LGBT News US: Suspension of anti-gay reality star Phil Robertson lifted by A&E

I don't see why they have to tolerate homophobia or how that promotes unity.

 

You guys want me to translate? During my masters I took 3 courses in the language of business

ok here it goes

Duck Dynasty is not a show about one man’s views. It resonates with a large audience because it is a show about money… money that America has come to love. As you might have seen in many episodes, they come together to reflect and pray for money. These are values that we at A&E Networks also feel strongly about.

My speech is a little off but I believe this translation is pretty solid from my training

Foxface

 

It's okay to have different opinions. In the United States, people do have the right to freedom of speech. Feeling offended, as much as it sucks, is not really an excuse to take away someone else's rights. You know how people of often use the "how does allowing gays to get married affect your life in any way?" Well how does someone expressing their own personal views affect your life in any way? In America, the gift of freedom of speech isn't "You can say what you want so long as it doesn't offend anyone and the majority agrees with it," I guess I'm saying that because I understand there should be consequences to what people say and do, but I think us Americans can sometimes go overboard with the whole "I feel offended thing, this man should be punished." But I guess that's just me.

 

believe me that has been beaten to death here and elsewhere. I 110% agree but there are consequences on a personal and professional level...but AE is more concerned with their pocketbook and like it or not this show is wildly successful.

Foxface

 

So it was a stunt then? I knew it might be in the beginning, just wanted to give them the chance to do the right thing I guess. I will probably stay away from the channel as much as possible now, perhaps even boycott it. I supported them when they stood up for love and equality, and now they made this choice.
What exactly did they gain from this? I'm just curious what benefit they were aiming for with what they did. The conservatives already loved the show and now they've alienated the rest of the viewers, right? How did negative publicity help them here in the long term?

Yeah, I am all for freedom of speech, but A&E had freedom too. I guess they have the freedom to put him back on as well, but they are supporting hate when they do so, which makes me sad.

The main thing I think is this: Almost nobody seems to really care what one guy on TV had to say here, he didn't donate millions of dollars to hate groups like Chick-fil-A did, if I'm not mistaken. But what he did brought out the homophobia and hatred in the people around us, and that hurt, seeing them agree with and support this man for what he did. Raising him up as a hero. Just like last year, and now we have a Chick-PHIL-A day coming up next month to relive the horror. (https://www.facebook.com/#!/chickphiladay) And that makes me sad.

 

You and my boyfriend are a lot alike. He said something similar to me last week when he predicted they'd bring him back. Money is the main reason a show like that is on a network that calls itself "Arts and Entertainment."

 

You said it right.

In other news: he didn't have a "right" to a job as a reality TV star. I'm sure letting him go would not have been a breach of contract. So we should use the word "rights" more carefully.

A&E should be ashamed of themselves.

By the way, I read an article from before season 4 went into production where the Robertsons stalled production because they wanted their pay increased. So it would not surprise me at all to find out that this was just a sickening and clever way to leverage A&E for even more money. Say something bigoted that 50% of Americans still believe, force A&E's hand to suspend you and create public outcry from the show's inbred moron audience, then go... "we won't do the show without our patriarch, you need the show, now give me more $$$ and I'll come back"

 

That's a whole other discussion right there...why are there no documentaries on the so-called smart channels like TLC, History Channel, Animal Planet...maybe I will make a separate discussion there

But to stay on topic this is the point that all of us here already know. We have freedom of speech just as AE has freedom of association but look around you. Walgreens! Walgreens carries Duck Dynasty items. AE is never going to drop a gigantic cash cow like this

And there is the problem. I am willing to bet a paycheck that there are TONS of people who hate what he said and STILL will watch him. This is the sad state of our country. We're dazzled by these reality star losers.

Foxface

 

Honestly, who here is shocked this happened? We all knew he was coming back. The whole thing was a farce on the part of A&E from the very start, and only served to hurt us politically because it allowed our enemies to paint us as bullies.

