Stay Connected
Atlanta Black Star/News
NewsTV

Shain Gandee Death Shuts Down ‘Buckwild’

Posted byBy ABS Contributor | Published on: CommentsComments (0)

Shain Gandee has died from what some are suspecting to be carbon monoxide poisoning, and the tragic incident may have led to the end of MTV’s hit reality series Buckwild, on which he was a cast member.

The tragic incident has emboldened detractors of the reality show to call on the network to cancel it, and now it appears they may have their way – at least temporarily.

MTV announced the network has canceled filming of the second season of Buckwild, according to a Deadline report. The cabler did not say whether Gandee will be featured in Buckwild Season 2 or if filming will be permanently halted or not.  MTV renewed Buckwild for a second season on February 6

Shain Gandee’s bronco was found partially submerged in a mud pit, which has led to unconfirmed speculation he and the two other passengers died of carbon monoxide poisoning.

After news of Shain Gandee’s death broke, the Mayor of Charleston, West Virginia, where the show is filmed,  says he hopes MTV will pull the plug on the controversial show because it only “enhances the negative stereotype the Kanawha Valley already has. I hope the show’s life is short.”

Mayor Danny Jones is not the only public voice hoping for the demise of the reality series. Back in December West Virgina Senator Joe Manchin blasted the show as a “travesty” that profits off of shameful behavior and urged MTV to cancel it even before it aired.

 

Still independent.

We hope this story was worth your time. For over 14 years, Atlanta Black Star has stayed Black-owned and independently run. We didn't get here by waiting on ad budgets that were never built to prioritize us. Our readers did that.

Corporate support for Black media has always been thin. Outlets like ours get roughly 1% of the $170 billion spent on U.S. advertising each year, and that margin is shrinking further as advertisers walk back the DEI-linked commitments they made in 2020. That's the backdrop. It's not why we're asking.

The wider picture isn't any steadier. Newspaper ad revenue has fallen more than 80% since 2005, and local newsrooms are closing at a rate of roughly two a week nationwide. When outlets go under, it's rarely the ones built to center a Black perspective from the ground up that get to stick around.

We know a request for support isn't why you came here. But without readers choosing to fund this work directly, the depth of reporting we can do at home and abroad shrinks along with everyone else's. If you're not in a position to give, that doesn't change how much we value you as a reader.

If you are able to, a recurring contribution does more for us than a single one-time gift, because it lets us plan the next investigation instead of just the next invoice. It takes about 30 seconds, no long form, no account. Thank you for continuing to support independent journalism and freedom of the press.

Give once Give monthly Support another way

Related Stories

Back to top