Please Represent Correctly!

Dear Jeph Loeb/Heroes writers, 

I love Heroes. Quite ardently. But I must admit that I was taken aback while watching last night’s episode. As a resident of Arkansas, I was very excited when Ando started making phone calls attempting to travel to Russellville, Arkansas. However that excitement abated quickly when I realized how NBC was representing Russellville.

I understand that Arkansas has a stigma (incest, no shoes, etc) and that this stigma exists because certain residents of the state perpetuate said stigma. But I was very saddened when I realized that Heroes, one of my favorite shows, was representing Russellville as a strangely arid and rocky area that has some of the worst trailer parks ever shown in TV history. Although there are probably trailer parks in Russellville and there is probably some guy (or girl) somewhere that is wearing a shirt that eloquently states that “Rednecks Do It Better”(or something to that sentiment), Russellville is not some hole in the ground. It’s actually quite large. And industrial. And not gross.

 Perhaps I am being too sensitive, but I would love it if someone would depict Arkansas as it is (lush, geographically diverse, mostly lovely) and not as a redneck ridden, white trash infested state. I’m sure that the denizens of Lawrence, Kansas feel the same way. You turned their quirky, fun college town into a cornfield. 

Work on this.

Sincerely, 

Bethany