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Backlash ends Huntington casting call for show

Herald-Dispatch photo by Sholten Singer Mayor Steve Williams delivers his state of the city address on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2015, at City Hall in Huntington.
Herald-Dispatch photo by Sholten Singer
Mayor Steve Williams delivers his state of the city address on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2015, at City Hall in Huntington.

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. — A casting call notice for a reality series hoping to film in Huntington received major backlash from Mayor Steve Williams and others in the city who were not on board with the show’s concept.

The show was looking for Huntington residents who are obese and proud of their lifestyle, but the production company, Loud Television, based in New York, abandoned its plans to cast in the city after one of the show’s producers, Jamie Parks, sent out a post on Twitter calling the mayor obese. The tweet came after Williams had sent her an email saying the show’s concept offended him.

“Trying to create a tv show about the fattest town in America & just got an email from their obese mayor & homeboy is HIGHLY offended. #yikes,” the tweet read. Parks has since deleted her Twitter account.

Williams said he sent an email to Parks on Tuesday telling her that he was offended by the producer’s pitch for a show seeking Huntington residents who are “Large & Proud.”

“I don’t appreciate them wanting to come into my community, taking advantage of our goodwill and poking fun…

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