Saturday, December 28, 2013

A&E Caves - Phil Robertson Is Back

Considering the "suspension" of Phil Robertson took place while there was no filming going on over Christmas A&E never really punished the patriarch of the Duck Dynasty family for his comments on gay people. As I told you would happen A&E had to reinstate him in the next week or so because they were going to look like idiots when new episodes begin airing next month and Phil is front and center in them. There was just no way they would be able to explain away his presence while trying to say that he had been suspended from filming. It is too complicated. Plus, the network has been running Duck Dynasty non-stop since his suspension was announced and Phil has been right there the whole time. The only true way they could suspend him was to remove all the episodes from the air both past and future and A&E was never going to do that because advertisers would all demand their money back.

So, what looked like a strong response from the network was just a huff and a puff and the tiniest tap on the wrist. I mean so tiny that it was more like a puff of wind on one of those days where it is so hot that you are begging for a gust of wind and all you get is something that may have been wind or may have been a gnat.

51 comments:

Violet said...

I'm happy to say that this programme does not seem to have made it onto UK tv yet (I don't think?).
Surely 2014 is the year that reality tv comes to its more than overdue end.

Unknown said...

fuck that noise. bring back flavor and rock of love!

Count Jerkula said...

The people complaining weren't the people who watch the show, so A&E had no reason to stand firm.

Just like the people complaining about the Washington Redskins aren't the ones filling the stadium and buying RG3 jerseys, so there is no point in paying attention to them.

Bacon Ranch said...

It's an awful show Violet.
Politics aside, it's just..ugh.
I think the only episode I have seen, they were comparing duck calls to see who had a bigger (heh) one.

Felt like I was back in 4th grade and stuck in the nerd 4h corner all over again. As opposed to the regular 4h corner.

I'll be interested to see how well the sales of their crap at wal- mart and target did over the holidays.

Pip said...

Rock of love was the best! Ashley is still my favorite! She was on rock of love bus. Gurl was a hot mess, but brought on the snark like no other.

Unknown said...

@Pip haha love the bus one too. Ashley was like a really pretty version of Juliet Lewis. I also liked Beverly the angry drunk who wore cowboy boots with Juicy Couture track-suits!

Unknown said...

@Bacon the sales of their crap are probably better than ever. People are still really into racism and homophobia and are proud to dress their children in ugly clothes to prove that point.

angie said...

Other stations were circling like sharks ready to sign them to get their hands on the lucrative ad dollars they attract in the event they and A&E parted ways.

MISCH said...

Gross it's all about the $$$$

MISCH said...

Gross it's all about the $$$$

WareCat said...

Rock of Love was the shiiiiit!
Lacey! i met her when she sang for Lords of Acid in 2011.
stellar fukn' chick.
i gotta give her props, she did a damn good job.
& total sweetheart.

The Real Dragon said...

of course when money is involve. I dont know why some were shock

Bacon Ranch said...

I believe it Derek! I was at Wallyworld last month and while waiting in line saw an entire display of their stuff.
Went back this past Monday, same line, same display..only 2 things left.

then again, I live in Texas. No duck is safe here.

Kelly said...

People around here in Eastern NC just love these people. I see people wearing their Tee Shirts constantly. I've seen about 3/4 of one show and I don't get it.

JSierra said...

Did anyone honestly think this wouldn't happen?

Trashaddict said...

And this from the idiots that cancelled "The Glades".
Sigh. A&E sucks.

Seven of Eleven said...

I've never watched the show (despite the urgings of many a relative) but we had a HAHA moment at Christmas. SO's mother was going off about how "they" want to take our rights to free speech and SO asked her if she'd read what he said. She said no, she saw it on Facebook. RIGHT THEN, Sarah Palin was on the TV ranting about free speech and the newsperson asked her if she'd read the article - no, she hadn't had time to read it, but she knew what it was about.

I nearly coughed up a lung laughing.

auntliddy said...

He said what he said, everyone knows what he thinks. Whether they watch the show is up to them.

Freya said...

Not surprised at all. Their merchandise is everywhere.

Jaiden_S said...

I do not get the appeal of that show. It looks like a redneck trainwreck.

angie said...

lmao Seven. Palin is still as dumb as a box of rocks but always ready to capitalize on the latest evangelical fundamentalist political crazy train.

surfer said...

Please - their "suspension" was merely symbolic, nothing more.

Considering the show wasn't filming at the time this happened, AND the next season was already in the can, it was very easy for A&E to do this.

Now A&E looks good (kind of) for having taken immediate action. At the end of the day, most business decisions come down to $$$.

Sis said...

I would have loved it if A&E stood their ground. Who cares if a new already taped season was starting, they could have shown a statement before each episode.
Merchandise here in California was all over the place and hugely discounted for Christmas, the stores had lots of it and I did not see it selling at all. Now I think it just opens the door for other people to do their homophobic racist rants, ugh, all in the name of Free Speech or Freedom of Religion, on a reality show. It's one thing to say things in your own home, etc., but quite another to say it publically and when you have a show. I'm hoping their ratings go down because of it, yet I know they probably gained viewers just because of what he said.

