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Politics Duck Dynasty star's anti-gay remarks

Discussion in 'Tilted Philosophy, Politics, and Economics' started by Baraka_Guru, Dec 19, 2013.

  1. Baraka_Guru

    Baraka_Guru Möderätor Staff Member

    Location:
    Toronto
    Pardon me for linking Us Weekly, but that's how I found out about this (via Twitter): Sarah Palin Defends Duck Dynasty's Phil Robertson After A&E Suspension - Us Weekly

    So Palin has come to the defence of a bigot in the form of a defence of free speech. It's too bad she's too much of an idiot ideologue to realize that the criticism about the Duck Dynasty guy isn't about taking away his right to say hateful shit; it's about criticizing his hateful shit, and in A&E's case, it's about doing damage control and punishing his hateful shit.

    You know, it's about free speech.
     
  2. fflowley

    fflowley Don't just do something, stand there!

    I think Sarah Palin is a complete moron but I don't think suspending Phil from the show is right.
    I don't agree with the views that he expressed in that comment but I'm a big boy. I can decide if I still want to watch.
    If you don't like his views don't watch the show. Or have the network remove the show from the lineup and another channel can take it on if they desire.
     
  3. Baraka_Guru

    Baraka_Guru Möderätor Staff Member

    Location:
    Toronto
    That's the thing. It's A&E's aim to keep people watching the show. It's their most-watched show. Why would they give up a smash hit because of one asshole? It's not like he's even Charlie Sheen.
     
  4. samcol

    samcol Getting Tilted

    Location:
    indiana
    --- merged: Dec 19, 2013 at 9:44 PM ---
    yeah i think they are going to possibly lose the whole show from this overreaction.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Dec 26, 2013
  5. Baraka_Guru

    Baraka_Guru Möderätor Staff Member

    Location:
    Toronto
    Overreaction? What should they have done instead? Simply release a statement along the lines of "The opinions and beliefs of Phil Robertson are his own and do not reflect those of A&E" and be done with it?
     
  6. ASU2003

    ASU2003 Very Tilted

    Location:
    Where ever I roam
    The issue isn't "Freedom of Speech" or the 1st Amendment. The police didn't bust in and arrest him for saying that.

    It has to do with how you can and can't act in Corporate America. Where those in power and who are paying the paychecks get to make the rules. And, I would be in just as much trouble over saying my female co-worker has a "nice ass".
     
  7. Stan

    Stan Resident Dumbass

    Location:
    Colorado
    Yep, this isn't about free speech, it's about embarrassing your employer. Put Duck Dynasty on Fox and they'd probably give him his own show.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  8. samcol

    samcol Getting Tilted

    Location:
    indiana

    pretty much. i could see them losing the whole show over this.. especially with how family oriented the robertson's are. there are many petitions and facebook pages going crazy with A&E boycotts for firing him.

    you really think A&E is going to lose any significant audience by allowing him to stay on the show? most of duck dynasty's fans aren't offended at all by what he said.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  9. redux

    redux Very Tilted

    Location:
    Foggy Bottom
    I've never watched the show, but I would have no problem with this statement of his, even in his capacity (whatever that may be) on the show:

    I myself am a product of the 60s; I centered my life around sex, drugs and rock and roll until I hit rock bottom and accepted Jesus as my Savior. My mission today is to go forth and tell people about why I follow Christ and also what the Bible teaches, and part of that teaching is that women and men are meant to be together. However, I would never treat anyone with disrespect just because they are different from me. We are all created by the Almighty and like Him, I love all of humanity. We would all be better off if we loved God and loved each other.​

    That is a moral position. I might not agree with it, but it is reasonable from a religious perspective.

    But when he makes a connection between "homosexual behavior and bestiality" or "gays and terrorists," that is just ignorance and intolerance beyond a moral position on homosexuality. I would not be surprised if many of the show's viewers share those ignorant views.

    Damn right, he should be suspended. It sends a message that there is a difference between an acceptable moral position or religious belief and unacceptable ignorance.
     
  10. Baraka_Guru

    Baraka_Guru Möderätor Staff Member

    Location:
    Toronto
    From A&E's perspective, they needed to take some kind of action other than attempting a kind of distance from the guy or it would have been a public relations nightmare. As it happens, they already have things in limbo about Robertson and the show because it's only an "indefinite suspension" and they aren't even filming right now.

    For a company like A&E, you don't sell your corporate soul even for a cash cow. You try to figure something out.
     
  11. omega

    omega Very Tilted

    Her relevance or noise at least is something, but in 20 years she will have the same amount of influence as dan quayle.
     
  12. samcol

    samcol Getting Tilted

    Location:
    indiana
    so you just get to decide what is moral, and what is ignorance and intolerant.... i see.
     
  13. redux

    redux Very Tilted

    Location:
    Foggy Bottom
    Nope. Facts decide.

    Show me the facts that suggests any connection between homosexuality and bestiality or explain to me how being gay would make one a terrorist by any definition.
    --- merged: Dec 20, 2013 at 11:07 AM ---
    Suggesting that one has a First Amendment right to appear on reality TV is also ignorant.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Dec 27, 2013
  14. Baraka_Guru

    Baraka_Guru Möderätor Staff Member

    Location:
    Toronto
    Also, you don't have to be homophobic to be a Christian.
     
