Filmmaker Mark Laita recently shared his initial encounter with what has been described as “America’s most inbred family.” Laita, known for his video on the Whittaker family from Odd, West Virginia, revisited them over the years to provide updates on their story through YouTube.
The family’s history of inbreeding traces back to the marriage of children from identical twin brothers Henry and John, leading to generations of inbreeding resulting in severe disabilities among their descendants.
Laita faced challenges approaching the family due to cautious neighbors. Eventually, with the help of a police officer, he gained access to their residence.
Describing his first visit, Laita likened the experience to a scene from the movie Deliverance, encountering individuals with erratic behavior. Despite the initial reluctance from the family, Laita built a connection by offering to photograph a deceased relative’s coffin.
Returning in 2020 to film “Inbred Family – The Whittakers,” Laita acknowledged the difficulty in communication but continued documenting their lives on his YouTube channel, Soft White Underbelly.
His videos, including “Christmas season with the Whittakers,” “The Whittaker family cemetery,” and “The Whittakers go to the state fair,” have sparked mixed reactions from viewers, some labeling his work as exploitative while others find it intriguing.
Acknowledging the exploitative nature of his work, Laita defended it as a reflection of reality, emphasizing the importance of awareness. He stated, “It feels exploitative, but I think it’s good for us all to know that these things exist.”
