Duck Dynasty star makes homophobic remarks

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'Duck Dynasty' Under Fire Following Star's Incendiary Anti-Gay Remarks
By Elizabeth Durand Streisand 3 hours ago Yahoo TV

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Jase, Uncle Si, Phil, Willie, and Jep Robertson (Jeff Riedel/GQ)
The stars of "Duck Dynasty" might be America's most popular TV family, but that could change very soon — because Phil Robertson has made some seriously divisive anti-gay remarks that have sparked instant backlash.

Speaking with GQ, Robertson lamented that when "everything is blurred on what's right and what's wrong ... sin becomes fine." So just what qualifies as sinful in his book?

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

[Related: How 'Duck Dynasty' Became Such a Huge Hit]

Phil probably should have cut himself off at this point (considering he's a national TV star), but instead he paraphrased Corinthians. "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," he warned. "Don't deceive yourself. It's not right."

What's more, according to him, it's basically incomprehensible. "It seems to me, a vagina — as a man — would be more desirable than a man's anus," he explained. "That's just me. I'm just thinking, 'There's more there! She's got more to offer.' I mean, come on, dudes! You know what I’m saying? But hey, sin: It's not logical, my man. It's just not logical."

Within minutes of GQ revealing Robertson's quotes (which will appear in the January issue), GLAAD issued a fiery response — and the gay-rights organization is none to pleased.

[Related: A Very Ducky Christmas — Robertsons Revisit Ghosts of Christmases Past]

"Phil and his family claim to be Christian, but Phil's lies about an entire community fly in the face of what true Christians believe," said GLAAD spokesman Wilson Cruz. "He clearly knows nothing about gay people or the majority of Louisianans — and Americans — who support legal recognition for loving and committed gay and lesbian couples. Phil's decision to push vile and extreme stereotypes is a stain on A&E and his sponsors who now need to reexamine their ties to someone with such public disdain for LGBT people and families."

Cruz, who cited an August Public Policy Polling survey showing 56 percent of Louisiana residents supported same-sex marriage, stopped short of calling for an all-out boycott of "Duck Dynasty." There was no immediate comment from A&E.

Despite Phil's strong words, however, he insists he's a Christian who doesn't condemn others — even if they are "sinners" in his mind.

"We never, ever judge someone on who's going to heaven, hell. That's the Almighty's job," he told the magazine. "We just love 'em, give 'em the good news about Jesus — whether they're homosexuals, drunks, terrorists. We let God sort 'em out later, you see what I'm saying?"

Still, Robertson insisted that his family "really believes strongly that if the human race loved each other and they loved God, we would just be better off. We ought to just be repentant, turn to God, and… everything will turn around."

And it seems that the tide is already turning, considering the fact that once GLAAD issued its statement, Phil was quick to clarify — and soften— his previous remarks.

"I myself am a product of the '60s; I centered my life around sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll until I hit rock bottom and accepted Jesus as my Savior," the TV star said in a statement released by A&E Wednesday. "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."

And there you have it — at least for now. While Phil is standing by his opinions, he might be feeling a bit repentant about the way he originally stated them.
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There is then much back peddling.

[quote][/quote]

[Zaune]

Hillbilly who struck it rich turns out to be kind of a dick. Film at eleven.

[Lonestar]

He is an old man, from Backwoods Louisiana, lives in a trailer in the woods even after earning enough money for a mansion, and is a devout Christian.

Who could have predicted, when directly asked in a interview, that his views could be so shocking????

[Flagg]

Dumb old born again Christian redneck says something offensive about the gays? Color me shocked. Fuck, I almost feel bad for the ignorant old bastard. It's like hearing your grandparents say racist shit obliviously.

[KlavoHunter]

What a disgusting little reality show. I go from seeing this on the TV at the gym where these rednecks just fuck around, to every possible personal item at a Wal-Mart being Duck Dynasty branded.

Trash like this coming from one of those beardy little fucks is hardly unexpected.

