Summer House Martha’s Vineyard has begun production on Season 2 as some residents took to an official town council meeting to call it a “horrible reflection” of the area.
According to the Vineyard Gazette, the Bravo reality show was on the docket at a Tuesday, August 22 council meeting where producers were requesting permission to start filming scenes for the new season.
While Summer House Martha’s Vineyard did receive Oak Bluffs select board approval, some residents took to the meeting to express their concerns around filming, suggesting they didn’t like how their beach town was represented.
Angel Johnson, a line producer on Season 2, requested permission in person to begin filming and that’s when the crew was met with some resistance from residents in attendance at the council meeting.
“This program is a horrible reflection of Martha’s Vineyard and Oak Bluffs,” said Oak Bluffs resident Thelma Baxter. “I am seriously worried about the people who were attracted to come here by Summer House: Martha’s Vineyard… and I am concerned about my property value.”
Another resident, Leslie Fitzsimmons, argued that the show has “negative impacts on the town that fall under the board’s jurisdiction.”
“I am a year-round resident and I come to all of the meetings and see everything that the select board tries to do in service of our town,” she said. “But this is not in service of our town… and to assist them by making their show more attractive seems counterintuitive to our best interest.”
Despite the pushback, the board ended up approving the production company’s requests and filming on Season 2 has started. Select board member Dion Alley even warned some frustrated residents that the board’s objection to film production would be “inappropriate and violate free speech.”
According to the report, Alley said that the board’s job is to rule specifically on the company’s application and the potential impacts of filming. After Johnson provided additional information in regards to filming times and locations, their requests were unanimously approved by the board.
Better luck next time, Karens.
Summer House Martha’s Vineyard stars Nick Arrington, Jasmine Ellis Cooper, Silas Cooper, Jordan Emanuel, Bria Fleming, Shanice Henderson, Amir Lancaster, Jason Lyke, Preston Mitchum, Summer Marie Thomas, and Alex Tyree, and is now in production on Season 2 and will return to Bravo next year.
