Politician wants ‘Buckwild’ canceled in wake Shain Gandee’s death

The death of “Buckwild” star Shain Gandee is still sending shockwaves across the entire reality TV community, but already some politicians are trying to do whatever they can to take down a show that they have claimed is disrespectful to the state of West Virginia and its inhabitants.

Speaking in a new interview with TMZ, the mayor of Charleston (where the city is set) in Danny Jones had the following to say about how MTV should use this passing as a sign to just end the show before the problems become even more widespread:

“Of the few cast members on the show already two have had legal issues and now one has died.  The show only enhances the negative stereotype the Kanawha Valley already has. I hope the show’s life is short.”

This is ultimately where things get a little bit complicated for us. There’s no real evidence that Gandee was trying to do anything malicious, and he and the two other people who died did so as a result of an accident and carbon monoxide poisoning. Not only that, but production did not have any role in what transpired at all.

Ultimately, the decision on the future of “Buckwild” will probably come down to the families and the cast members as to whether or not they want to move forward following this. We have heard from countless West Virginia residents  since the show’s premiere, and many of them feel the same way that Mayor Jones does in that the show edits and misrepresents the part of the world that they come from. At the same time, the show certainly has plenty of diehard fans, and it could bring attention and tourism money to a state that needs it. Remember, not everyone liked the depiction of New Jersey in “Jersey Shore,” but it turned Seaside Heights into a bona fide tourist trap that made a number of people very rich.

What do you think: should MTV cancel “Buckwild,” or leave it up to the people involved? For now, production is halted, and you can read more about that here.