No, when that crap filtered into the public A&E should have asked for time to discuss things with Robertson. They should have then privately demanded that he come forward, give an apology for his statements, pay out a huge sum of money, and seek sensitivity training. If he did that, and promised to keep his mouth shut in the future - then the problem goes away.

However, it's more likely that he would refuse to do that. As a result, A&E should have then issued a second statement making it clear that Robertson has refused to apologize. They should have then asked for some time to decide what to do.

At which point that's when you lean heavily on the family, talk about the brand, and how much money they're about to lose. Let the family apply the pressure. Divide and conquer.

If Robertson didn't budge, then A&E could have then fired (rather than suspended) him after a couple of weeks. By that point most of the controversy would have passed, and him getting the boot wouldn't have been so shocking. A&E wouldn't have looked heavy handed, and we wouldn't have looked like bullies - because Robertson would have been given many opportunities to work his way out of his situation.

A&E would have also had the opportunity to make it clear that they didn't support his statements, and that what he said goes counter to the brand they're trying to establish. This would have made it clear that A&E was going to be forced to make a business decision rather than just shutting a guy down because he wants to hide his bigotry behind his religion.

This would have been the proper way to handle this situation. Instead, A&E decided that they needed to make a gesture toward us because what he said was so vile. So they pretended to slap him on the wrist, knowing full well that it wouldn't have any real impact and that they were going to bring him back, and meanwhile we get painted as the bullies and the bigot gets painted as the martyr who was just tryin' ta love him some Jesus until the fags showed up to shut him down.

So, what do we really get out of this situation? The answer is nothing. We just get screwed.

 

Well I'm pretty tired of all the Phil robertson talk because I really don't care about Duck Dynasty in the slightest.

I do, however, love where this conversation is going. I don't know exactly what happened, but America has become a pool of just raw disgusting greed and filth. We used to be a country with dignity and pride, but these days our idols twerk for us and we just throw the green paper at them. Our main stream media is pretty much just a glorified strip-show.

America doesn't care though. What is morality when money is involved? I'm wondering how long until it's socially acceptable to sell sex for money? It's one of the few things left without a proper corporate market managing it, so why not? I mean we'll do pretty much anything else for money, why not sex? -.-'

The United States has become such a disgusting vile place to live anymore.

 

I'd never heard of this man or this television show before this whole controversy erupted. I wish I could go back to those halcyon days, cuz I really don't give a shit about this dumbass or whatever farts it spews out. Who watches A&E anyway?

 

The Walking Dead...that's the only thing i watch on A&E

 

^That's on AMC.

 

Oops xD

That shows you how often I both turning on my T.V. anymore xD

 

Now the fact that Phil Robertson is on the show doesn't bother me as much as A&E bowing down to the likes of Sarah Palin and the show's cash flow over their self imposed morals. So A&E just screwed themselves over because they proved they had no spine. That's the disgusting part.

 

Never heard of that either...then again I'm happily out-of-touch with mainstream American popular culture, especially television. It's vastly inferior to the television of past eras, the only TV shows I watch are some classic American and British shows from the 60s and 70s...before reality television came along to provide a global platform for every random idiot out there, like the clown who is the subject of this thread. The fact that some dunce as stupid and useless as this Mr. Robertson has an audience and is making millions of dollars off a TV show only re-enforces my decision to unplug from modern television.

Btw I find it curious how the pro-Robertson spin machine was able to use the anti-gay remarks (being against civil rights for gay people still considered a legitimate and acceptable viewpoint in the United States) to completely bury Robertson's other comment saying that black people were happier under Jim Crow before the Civil Rights movement (being against civil rights for black people long established as taboo by now). Robertson is not only anti-gay but a racist, and confirms the worst stereotypes of bigoted Southern rednecks, who presumably make up most of his audience. But the Chick-Fil-A crowd will keep the big bucks rolling into his bank account, because they wear bigotry as a sign of pride. A true American success story.

 

The only thing I watch on T.V. anymore is The Walking Dead. It's a television series about the zombie apocalypse. It's pretty awesome, and actually well written with in depth characters.

 

I understand that in America, we have free speech, but this wouldnt fly if it was a racist comment, than he would be done, how is this different.