Duck Dynasty's Phil Robertson: The Latest Victim of the PC Police

This man DID equate homosexuality with beastiality and is paying the price from a society that disagrees strongly. No one is taking his free speech rights away. That's ridiculous to claim.

reply to post by LDragonFire

LDragonFire
Now Phil's speech was offensive but he should have the right to express his beliefs, but he doesn't.

Yes he does. He has every right to express his opinion. That doesn't mean there won't be consequences from society. The government isn't shutting him up (that would mean his rights had been taken away), he's being fired. That's A&E's right.

Every Christian at some point will waltz into a pit of vipers and expect not to be bitten.

I am pretty convinced it's a counter-intuitive marketing scheme.

I mean consider that A&E

A&E (an initialism for its former name, the Arts & Entertainment Network[1]), is an American cable and satellite television channel that serves as the flagship television property of A+E Networks, a joint venture between the Hearst Corporation and Disney–ABC Television Group (both of which maintain a 50% ownership interest).

Disney has evolved into mega-media conglomerate and Hearst...

Hearst Corporation is a multinational mass media group based in the Hearst Tower in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. Founded by William Randolph Hearst as an owner of newspapers, the company's holdings have subsequently expanded to include a highly diversified portfolio of media interests. The Hearst family is involved in the ownership and management of the corporation.

Is a media conglomerate as well.

Look through the lists of all the papers these two giants run.
Now Google some of those papers and see if they carry the story....

Answer should be obvious now, why would they blanket attack their own show with their own media outlets?
*Ratings!*

You can bet his contract had clauses in it that allows A&E to suspend or fire him if he does something that tarnishes the companies image. In no way does this violate his free speech rights if he willingly signed such a contract.

Remember our constitutional rights allows us to say almost anything, but it does not protect us from many of the consequences in the private sector. You can go to work and start calling every minority and/or homosexual derogatory names and not be arrested, but you may find yourself legally fired.

Domo1
reply to post by tothetenthpower

 

What did he say, specifically, that's offensive?

What, are you some kind of homophobe?

He certainly shouldn't loose his job because it makes OTHER people uncomfortable.

Tend to agree, but I wouldn't be surprised if he was contractually obligated to avoid certain topics. Didn't they make Cindy Crawford sign something where she wasn't allowed in public without makeup? I'm sticking this sentence in because I want to admonish people that didn't get the homophobe thing or read the whole post. I know Tenth is a man and married to a man (and I applaud his happiness). So if he was contractually obligated to not voice his opinion on this sort of thing, I get it. I think it was rather tactless and unfortunate A&E decided to give him the ol' banhammer, but as someone else put it (Kali who I love and hate but always respect), he has the right to say what he wants and they have the right to not allow him on the show. Even if there was no contract, I think they are allowed to do what they want in this situation. I don't like the guy's views, but I don't want them punished. It's not quite hypocrisy, but I can't think up a better word.

Its hard really to separate what he said from why he was punished for saying it. There is something behind this idea that A&E also had the right to do what they did. I am sure the whole show offends PETA for example but A&E doesn't figure that consequential.

PETA isn't considered because to many folks of all stripe eat animal flesh. Duck guy on the other hand is canned because to many are homosexual and homosexual sympathetic.

olaru12
It's not about free speech, opinions, or homosexuality. As always it's about money. One of the sponsors got pissed off at his comment and threatened to pull their spots. Producers only care about one thing....

These scripted "reality" shows are cheap to produce, because they can be edited on the fly with a tricaster, use questionable "talent", use readily available locations and use minimal crew. Min. outlay, Max return and the producers have their pick of these dumbass shows. Pitch fests are full of this crap. I work on these abominations all the time as crew.



fadeinonline.com...

edit on 18-12-2013 by olaru12 because: (no reason given)

This is what the bill of rights is set up for so rich political entities cannot punish people for their opinions. US has gone back into the dark ages where the rich multinational entities can silence those who say anything they don't like.

