Oh well… Someone Has To Raise the Issue.
June 3rd, 2012
Why Hatfields & McCoys broke ratings records: 4 theories,
Our pal Greyhawk proposed a hypothesis to explain the phenomenon on FB.
“Hypothesis: The History Channel’s “Hatfields and McCoys” was a hit because deep down inside, Americans secretly wish they could go all Hatfield and McCoy on each other. (You know I’m right – and this is wrong X4…”
I responded that his premise is biased, and with ” I haven’t watched the thing. Born and raised in WV The Feud is/was part of our mythos here. Toss in “The Battle of Blair Mountain” and couple of other events and then explain why we should bother?”
ETA: The pix is courtesy of Greyhawk and is NOT myself or Jonn.
June 3rd, 2012 at 8:00 pm
… not go after each other – there has to be limits.
Just go after the liberals.
June 3rd, 2012 at 8:24 pm
See – Frank’s saying what I meant. And Xero, my family on both sides goes back into the hills of dubya vee aay. Missed being born there myself by a few short weeks. (Still got some mineral rights, though…)
June 3rd, 2012 at 9:08 pm
The reason the show was a hit is because it is the first time in a long time the History channel has actually shown something about History rather than reality shows or shows about Nostradamus and Aliens.
June 3rd, 2012 at 9:15 pm
It was a hit, because, deep down, Americans still view themselves as strong, rugged individualists… Also, did anyone else see their commercials for that new Mountain Man reality show? Screw Doomsday Preppers, THAT is gonna be interesting!!
June 3rd, 2012 at 11:13 pm
-1′
June 3rd, 2012 at 11:29 pm
It makes me want to go across the border and burn Lawrence to the grownd…
June 3rd, 2012 at 11:35 pm
It might be that the History Channel actually did some history for a change.
June 3rd, 2012 at 11:59 pm
Very clever — no the photo is not Dorf or Yea NOW — it is an OLD picture of one of you, as I have a duplicate, for proof .
I also have documents, that your real names are Hatacoy and McField .
June 4th, 2012 at 12:14 am
The Sniper #7: Cold hard facts can be a blessing AND a curse.
We all live with myths that shape our realities. Is it always a good thing to dismiss such things that dreams are made of?
A discussion best left for another time, perhaps, but I have watched the History Channel’s lead in (history) show about The Feud with interest. I didn’t see the need for a dramatization.
YMMV
June 4th, 2012 at 8:20 am
I think its probably a couple of reasons. The history and a classic part of Americana is one element. An obviously well produced show with a good cast is another, and yea I think deep down, we’d all like to go a feud’n.
June 4th, 2012 at 8:43 am
Didn’t see it, but if they want a long series on feuds, they might go to Texas and look at some of those. There was one that probably started in TN, certainly continued through TX, and ended up with ambushes and shootings in eastern NM. Great scenery and lots of feuding. Heck, a history of the Scottish Borders through Ulster and into the Backcountry could be interesting (see David Hackett Fischer).
June 4th, 2012 at 9:24 am
Great show. I not only watched it, but recorded it too. Ya gotta love a guy called “Skunkhead.” We had a “Jughead” and a “Bonehead” growing up, but no Skunkhead”.
June 4th, 2012 at 10:02 am
Does it seem that many of these feuds, no matter what part of this country, go back to the Scots and all that Reever business et al? Just a thought, not well studied.
June 4th, 2012 at 12:52 pm
Well when we got kicked out of Scotland we had to keep fighting someplace…