Absolutely fascinating look at Appalachia

[masraum]

I can't remember how, but I stumbled across a couple of these Peter Santenello videos earlier this year. They were interesting to see him visit a a coal mining area in West Virginia and chat with several folks. He's got a great manner that seems genuine when he deals with people and I think that enables him to get good interaction with them that may not otherwise be possible.

Then I happened across a video of him with Titus in another part of Appalachia. Titus is an interesting and likeable young man who is almost completely off the grid. He has no DL, and has only a land line with an answering machine, no computer, cell phone, etc.... I'm thoroughly enjoying the videos with Titus (I think there are 3 that Peter has done with him I'm about 1.5 videos in.

I'll post the Titus videos first (they are long, but interesting), then the West VA videos farther down.

Titus




Mining deep in Appalachia


Some more videos by Peter along the same vein

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=peter+santenello+appalachia

[Eric 951]

very interesting. I used to watch the "soft white underbelly" vids, but somewhere down the line they became more exploitive than informative.

There are many interesting people and areas in the hollers of Appalachia. I have worked and interacted with many of these folks throughout WV, KY and TN. I believe that "Deliverance" --despite being a great movie has unfairly sullied these regions.

[HardDrive]

I love riding my motorcycle in SE Ohio, Kentucky and W Virginia. So many great conversations with folks in small towns. Plenty of poverty, but there are some surprisingly nice towns in the hills.

[TimT]

I'm not sure if it was scenes with his dad.. His face was blurred....but it was obviously a place that had a robust electrical supply

There is a Bridgeport Mill in the background..

[flatbutt]

Originally Posted by HardDrive

I love riding my motorcycle in SE Ohio, Kentucky and W Virginia. So many great conversations with folks in small towns. Plenty of poverty, but there are some surprisingly nice towns in the hills.

Same here. I've been in some of those towns before and after the crash. Petersburg WV was where I'd stay on my way down to the Monongahela. It had a very nice MC friendly hotel with a rather good restaurant. The last time I went through there ( 20 yrs ago by now) it was the most depressing town ever. That hotel was a ramshackle ruin. The only businesses that were open was a gas station and a 7-11 type store.

Iwas in White Sulfur Springs on one trip. Long story short I barely slept that night and was out of there at first light. I truly hope life has gotten better down there.

IDK what it's like now but man I felt like a poseur riding thru there on a $20K BMW.

I was in Grundy too back then but it was not as nice as in the video.

And yes 99.9% of the people were salt of the earth.

[masraum]

This was interesting, Peter was shown around the same community by a non-Amish/Mennonite person that's a friend of Titus

[cstreit]

Found this series in a YouTube binge. Good,stuff and interesting people