By now you have heard about the "Duck Dynasty" controversy. It is everywhere now. All over social media and on the news.
Phil Robertson, the father of the "Duck Dynasty" and patriarch of the Robertson family has been suspended indefinitely from the A & E hit show "Duck Dynasty" following comments he made in an interview. Many have defended and many have ostracized him. You probably have an opinion one way or the other. The opinion is not based on Robertson's comment but more on your views you have always had. The opinion is one that Phil has had for years.
Now let me tell you my view of who actually won in the "Duck Dynasty" controversy...
Drew Magary, writer for GQ, did a huge interview with Phil Robertson. Most GQ interviews are that way but some are just not very popular. He knew exactly the answers he would get when he asked him questions. It would have been more of a shock if Phil gave the opposite answer.
So when he asked Phil how he felt about homosexuality, he knew that he would get the same type of response as if he were to ask Tim Tebow, Kirk Cameron and numerous other "conservative Christians." I know what type of answer a 67- year-old right winged born again Christian will give.
Yet, one word changed the whole interview...
Bestiality.
Drew Magary knew he had journalism gold on his hands. One side would be horrified that a man compared human beings to those who have sex with animals. Another side would say that it was taken out of context and he is just being a "Christian". Either way, it would be one of the biggest interviews he ever did. He would make sure that everyone would read it.
So he sent out copies of the interview to A&E along with other liberal and conservative representatives. No one just finds a GQ interview. It was sent out. Of course there was going to be an outrage. This is the topic to talk about. Forget the fact that he said other controversial things in his interview, this is the topic. This is the one that divides people. This is the one that people stand firmly on.
And after the backlash of the comments...
Keep in mind that the season is almost already filmed. They will not cancel it, it is watched by over 11 million people. The cast makes over $200,000 per episode. A & E makes more on this show than any other.
Keep in mind that A&E did not say they would no longer carry their most popular show. They knew Phil's thought process. Instead they made a pretty weak move to get more people to listen. Suspending Phil Robertson from a show that has millions of viewers after it has been filmed is not a major win for either side. They are not going to do the show without him. Just more people who have his views will watch. Others who never watched before will still not watch.
People who have watched "Duck Dynasty" will always watch it, regardless of the comments. The suspension just brings the show more publicity.
And everyone is weighing in. Sarah Palin is now jumping on the bandwagon. By the way, you might not know but she has a book to promote as well. There is no secret about why she is in the news again. Do not be fooled that she truly cares about Phil Robertson. "First Amendment" and "Christian" are being torn and used, and used over again.
And this is all five days before Christmas. Yes, "Duck Dynasty" is a $400 million dollar empire.
So here are the winners. GQ will sell more magazines next month than ever before because you want to read it. A&E will not drop their cash cow of a show because they already knew his view point. More people will watch it than ever before. In fact, I guarantee that this weekend there will be more Duck Dynasty merchandise sold than ever before. When you walk into the store, you will see Duck Dynasty items everywhere.
Because people will feel they are supporting a cause if they either buy a DVD pack of Duck Dynasty or a t-shirt, not "Duck Dynasty". They will feel they are supporting others by boycotting the show.
And both are farther from what is actually the truth.
The truth is GQ, A&E, "Duck Dynasty" and Sarah Palin are the big winners in this. They have hyped up comments that they should have known would come from Phil Robertson's mouth. Phil Robertson has said things like this before.
They have hyped a sensitive topic that knew would get this reaction. Now there are talks of what is a real "Christian" and hurtful remarks of family members.
You know who lost in this controversy?
We all lost in this one. Five days before Christmas.