[Alferd Packer]

Damn, there goes my (half serious) theory that all the Duck Dynasty people were actually classically trained actors.

[Lord Pounder]

I have been a fan of the show. I like that it promotes strong family values. In one episode when confronted with a gay photographer, who was one step from catching fire he was so flaming, Phil conducted himself better than I expected and actually really appreciated his work.

I find it ironic that the Robertson family are condemned by the Christian Right for not being too liberal and yet the liberals condemn then for following their beliefs. Again America proves there is no middle ground and that it's a land of extremes.

I don't agree with what Phil said, comparing homosexuality to bestiality was inappropriate, but in the grand scheme of things I've heard and been called much worse.

[Lord Relvenous]

And he's already been "suspended indefinitely" by A&E for his comments.
http://tv.yahoo.com/news/duck-dynasty-e ... 17098.html

I'm on my phone or I'd quote it, sorry.

[Flagg]

I have been a fan of the show. I like that it promotes strong family values. In one episode when confronted with a gay photographer, who was one step from catching fire he was so flaming, Phil conducted himself better than I expected and actually really appreciated his work.

I find it ironic that the Robertson family are condemned by the Christian Right for not being too liberal and yet the liberals condemn then for following their beliefs. Again America proves there is no middle ground and that it's a land of extremes.

I don't agree with what Phil said, comparing homosexuality to bestiality was inappropriate, but in the grand scheme of things I've heard and been called much worse.

Well in the same interview he said blacks were happy under segregation and that he could relate to them because he was white trash, so...

[Ritterin Sophia]

Well in the same interview he said blacks were happy under segregation and that he could relate to them because he was white trash, so...

And Nazism, Radical Islam, and Pearl Harbor on lack of Jesus.

[Bug-Eyed Earl]

Well, the outcry against this is one more example of how so many American's don't understand the specifics of the First Amendment and how it does not guarantee that there should be no consequences of any kind for what you say.

If anything, the guy probably has specifics in his contract about how he's supposed to act as a representative of the A&E network and that includes interviews. If you look at it this way, he violated his contract and his employers reacted in kind. That's almost the kind of logic the hardcore right wingers defending him can understand, but their persecution complex will keep them from accepting that.

[Lord Pounder]

I have been a fan of the show. I like that it promotes strong family values. In one episode when confronted with a gay photographer, who was one step from catching fire he was so flaming, Phil conducted himself better than I expected and actually really appreciated his work.

I find it ironic that the Robertson family are condemned by the Christian Right for not being too liberal and yet the liberals condemn then for following their beliefs. Again America proves there is no middle ground and that it's a land of extremes.

I don't agree with what Phil said, comparing homosexuality to bestiality was inappropriate, but in the grand scheme of things I've heard and been called much worse.

Well in the same interview he said blacks were happy under segregation and that he could relate to them because he was white trash, so...

Not that I'm calling you a liar, but can you provide a link to that because that's the first I've heard of him saying that. He has a black grandson that Willie adopted and he is good to him from what I've seen.

[Flagg]

I have been a fan of the show. I like that it promotes strong family values. In one episode when confronted with a gay photographer, who was one step from catching fire he was so flaming, Phil conducted himself better than I expected and actually really appreciated his work.

I find it ironic that the Robertson family are condemned by the Christian Right for not being too liberal and yet the liberals condemn then for following their beliefs. Again America proves there is no middle ground and that it's a land of extremes.

I don't agree with what Phil said, comparing homosexuality to bestiality was inappropriate, but in the grand scheme of things I've heard and been called much worse.

Well in the same interview he said blacks were happy under segregation and that he could relate to them because he was white trash, so...

Not that I'm calling you a liar, but can you provide a link to that because that's the first I've heard of him saying that. He has a black grandson that Willie adopted and he is good to him from what I've seen.

I'm on my iPad and can't find an online source, but it's been reported several times on TV notably MSNBC. He basically said blacks were happy and more godly before entitlements and during Jim Crow.

