Hatfields and McCoys (History Channel)

A reality show is faked!?! Shocking!

Years ago - long before the TV show - I went to that Vegas pawn shop in the show. There were no Civil War cannons or George Washington's dentures or moon rocks. It was just a super-sized pawn shop.

 

I'm enjoying H&M, but then again, I'm easy. But I do think Part I was rushed. I would've preferred more time spent on exactly what drove Anse and Randall so far apart. Then again, that's tough because even history doesn't really know. Would Anse deserting in the Civil War, then take the timber from land McCoy thought was his and becoming well off really make this escalate to this point?

Yeah, you're right. Probably.

But that point should've been driven harder.

 

I thought Part 1 was alright, but it didn't treally make me want to watch another four hours of it.

 

What were the McCoys doing across the river in another state on election day? Just there for the party?

 

Part 2 also did well. Then again, it's up against reruns and playoff games a lot of people don't care about. And it has two name stars that people will tune in to watch. It's made me go online to read up about the feud, so I guess it works.

http://tv.msn.com/tv/article.aspx?news=732453&ocid=rr-tv-news

 

I've always been intrigued by the Hatfield-McCoy feud and that whole Appalachian lifestyle. From what I've been able to gather, the Hatfields fought for the Confederacy while most of the McCoys fought for the Union.

Randolph did fight for the Confederacy though, and was in the same company as Devil Anse. I haven't been able to find anything that Anse deserted the troops.

It sounds like the major fighting points were the murder of Harmon McCoy and the subsequent events that continued the feud (the timber controversy, the stolen pigs, etc.).

One thing the History Channel series has done is piqued my interest in the whole feud. I may look into some light reading for this summer.

 

What do you need with fancy book learnin' when there's a moving picture show?

 

Well, by light reading, I meant I was gonna watch Gunsmoke and Bonanza and pretend they're the Hatfields and McCoys.

 

The encyclopedia of West Virginia mentions Hatfield's desertion, but doesn't mention he and McCoy serving together. Or McCoy serving at all.

http://www.wvencyclopedia.org/articles/278

Also, McCoy was 14 years older than Hatfield. Watching the show, I got the impression they were closer in age.

 

In essence yes.

The CW plotline is not historically accurate.
The feud primarily grew out economic differences and potential changes to the area; the haves and the have nots.
Otis Rice and Altina Waller both put together good books on the subjects.
Rice relies on historical documents, letters and newspaper accounts.
Waller puts forth theory of industrial change to the area led to and escalated the feud.

Not sure there is any ONE thing that led to the feud.

 

Thanks for that link. I thought this line was pretty funny:

Hatfield was an imposing figure, six feet tall or taller.

Drew Brees would have loved to be a hillbilly.

 

Pawn Stars, Ax Men, Deadliest Catch, American Pickers ... They are basically a formulaic episode developed for each show played out over and over again with a few different characters or very minor differences in the plot framework.

Sort of like the old Popeye the Sailor cartoon.

Or an NBA or NFL game.