So
here's "the deal" with "Duck Dynasty", as I see it:
I admit it. I
watch the show, partly because it gives me something to talk about with
my dad and partly because it reminds me of the crazy antics of my
relatives on that side of the family (usually recounted in stories told
over Thanksgiving dinner.) All I can say is: if you actually grew up
in small-town Texas/Louisiana/Arkansas, then you
probably have a better understanding of these characters than most people. East Texans
(my dad's family) and Northern Louisianans (the Robertson family) are
cut from a lot of the same cloth. They are a non-confrontational
people, as a general rule. Religion is a pervasive thing, and the
conservative politics are definitely present, but there is also a strong
notion of just not talking about anything that might lead to a "real"
argument. Whoever produces "Duck Dynasty" has succeeded very well in
capturing that attitude, and while I don't agree
with many of the religious views expressed on the show, they have mostly
been expressed in a non-divisive manner.
I may have lived in a
city most of my life, but I'm only one generation removed from
sharecroppers. Both of my grandmothers grew up on farms. One of them
worked alongside African Americans in the fields. Were my ancestors racist
and homophobic? By today's standards, yes, but by the standards of
their day, no. My few remaining relatives from that generation still use poor choices of
words every now and then, but we're East Texans. We're there to have
dinner and play 42, not to argue. I'd rather enjoy their company
for the brief time that they remain on this Earth than waste time
calling them out on their lack of political correctness. The Southern
culture in which I was raised is all about making people comfortable.
That means that you don't generally try to bring up something that might
be a sticking point.
Am I surprised that Phil Robertson
harbors some outdated Old Testament views about homosexuality? Not
really. However, it's easy to ignore your differences with someone else
if they don't make an issue out of it. Sometimes getting along with
people means knowing less about them, not more, and I wish that more
people in our modern "share everything" society understood that. Until Phil
opened his mouth, I was content to imagine that he was like one of my
relatives who would much rather talk about huntin' and fishin' than
anything political, who probably looked upon my "big city" beliefs with
amusement but would never judge or bait me, would never view me as
inferior or wrong-headed just because I disagreed. At the same time,
though, had one of my relatives ever spewed forth anything like what Phil Robertson did, I would've probably left the room under the pretense of getting more sweet potatoes ... not just because the rant was homophobic but because it was just plain offensive (and before you try
to apologize for him, please take a moment to read what the man actually
said.)
A&E made the right choice in suspending Phil from
the show. Whether or not this is enough for me to continue tuning in remains to be seen. A&E is going to try and sweep this under the
rug (and rightfully so), and the younger Robertsons are too
business-savvy to make an issue out of it, but unfortunately the
Religious Right is not likely to be so discreet.
They're going to proclaim that watching "Duck Dynasty" is a "First
Amendment" issue just like eating a Chik Fil'A sandwich was, but anyone
who does proclaim that needs to actually read the First Amendment.
It says that Congress cannot suppress your free speech. What it does
not say is that you can express whatever you want, and we're required to
continue paying you money to express it. What it does not say is that
you are guaranteed an audience, regardless of what you express. Free
speech is a right. An audience is a privilege. If you can keep your
personal beliefs separate from your corporation's beliefs, then fine.
However, as soon as your corporation starts actively promoting a particular
belief that I find offensive, then I will stop paying your
corporation. I will also tell my friends to stop paying your
corporation. I will also request that your sponsors stop paying your
corporation, or I will stop paying them. That is not a violation of
Free Speech. That is Capitalism.
So anyway, I just wanted to
provide some perspective from someone who was raised in the thick of this
culture. I make no secret about the fact that I lean left politically, but I have a common sense about it that could only be
born out of growing up in "hostile territory." I never had the luxury of
taking things like equality for granted. I never had the luxury of
avoiding everyone who disagreed, because that would've included, well,
just about everyone around me. I've had to fight hard for every belief I have and
defend it on numerous occasions. I have nothing against hunting (for food) as long as it's part of a wildlife management program, but I personally have never had the patience for it. I've only ever hunted
maybe twice in my life, and I didn't fire a shot either time. So why do I watch "Duck Dynasty"? As much as anything, it's because it reminds me of where I
came from, and that helps me to more clearly see where I'm going.