    • Like Like x 1
  15. samcol

    samcol Getting Tilted

    Location:
    indiana
    so he's getting fired for making a factual error that offended someone. damn, half the reality tv shows today would offend a christian, but they dont get fired, people just change the channel. do all these networks really subscribe to the crap that is on reality tv, sitcoms, etc, and the things they say in the public? alec baldwin can issue anti-gay and racial slurs all day long without getting fired by his networks. i guess things are different if you are on the left.


    i never suggested he has a first amendment right to appear on tv. i feel like in the spirit of free speech, corporations should attempt to seperate themselves from it with a disclaimer or public statement. instead they are going to just throw the show away. he was speaking on his personal beliefs, not as a representative of the company A&E. i think that's a huge diff.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Dec 27, 2013
  16. Baraka_Guru

    Baraka_Guru Möderätor Staff Member

    Location:
    Toronto
    You seriously don't think he did anything wrong other than mess up facts?

    There's a distinct difference between people being offended and people being attacked. There's a distinct difference between disapproving of homosexuality and being anti-gay.

    What are you talking about? MSNBC cancels Alec Baldwin's talk show following outburst - latimes.com

    Criticism for hatred should be non-partisan, but I find there is way more of a problem with apologists on the right.

    It has a lot to do with public perception and publicity. Doing nothing could be tantamount to "having an outspoken homophobic racist on the payroll."

    It's about standards and expectations, and not everyone has the same ones.
     
    Last edited: Dec 20, 2013
  17. Plan9

    Plan9 Rock 'n Roll

    Location:
    Earth
    Not politically, realistically. And where in public would it ever be okay for me or anybody else to go, say, "I'm not racist, I just don't like ____ people." There is no room to "disapprove" of anything these days. We're all equals and even talking about bias makes you a bigot. Please correct me if I'm wrong here. Here's the things you can't talk about unless it's a fluff piece on We Are the World type stuff: gender, religion, race, age, sexual orientation, body fat and socioeconomic strata. Can't. Touch. This.

    As far as the whole redneck fowl-blaster debacle, he can say whatever he wants (free country) and they can fire his ass whenever they want (free country). Let's not pretend that TeeVee execs are pillars of morality and recall what was acceptable and unacceptable on TeeVee just 50 years ago. A&E is "taking a stand" about as much as anybody else worried about audience perception and their bottom line. If racism was the in thing, PepsiCo's Mountain Dew would have a flavor called Jungle Fever.

    What is "politically correct?" In the words of Potter Stewart, "I know it when I see it."

    It is what it is. The goddamn Safety Dance.

    ...

    Also, fuck Sarah Palin. She's a prime example of dumb white people doing stupid things.
     
    Last edited: Dec 20, 2013
  18. redux

    redux Very Tilted

    Location:
    Foggy Bottom
    I can look past the fact that nearly half of the American public might believe homosexuality is a sin...based primarily on a selective and literal interpretation of the Bible. Organized religion is often the basis for intolerance, particularly among the more evangelical. But this goes even beyond intolerance to being offensive.

    You may not agree that the bestiality comment was over the top. I would hope that even among the many that believe homosexuality is a sin would not agree.

    Sarah Palin (and Ted Cruz and others) raised the First Amendment issue demonstrating either their ignorance of the Constitution or their pandering to their base.

    As to Robertson's personal beliefs, he has a right to express whatever beliefs he wants, but there are consequences when one is a "public" figure.

    And, BTW, Alec Baldwin was fired by MSNBC for his comments.
     
  19. Borla

    Borla Moderator Staff Member

    I think much of the Duck Dynasty thing is sensationalized journalism.

    He was asked what things he categorizes as sin. He listed off a bunch of stuff that most people do at some point, including that he used to do a lot of those things, and almost in the next breath said that he still loves those people, wished everyone loved everyone more no matter what type of life they lead, and said he tries to treat everyone nicely and not judge them based on whether they disagree with him.

    If you want to dissect whether he's right in declaring what he interprets as a "sin", that's one thing. But he clearly advocates that the world needs more love, and specifically includes loving people and treating people well even when they don't have the same views, values, opinions, or lifestyles that you live or agree with.


    Interestingly enough (or purposefully?) there are Duck Dynasty marathons that were scheduled on A&E for this week, and the series premier is less than a month away. Hmm, maybe someone real smart figured that any publicity was good publicity? Or is that too cynical to imagine that half the media is falling for an obvious trap...
     
    • Like Like x 4
  20. Plan9

    Plan9 Rock 'n Roll

    Location:
    Earth
    Same logic.

    ...

    And, yeah, it would be easy to see how the duck guy thing is nothing but negative marketing ploys and lead-up pumps.

    If so, the core issue still remains because the Bible/homo sandwich is still such a hot topic and causes so much hoopla.

    ...

    Also:

    Why is there no black female and asian male on Duck Dynasty?! Discrimination, that's why.