Truckstop Missouri Premier

August 3, 2011 ~ Well it finally aired.... TruckStop Missouri is a reality show about Midway Truck stop in my hometown. I will be honest.... I was not for this when I first heard of it but once I understood it was about a locally owned and operated truck stop, I agreed with that. When you saw all of the TV cameras out there filming and asked anyone at the truck stop about the reality show they looked at you like you had a third eye and said they didn't know anything about a reality show.... really? With all these people filming stuff you don't have a clue? I think if they had just been honest and said we can't talk about it right now I would have had a little more respect. I have lived in Midway for 32 years and always went to the truck stop with my grandma and grandpa as well as I purchase fuel there. So last night was the big premier. I watched it at home and tweeted about it with a friend who was there. I was really worried this wouldn't be tasteful and appear that Midway folks were back woods hill-billy type people but it showed day to day operations of running a truck stop with laughter. Some of it appeared to be staged but it's a reality show.... how many reality shows have you watched that just have the boring day in a day out stuff in them? That's the entertainment factor and to keep you watching! I think in the 30 years they have been operating they have seen just about all walks of life come through their doors and it's the same today. I am a huge people watcher and I bet you could sit in the restaurant and get lots of chuckles watching what comes through the door. My favorite quote from the first episode was when they brought the Big 70 food challenge out and the older woman looks over her shoulder and says "That's just wrong!" I think you could use this quote in about 1/2 of the show! When they got to the second episode I about lost it when Biker Granny wanted to get a tattoo! Oh my goodness.... she was a hot mess and I am pretty sure I was yelling at the tattoo guy telling him "Don't do it!" She wasn't afraid to let it all hang out! Guess I am glad they don't do piercings..... Granny might have gone too far! Oh and the poor little fisherman.... bless his little heart! He got his shows all mixed up and meant to be on Pawn Stars or Hard Core Pawn to pawn or sell his special fishin' pole. Then when he was going to catch fish but was fishin' in the lagoon. Overall I think Joe did a good job. Cheesy? Yes, but would you watch a show that wasn't a little cheesy or backwards? It didn't appear that they were making fun of the town of Midway rather poking fun at the "characters" on the show. I think that as business owners we do things that are positive impacts on our business. Midway Truck stop is perfectly placed smack dab in the center of the state and think about all the people that come there prior to the show.... it's really no different and if nothing else it will bring more people in out of curiosity to see what it's all about. I am not on the show nor am I around when the cameras are however I can't blame him for trying it and based on the comments this morning a lot of people watched it. Will they watch next week too? I will be!