While I do not share this guys opinion. He does have the right to believe and express it.

What I think A&E did was wrong. And it opens up a can of worms.

Now anyone can be taken off the air because they express an opinion that people don't agree with.

Kali74
The dude can and did say whatever he wants, he is perfectly free to do so. A&E is also free to act on his words however they choose.

No they are not that is why the Bill of rights was set up in the first place.

In the days of of colonial and pre-colonial America if you made an opinion against the king or the wealthy in Europe they would have you hung.

These are rights afforded all men equally.

Now only whites can't have rights.

ChesterJohn
This is what the bill of rights is set up for so rich political entities cannot punish people for their opinions.

WHAT??? Where do you get the idea that the Bill of Rights has ANYTHING to do with preventing rich political entities for punishing people for their opinions???

The Bill of Rights protects Mr. Robertson's rights to express his opinions without government interference, which he did. Since he's not in prison or under arrest, his rights are intact.

buster2010

pavil

olaru12
That doesn't keep them from being idiots!! I know Phd's that are idiots.

Why exactly is/was he an idiot? For expressing his personal opinion and beliefs?

How far down the rabbit hole have we gone?

He was an idiot for signing a contract and then thinking he can say what he wants during an interview. There has been people more famous than him that has been canned for what they said during interviews. And for the people saying it violates he free speech no it doesn't because he gave those rights up when he signed the contract.

You are confused he had no contract that barred him form an interview with GQ. A&E does not own him. They hung him because they are "champions of the GLBT movement" but go and read the quote it wasn't more than his sexual preference and opinion.

ChesterJohn
You are confused he had no contract that barred him form an interview with GQ.

Can you share your resource with us? Have you read his contract?

LDragonFire

Stormdancer777
It just really bugs me when people use the term redneck and hillbilly in a derogatory manor, without any knowledge of the rich history of these people, my mom came out of Appalachia , and her family.

These people suffer and have suffered perhaps more than any others in America.

Do you think they suffered more than African Slaves or Native Americans?

After the Civil war many of the people in the south suffered terribly at the hands of the Northern masters. They had their homes and farms destroyed and taken by carpet-baggers and bankers and sold out from under them, some were forced to live back in the woods and survive with nothing more than a pocket knife and the clothes on their backs. They should have never been treated that way and yet all people can do is call them NAMES like hillbillies, rednecks, Backward idiots and snaggle-toothed inbred trash.

Now you see why some of these people are the way they are and it is part of the Hidden American History that doesn't make the books.

I don't agree with his opinion but he is entitled to that.

The suspension is a little ridiculous. The demographic that loves DD also shares his Christian views and most of the fans agree with him. Suspending him hurts the DD base but keeps the GLADD activist from boycotting A&E.

I'm really open minded but I do think GLADD and friends expect too much and try to force acceptance to their lifestyle which hurts more than helps. Life is not fair, and no matter what kind of life you live there will always be haters.

Benevolent Heretic

ChesterJohn
You are confused he had no contract that barred him form an interview with GQ.

Can you share your resource with us? Have you read his contract?

If he did he would not be able to have the interview period.

reply to post by Stormdancer777

It just really bugs me when people use the term redneck and hillbilly in a derogatory manor, without any knowledge of the rich history of these people, my mom came out of Appalachia , and her family.

These people suffer and have suffered perhaps more than any others in America.

Well, you shouldn't let it bother you Stormdancer - it's OK for people to dislike each other, mock each other and say it out loud for all the world to hear

It's rude, it's unkind, it's ignorant - but apparently, it's better than being PC

I know you'll think I'm mocking you - I'm not. I hate when people use redneck and hillbilly in a derogatory manor too. Just as I did when I was a kid and people made fun of the Polacks and the Wops - those being some of my folks

Your post does show how most people have a line - we're not so worried about offending anyone else - but we don't like when it hits too close to home

pstrron
I read the news report on what was said during the GQ interview. The man did not say anything hateful, just stated his opinion. Now it seems that A&E have their knickers in a knot over his opinion. If they feel that this is such an issue, what do they think of the late great George Carlin? Now George was controversial, very opinionated and his opinions of gays and their lifestyle would have A&E exec's passing out.

