Tears and Laughter: Get yourself ready girls, it’s time to let your inner redneck shine 

Prepare yourselves ladies, auditions will be held August 5 at the Elks Lodge in Huntsville for a new reality show, “Redneck Housewives of Alabama.” Seldom have I been more excited or overqualified.

The casting call is open to women over 21 who are housewives in Alabama. It is acceptable to have a part time job or “somewhat” of a career.

It is in your favor, it seems, if your social circle includes other housewives who enjoy gossiping, backstabbing, and overreacting. Who go to church twice a week and know how to cuss well. It also helps apparently if you are full-on crazy, openly dysfunctional, and drink too much both publicly and privately.

Not that the show will be all fun and games and thrift shops. According to the website, redneckhousewivesofalabama.com, “if you or your friends are battling with suicide, divorce, broken relationships, bankruptcy, infidelity, family feuding, alcoholism, deadbeat dads, and foreclosures and you are a true southerner then this may be the show for you.

I don’t want to be picky, but redneck women prefer the word Southerner to always be capitalized. It just allows a wink of respect toward the Southland and looks better on paper. Besides, it’s not unusual for the average redneck housewife to be juggling a handful of issues on that list at any given time and nobody will ever know anything about any of it. She’ll just keep right on bouncing the baby and planning a beach trip without ever skipping a beat because that’s what strong Southern women do.

Women interested in applying for the show should make a video and upload it to Youtube. Include the link to your video in the online application, along with your resume, photo, and a paragraph explaining what makes you more of a redneck than your neighbor lady with all the cats, or the woman down the road that is fond of raising chickens and making her own beer.

In the video, you should look the way you want to appear during filming. Wear the clothes, make-up, and hairstyle that you would wear if you were to be chosen to be a part of the show. Clothing needs to be “appropriate,” so you will want to make sure and have the proper balance between eye liner and cleavage.

As for serious competitors, I would suggest taking it a step further. If you own your own bass boat, hunt hogs on a regular basis, carry a pistol in your purse, or have a coon hound as a house dog, don’t be shy about it.

Cast members will be paid and the pay will vary based upon roles. Filming is scheduled to begin in September and will run through October, falling right in the heart of college football season.

The Huntsville based producer of the series, Helen Evans LLC, has not yet secured a network deal for the show, but hopes one will follow once the series is filmed.

Many television viewers have questioned what show, if any, could fill the vacancy left in prime time ratings since the exit of Bill O’Reilly from Fox News. I think we may have just found the answer.

Amanda Walker is a blogger and contributor with AL.com, The Thomasville Times, West Alabama Watchman, and Wilcox Progressive Era. Contact her at walkerworld77@msn.com or at https://www.facebook.com/AmandaWalker.Columnist