)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2013, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wild-and-wonderful-whites-of-west-virginia-anyone-else-notice/645686/16 "2013-01-02T05:22:11Z")
Like **Shagnasty** said, you have to watch _Dancing Outlaw_ to understand the whole Jesco story. I saw it not long after it came out with friends from work (I worked in Public Television for several years). The first time you see it it’s hard to believe what you’re watching is real. This coming from someone who grew up in rural Alabama. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2013, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wild-and-wonderful-whites-of-west-virginia-anyone-else-notice/645686/17 "2013-01-02T05:41:08Z")
I have never heard “toot” used to describe anything other than flatulence. The term I _have_ heard used to describe snorting drugs is “oot” (sp?). ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2013, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wild-and-wonderful-whites-of-west-virginia-anyone-else-notice/645686/18 "2013-01-02T18:35:49Z")
Weird timing, just watched part of this film last week. I couldn’t finish it because I wanted to jump through the screen and beat the tar out of every one of those mouthbreathing, shit-for-brains, tumors on society. I decided a long time ago that I wouldn’t use the word “hate” about anyone, but that film came awfully close to making me hate the Whites (except for their poor Grandmother). ---
**Author:** ![Soul\_Brother\_Number\_Two](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/soul_brother_number_two/32/3515_2.png) [@Soul\_Brother\_Number\_Two](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soul_Brother_Number_Two)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2013, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wild-and-wonderful-whites-of-west-virginia-anyone-else-notice/645686/19 "2013-01-03T00:00:16Z")
Yeah, that movie made me sad and pissed me off. Especially the part where HWIII sings–they don’t take nothing from nobody… or something like that, and then later it’s revealed that they are all on SSI! Whatta load of crap. ---
**Author:** ![Eugene\_of\_Sandwich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c37758/32.png) [@Eugene\_of\_Sandwich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eugene_of_Sandwich)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2013, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wild-and-wonderful-whites-of-west-virginia-anyone-else-notice/645686/20 "2013-01-03T01:53:50Z")
**Dancing Outlaw** is on youtube. Google this - _Jesco white- Dancing Outlaw 1991 full movie_ [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wild-and-wonderful-whites-of-west-virginia-anyone-else-notice/645686.md?page=2)