This 2012 photo released by A&E shows, from left, Phil Robertson, Jase Robertson, Si Robertson and Willie Robertson from the A&E series, “Duck Dynasty.” (AP Photo/A&E, Zach Dilgard)
I’ve hesitated this week to blog about a big free speech debate that’s raging in America, because in the big, global picture, where gays in Uganda risk life in jail and activists in Syria simply disappear, it might seem embarrassingly petty. But it is about free speech, something we Americans still tangle with.
“Duck Dynasty” is an American reality television series revolving around the lives of the Robertson family of West Monroe, Louisiana, headed by Phil Robertson, 67, whose claim to fame–and fortune—are the duck calls he manufactures, tools hunters use to lure ducks within firing range.
In a recent interview for a magazine, Robertson called homosexuality a sin and compared gays to terrorists. He also made some disparaging remarks about blacks in the South before Civil Rights, implying that life was just fine for African Americans under segregation.
As a result, the TV network that airs the show suspended Phil indefinitely.
“His personal views in no way reflect those of A&E Networks, who have always been strong supporters and champions of the LGBT community. The network has placed Phil under hiatus from filming indefinitely,” A&E statement to Variety Magazine.
His family admits his remarks were “coarse,” but are based on his evangelical Christian values, and they say they won’t continue the show without him.
The Human Rights Campaign and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People sent a joint letter to the president of A&E, saying, “These remarks go beyond being outlandishly inaccurate and offensive. They are dangerous and revisionist, appealing to those in our society who wish to repeat patterns of discrimination,” and calling for apologies from Robertson.
But some prominent political figures have jumped to his defense, arguing for his right to free speech—among them, U.S. Senator Ted Cruz, a Texas Republican and possible candidate for 2016 presidential elections.
“In a free society, anyone is free to disagree with him–but the mainstream media should not behave as the thought police censoring the views with which they disagree,” he wrote on his Facebook page.
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal attends a funeral Mass for artist George Rodrigue, at St. Louis Cathedral in New Orleans, Thursday, Dec. 19, 2013. “Duck Dynasty” patriarch Phil Robertson – suspended from the series indefinitely after making disparaging remarks about gays – is getting some support from key followers, including Jindal. He lamented the suspension on free speech terms. “It’s a messed-up situation when Miley Cyrus gets a laugh, and Phil Robertson gets suspended,” he said in a statement Thursday. The show is filmed in his state. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, another possible 2016 White House candidate, said, “Phil Robertson and his family are great citizens of the State of Louisiana. The politically correct crowd is tolerant of all viewpoints, except those they disagree with.”
And even comedian Jon Stewart, known for testing the limits on the other side of the political spectrum, defends Robertson’s right to say something “ignorant” and not get kicked off television for it.
I’m going to hold back my own opinion, but I will offer a few facts and questions to consider:
- Free speech is guaranteed to all Americans by the Constitution’s First Amendment. It also means that television networks are free to air what they choose. And frequently, they choose reality television, which is cheap to produce and gets big ratings.
- For decades now, TV watchers have peeked into the lives of the rich and poor: Fashion designers, beauty queens, brides-to-be, polygamists and prison guards. Nowadays, we see a lot of “rednecks,” a derisive term Robertson uses himself to describe folks who often don’t have a lot of education (although Robertson was a college football player) and earn a living with their hands. For the sake of TV ratings, the trend seems to be the weirder the better: Bounty hunters, hog trackers, exterminators and alligator wrestlers are all testing not only the limits of “free speech” but good taste as well.
- Audiences are eating it up. Duck Dynasty’s recent Christmas show earned 9 million viewers. So why are we stunned that the patriarch of a family well-paid to make outrageous, offensive, disparaging remarks insulted minority groups?
So what do you think? Should Robertson be punished for speaking his mind? Please share your thoughts in the comments, below.