As for Phil Roberts, I have no idea who he is or what Duck Dynasty is but from the report, there was absolutely no reason for A&E to retaliate against him for an interview with GQ. A&E is not GQ thus have overstepped their bounds and falsely accused him of stating something he did not say. A&E have made it quite clear, they have an agenda.

Here Here!!!

reply to post by Benevolent Heretic


OMG! So good to see you back!! Hiya, BH!!

This man DID equate homosexuality with beastiality

He equated at least four 'sexual sins' with each other including sleeping around (heteros) but the PC brigade blew it out of proportion because he also mentioned homosexuality.

...a society that disagrees strongly

From what I am seeing, even from my gay and liberal friends on FB (except 1), almost everyone is universally supporting either what he said or at least that he meant no harm in how he said it.

Even on this thread it seems like the vast majority either agree with or at least support him. So I don't think society strongly disagrees.

I am totally with you on the free speech issue, though. I don't think this has anything to do with legal rights. It is a battle of opinions and wills.

reply to post by NihilistSanta


One of my questions was why GQ published it. They knew it was a bit over the top to do so. It seems they wanted to cause a problem with A&E and Phil.

Benevolent Heretic
This man DID equate homosexuality with beastiality ...

Don't think he was meaning to say they were equal as much as he was just giving a list of what he believes are sins.

During a discussion about repentance and God, Robertson is asked what he finds sinful.

"Start with homosexual behavior and just morph out from there," he says. "Bestiality, sleeping around with this woman and that woman and that woman and those men."

Then he just paraphrases the Bible ..

"Don't be deceived. Neither the adulterers, the idolaters, the male prostitutes, the homosexual offenders, the greedy, the drunkards, the slanderers, the swindlers -- they won't inherit the kingdom of God. Don't deceive yourself. It's not right.

Cor 6:9.

"Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God." -1 Cor 6:9, NIV

Benevolent Heretic
and is paying the price from a society that disagrees strongly ...

I am not so sure about that either, the likes on his facebook page are going through the roof and he is trending on Twitter too.

I do not watch the show, nor am I religious but I don't have to be to realize something is happening here, the internet is buzzing and it is all in support of him.

I believe A&E will be eating crow or the whole family will take their show to another network ...

really really sad....

That our country is not a free country anymore. It is not the land of the brave...

When, exactly, did we lose the right to express ourselves? When did we lose the right to express opinions without the PC police and the MSM exacting a huge price?

Let me be absolutely clear: I do not watch, nor do I even like this program. I watched about 5 minutes of it when it first came out and decided it was nothing more than another reality crap show. I have been hoping that the show would go away and that I would not be subject to the omnipresent marketing involving these guys...however I do not like the idea of it being canned because of some executive's efforts at being PC.

It seems that since the 90's we have been subject to absolutely ridiculous efforts to avoid offending some group or other.

We have become the Nation of the Offended....

And yet we are not severely offended by the excesses of our govt, we are not severely offended by our loss of rights, we are not sufficiently offended by the waste and stupidity of those who lead us, or claim to.

But we are offended because a couple of football teams are named Redskins and Chiefs. We are offended because a redneck expresses HIS opinion regarding homosexuality and bestiality etc...

It seems our (as a country) priorities are all wacked...upside down. We love talentless "celebrities" such as the Kardashians, showering them with wealth, and then we turn around and reduce benefits to soldiers who place their lives on the line (nevermind that the leaders cannot seem to understand what a threat to our country is).

Our country is so effed up, as are most of it's citizens. No "right thinking" exists any longer...just stupid crap.