Duck Dynasty brouhaha

[alphanguy74]

Yep... very true, and like I've said many times, if you want complete freedom in what you say on social media, etc.. work for your damn self. I say and do what I want, and I always say "What are you gonna do? Call my boss and have me fired?" LOL I saw one of the guys who worked for me in the past posted big support for the Phil character. He since moved away, but I defriended him, and if he moved back, I wouldn't use him again. And that's my decision, nobody else's.

[Max]

I just want to make it clear that banning Phil Roberson is not my main objection. (He certainly does not deserve a television show, but I'd like to see Duck Dynasty continue for a few months so that it would damage A&E.) If A&E banned him immediately and then issued an apology for ever airing his program in the first place, that would suffice. But it's the insincerity whereby A&E acknowledges no wrongdoing and makes a half-assed apology tantamount to "Robertson's statements don't reflect our corporate values" that really irritates me. Obviously, this is on a much lesser scale of severity, but I hate it when--after cancelling a soap (which a network has every right to do)--a network then makes a bogus statement on how much they cherish that show and its viewers. Just tell the truth, and admit that the soap was cancelled for business reasons.

The whole hypocrisy over free speech--on both the part of many conservatives and many liberals--really bothers me. Liberals find hate speech so loathsome, and many seem less receptive to the argument that the First Amendment protects hate speech. Yet regarding the things that conservatives hate equally as much--things like flag burning and extremist Muslims expressing their own views--I hear so few conservatives say that such actions are protected by the First Amendment. (I am overgeneralizing about liberals and conservatives in order to make my point, but I think that it simply cannot be denied that free speech hypocrisy exists on both sides. Of course, there are many conservatives who abhor hate speech, as well as many liberals who detest flag burning and the sentiments expressed by extreme Muslims.)

[Max]

I just found out that A&E is playing a 35-hour Duck Dynasty marathon, which is so hypocritical. Regardless of how I feel, A&E has the right to do what it wants, but the network is just playing to both sides by banning Robertson and then running a marathon of his show. Cracker Barrel seems to be similar, first announcing that they would stop carrying Duck Dynasty products and then reversing said decision.

Companies can either stand with the Robertsons or stand against them, but they can't do both, or it just looks like all they stand for is making money.

[marceline]

That's unrealistic. When has any network ever apologized for ever airing a show in the first place?

They're handling this just fine. Everyone is going to get paid, the show will be canceled and the next simpleminded famewhore with ascend.

[Max]

I was just making a point that this is what a A&E should do (if it had a conscience). Of course I'm totally aware that the real world doesn't work this way.

Marceline, I don't know how you specifically are feeling about this, but I would imagine that A&E's decision to run a 35-hour Duck Dynasty marathon is irritating a lot of people (who support the immediate ban of Robertson). As a result of this latest action, I am uncertain if A&E is fully pleasing anyone. (But the flip side is that the network is also taking steps not to fully upset anyone, thereby minimizing fallout from a bad situation.)

My best guess as to Cracker Barrel's "thought process" was that they initially banned the Duck Dynasty products over the outrage caused by Robertson's comments, but reversed course because there was an unexpectedly large "I Stand With Phil" movement (that's more prevalent in the areas in which the restaurant does business).

[DRW50]

They only banned the products that had Phil on them.

Keep in mind that Cracker Barrel has faced accusations and I think lawsuits over racism and homophobia. So this was lip service to that.

What I want to know is how many of those people standing with put-upon millionaire Phil are going to boycott buying those products and boycott watching the show. If they don't, then they're hypocrites, because most of that money is going to A&E.

[allmc2008]

In reality they are not hicks but your typical southern WASPs

[DRW50]

Meanwhile Sarah Palin's daughter seems to happily slam the gay community as a whole, not even pretending to say that only some people even noticed or cared about his comments. I wonder if she's still bitter because her homophobic behavior on her TV show got her bad press and bad ratings.

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv-movies/bristol-palin-slams-hypocritical-gay-community-duck-dynasty-flap-article-1.1556893

[Eric83]

LOL! "Free speech is an endangered species" Smh

[ChitHappens]

Suspension lifted -

http://insidetv.ew.com/2013/12/27/duck-dynasty-ae-lifts-suspension-on-phil-robertson/

[DRW50]

I wish I was surprised.

I read the comments at the Hollywood Reporter article on this and they were incredibly, incredibly ugly, homophobic trash. It made me feel sick. This is the audience for Duck Dynasty. Bigots and hatemongers and proud of it.

I think A&E just did this so they could say they tried. They likely always planned to back down. Meanwhile, they've made money hand-over-fist from all the people who rushed to buy their products to support Phil Robertson.

A&E is cynical and hollow, and all those dumbass [!@#$%^&*] for brains out there actually think they taught A&E a lesson. Yeah, you taught them a lesson in how to make sure their executives can buy another summer home.

A&E, the "liberal" media (which almost exclusively covered the anti-gay comments only, not the racist comments), and this family have set up a very dangerous environment for gay people and black people, and emboldened bigots, racists, and homophobes. We will hear all about the backlash for "family values" and see this used against blacks and gay people in the media, in politics, everywhere. This will have a chilling effect.

I will never watch anything on A&E again. Ever. I'm sure they don't care. I'm just one viewer. That's fine. They can kiss my ass.

[Soapsuds]

Make that two viewers. Supposedly the rest of the family vowed to bolt if they didnt reinstate the dumb racist moron back in the show..and A&E caved....I guess they care more about money than anything else....

[ChitHappens]

Carl, I'm sorry this made you so upset. I hope you guys plan to communicate this to A & E. Your lack of viewership won't make a difference, but they need to know how you feel. Don't let them get away with this!

I will support your cause. I will not watch anything on A & E again!

[DRW50]

I don't think they care, but I know what you're saying and I might drop them a line someday. Thank you for your support and for reading all that crap I wrote.

It's not so much this bigot family that upsets me, it's more the power they have, what they represent, and how this is going to hurt so many people in the industry and out of the industry who are already at the bottom of the ladder.

I am embarrassed for people who respond to remarks about how black people were only happy while hoeing cotton and decide this means the person who is saying them is a hero and needs to have endless boycotts in his name. I am frightened by this mentality, and how widespread it is. I feel like people are looking for someone to help justify their own bigotry.

I also hate how much time is spent on how the media has been taught a lesson, or A&E has been taught a lesson. That's BS. They've been taught the lesson of big bills stuffed in their g-strings. The only people who will suffer from this are people who are already suffering, and the media does not care about them, not now, not ever.

The thought of what will come after this and how this will empower hate groups is what bothers me the most.

I was reading some of this man's sick comments about women. This is an American hero, apparently.

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/showtracker/la-et-st-duck-dynastys-phil-robertson-five-jawdropping-moments-from-his-sermons-20131220,0,4783746.story#axzz2ohLtubT7

[Juliajms]

I'm really shocked at this turn of events. On the one hand, I had no idea what or who Duck Dynasty was before this, so I doubt this guy is influencing anyone other than his own, if you know what I mean. On the other hand, it's disturbing that A&E is giving this guy a platform. Overall, I mostly think that this type of ignorance has always existed and it always will.