5 responses to “US: Duck Dynasty Crying Fowl Over Free Speech Rights”
A couple comments
1 Evangelical Christian = A big time Bible Thumper who hangs on absolutely every word in the bible and will read ever passage countless times as if some magical hidden meaning is buried in it , like playing the Beetles White album backwards lol . That’s when a religion goes very wrong !!
2 Redneck = uneducated or under educated , works with their hands !
SO not true at all !!!
Several presidents of the U.S. are big time rednecks such as both of the Bush’s and Bill Clinton just to name a couple none of which I thought were that great but definitely not under/uneducated and I could go on to name countless highly educated ” rednecks ” .
That’s like saying all black people are gang bangers and smell bad lol .
3 I did a lot of my growing up in N.C. , Lake Gaston which isn’t anywhere near the big cities of the Carolina’s so I got to see and know the real south east parts of the states . I can tell you that Mr. Robertson is more than likely not a ” redneck ” at all and probably doesn’t or isn’t originally from the south east at all . But even if he is he’s still not a redneck , he’s what us rednecks refer to as ” white trash ” or came from !!! There’s a big difference .
As for his hateful comments even though not made in the show have absolutely NOTHING to do with freedom of speech at all !!!!!!
CONFLICT OF INTEREST is what this is , period . Robertson = bible thumper , anti-gay supporter .
A&E LGBT supporter , pro gay and gay marriage .
When you take a job in national television and become a known public figure , anything you say in public becomes national news . All TV stars know that when they’re in public you need to watch your mouth on on political and religious personal views because it will become nationwide faster than the speed of sound and will cost you your career if you say or do the wrong thing . TV stars have no life outside their own home and never have and never will . Nature of the beast baby . Just like a truck driver can’t have to many points or a DUI whether in his personal vehicle or not they’ll take your CDL for life . It comes with the territory as they say . Robertson got diahria of the mouth and lost his a&& do to a conflict of interest ( LGBT ) and lost his job .
Not saying it’s right but as they say ” it comes with the job ” and he should’ve known better . Ignorance isn’t an excuse or an exception to the rule .
I think that an episode of “South Park” is in the works as we speak. These derelicts are throwbacks of a much coarser time in our nations history. There is nothing homey and good about their hateful and ignorant views. I would can the entire program if I was the president of A&E, not one more episode would be aired, send them ‘billies packing them ‘thar duck calls and shotguns…There are consequences to opening your mouth and saying hateful words meant to hurt…
In answer to RC: This is a blog about free speech and freedom of expression – which is why I try not to edit or delete comments unless they really obscene, racist or discriminatory. You got close when you defined evangelical Christians as “Bible thumpers,” a term that would offend any good, believing Christian. For those among the readership who aren’t familiar with the idiom, a “Bible thumper” is a denigrating term for an overly zealous Christian who points to the Bible, not only in deciding how to live his life, but how others should live theirs.
RC, Evangelical Christians believe in a literal interpretation of the Bible as God’s word. They also believe that it is important to go through a religious rebirth; that is a transformative, “born again” experience through the Holy Spirit into a life of following Jesus Christ, whose death on the cross, they believe, redeemed humanity from sin. There is also an activist obligation to evangelicalism–i.e., an obligation to share the faith with others, including working to influence public life.
I found an interesting article on the Religion Today website in which evangelical religious leaders go a little further into explaining their faith–and some of the discriminatory stereotypes they fall victim to.
Let’s keep it nice, folks.
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Not saying what Phil said is right or anything but it is the fact that he disagreed with the channels beliefs and got kicked off. If this was done in reverse the world would have been pissed. It’s got to go both ways for free speach. If the one can get kicked off the other shoukd be able to get kicked off if one can’t get kicked off the other shouldn’t be able to get kicked off. People get mad if someone is working for a Christian institution and they get fired for going against it but how is it different than fill be ing kicked off for disagreeing with his channels beleifs? Whichever way it ends up ut needs to be equal.