Yes, I watched the show once, grown men getting all hyped up because of a loose lizard in their warehouse, really.



Meli said...

Yes!!! And maybe Tool Academy

Mango said...

I've been guilty of watching some pretty crappy reality TV, but have never been tempted to view Duck Dynasty. Can anyone tell me why it's such a hit?

Sherry said...

Oh Violet, I pray for reality tv to die a swift and painful death daily. I can only hope it comes true sooner rather than later.

Sherry said...

Seven, don't ya just love the beating of chests and gnashing of teeth of implied civil liberties being trampled upon and yet never taking the time to read what the stink is all about. There's a fucking grand idea for a reality show. "Pictures of Ignorance" - The Dumbass Chronicles. Imagine the cast o'characters there.

Sherry said...

Mango my neighbors up here at Blanc Debris laugh at their fish outta water antics. Apparently It's funny that they have more dollars than sense. That's how it was described to me anyway.

OKay said...

I'm sorry, it's "too complicated" to explain to people watching this show that it was filmed in advance? So then we can safely assume that only mouth-breathing troglodytes are fans of DD?

Hammer_Girl said...

Am I the only one who thought he was eating a carrot in the picture?

Sandy said...

Money talks, nobody walks.

Why did they even make an issue of it in the first place? Did anyone actually think any of these hillbillies were social and political progressives? Their backward personas are what makes them so popular with Tea Partiers and their ilk.

Just waiting now for the Food Network to reinstate Paula Deen. Let's face it: there's still a big audience out there for racist, homophobic and misogynistic reality TV stars (who characterize their hatreds as part of being "good Christians").

audrey said...

I have basic cable, because I am way too cheap to invest my money on TV stations that seem to air the worst crap ever. I will admit to having a fondness for America's Next Top Model, but that is about the only reality show I watch these days. I don't get the appeal of these people and I am still in shock that they made them into Chia Pets. Who buys that stuff?

Jennabean said...

Nope

Rome said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Rome said...

I never watched that atrocity and I never will. Next!

ninotchka said...

The cancelled The Glades??? Assholes.

As for Duck Dynasty, I don't know a soul who watches it. The only thing that surprises me about this whole thing is that his racist comments haven't received more attention. Maybe now that the old coot has been re-instated from never being fired, people will notice the blatant racism.

You Don't Say said...

Wasn't this guy the most popular guess for the closeted redneck on a TV show?

Unknown said...

Leave him alone! If it were Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton who said something about a Caucasian, Asian, Indian, etc, etc, there would not have been a huge story about it like this. He was only giving his opinion, which is his first amendment right (and when I last looked, we still have that in the USA, but who knows with the tool running this country). LEAVE HIM ALONE!

lalaland923 said...

TLC used to have a reality show about American families who followed Islam in Dearborn Michigan. I, myself, am a a lifelong Catholic. Personally I loved learning more about another religion. If someone on that show made a racist comment towards Blacks, or gays there would be outcries. People would vilify them and the show. There would be so much backlash it would be unbelievable.

Why is Phil Robertson being treated differently? The answer is simple. It's all about the money. Not about the principle or doing what's right.

MadLyb said...

Well that's a shock. The only people I know who even like this show are total dumber-than-dirt, Koch-sucking bigots who never took a civics class, and don't even have a clue what freedom of speech is. Anyone defending this vile POS is worthy of utmost contempt.

MadLyb said...

Oh, and read your fucking Bible AND your Constitution before opening your yappers and dropping the world IQ by double digits. Please, for the love of your virgin raping, slavery enabling, infant murdering, animal slaughtering god.

di butler said...

Oh come on. Publicity.Stunt. Said it from the beginning, saying it now. I've worked a lot in the PR field, this never felt real.

Alexa Rose said...

Can we get a petition going for this guy to shave his hideous beard?

Crystal said...

Brilliant

Crystal said...

Huh??!!

Unknown said...

@tennis"peach"
suck my leftone

iknowpeople said...

Really, using profanity in reference to the Bible? I have never watched the show, don't care about sexual orientation or race, but I do take offense at that reference. Try that word preferencing the Koran and monkeys will be flying up your oriface that the CJ obsesses over. No pun intended.

Orvilla Bedinbacher said...

I have never watched the show nor care to watch. All this hoopla for this shit is just annoying. Seriously, are we really still spending time on this crap?

FART

Jaime M said...

My mom loves this show but I've only had the patience to watch 3/4 of one before proclaiming (silently) that these people were duller than dirt and my time would've been better spent picking toejam from betwixt my toes. They are not funny, they are far from clever and completely uninteresting. I am completely convinced that my mom must be drunk or high while watching these people.

Jaime M said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Kalifornia said...

Good for Phil!

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