Do you check Rock Candy? If not, you’ll find news there (link corrected) of another great moment for Arkansas in the national spotlight — a Hatfield-McCoy-style reality show filmed around Hardy, complete with barefoot mountain man.

“Clash of the Ozarks” will be on the Discovery Channel. A lead character is known as Crowbar. A gun-toting elderly woman (think Granny Clampett, I guess) is thought to be clairvoyant. From the release:

Advertisement

Crowbar Russell is the patriarch of the Russell family. Everyone in Hardy has their own story of how Crowbar got his name, but one thing is certain: Crowbar and his clan are not to be messed with. Crowbar’s ancestors moved to the Ozark Mountains to avoid being drafted into the Civil War. Once safely in the mountains, they married into the Cherokee nation and developed a deep bond with the land. Today, the Russell family owns hundreds of acres in the area, which they are prepared to defend at all costs. Known for stocking up on homemade canned goods and being the best anglers in the state, the family works hard at being self-sufficient.

Everyone in town knows the Russell clan and many see them as outlaws, but others see them as generous and hard-working church-goers. Crowbar seeks only to work his land and hunt for what he needs to survive. He wants his family to continue doing things the way that they always have, and thus he is opposed to any form of change or progress that might disrupt his way of life. It is for this reason that he has great disdain for Kerry Wayne Evans.

If they can throw down on the gays and talk about how nice black folks were before the civil rights movement (lots of black people up around Hardy, aren’t there?) they could be a hit.

Advertisement

Be a part of something bigger

As a reader of the Arkansas Times, you know we’re dedicated to bringing you tough, determined, and feisty journalism that holds the powerful accountable. For 50 years, we've been fighting the good fight in Little Rock and beyond – with your support, we can do even more. By becoming a subscriber or donating as little as $1 to our efforts, you'll not only have access to all of our articles, but you'll also be helping us hire more writers to expand our coverage and continue to bring important stories to light. With over 63,000 Facebook followers, 58,000 Twitter followers, 35,000 Arkansas blog followers, and 70,000 daily email blasts, it's clear that our readers value our great journalism. Join us in the fight for truth.

Previous article Republican candidate shuffle in race for lieutenant governor Next article Judge Griffen objects to new prison; draws criticism for “dog bite” rule requiring prison time