[Ritterin Sophia]

Not that I'm calling you a liar, but can you provide a link to that because that's the first I've heard of him saying that. He has a black grandson that Willie adopted and he is good to him from what I've seen.

http://www.complex.com/pop-culture/2013 ... q-comments

Somewhere in there, someone quoted the relevant part: "I never, with my eyes, saw the mistreatment of any black person. Not once. Where we lived was all farmers. The blacks worked for the farmers. I hoed cotton with them. I'm with the blacks, because we're white trash. We're going across the field.... They're singing and happy. I never heard one of them, one black person, say, ‘I tell you what: These doggone white people’—not a word!... Pre-entitlement, pre-welfare, you say: Were they happy? They were godly; they were happy; no one was singing the blues."

[Flagg]

Well, the outcry against this is one more example of how so many American's don't understand the specifics of the First Amendment and how it does not guarantee that there should be no consequences of any kind for what you say.

If anything, the guy probably has specifics in his contract about how he's supposed to act as a representative of the A&E network and that includes interviews. If you look at it this way, he violated his contract and his employers reacted in kind. That's almost the kind of logic the hardcore right wingers defending him can understand, but their persecution complex will keep them from accepting that.

Yeah the fuckwit Jindal and grifter Palin crowd are already crying freedom of speech. I think A&E should have cancelled the entire show frankly.

[Elheru Aran]

You can be racist and still be humane to people of other races who you actually know. It's not all that uncommon. Joe Redneck might go "you know what the problem is, it's all these Mexicans taking our jobs" and then go next door to the Hispanic neighbors' birthday party with no logical disconnects taking place in his brain whatsoever. If you pressed them on it, they might admit it's inconsistent on their part, but they wouldn't necessarily realize that themselves. They don't think it's "racism"; they think "that's just how the world was/is but I gotta be good to my neighbor".

I have to say this kind of thing was probably inevitable and I doubt A&E was necessarily unaware of that; they were probably just happy he lasted as long as he did before saying something like this, and I wouldn't be surprised, given the show's popularity, if they quietly bring him back in a few months or even sooner if the viewers make enough of a fuss about it.

For all that he's an uneducated, racist and religious redneck from Louisiana, you do have to admire him somewhat for being consistent in his principles, and having maintained those principles over the past few years of being a massive celebrity. His family haven't gone nuts like the Kardashians or Miley Cyrus or whatever. They're crazy on television, but at their core they've remained very consistent and very down to earth. They express "traditional family values" while being Southern rednecks to the core... it's absolutely no wonder that they're one of the most popular shows in pop culture right now, and this is very likely to actually make them even more popular among their demographic with the whole "we're being persecuted by secular populists!" nonsense.

[Ritterin Sophia]

Yeah the fuckwit Jindal and grifter Palin crowd are already crying freedom of speech. I think A&E should have cancelled the entire show frankly.

I think we should all just start accusing people who use that argument of being communists and socialists attempting to empower big government's control on private corporations.

[Lord Pounder]

I have to say I'm shocked at the willful ignorance he displayed in making those comments about segregation and civil rights. Don't be fooled, this is a smart man not an stereotypical redneck, he has a masters in education and is a former teacher before his breakdown and alcoholism. In all his segments on the show he's been articulate and quick to point out the virtues of college education. I still think that it's a good show, and the family have their heart in the right place, but Phil has left me very disappointed.

[Elheru Aran]

Well, the education is news to me. Just goes to show that a.) do the research, and b.) even educated people can still be fuckwits.

[Flagg]

I finally found an online source for the racist statements: Huffington Post

'Duck Dynasty' Star Phil Robertson Claims Black People Were 'Happy' Pre-Civil Rights

The Huffington Post | By Cavan Sieczkowski
Posted: 12/19/2013 12:07 pm EST

"Duck Dynasty" star Phil Robertson made headlines this week for his anti-gay sentiments in a GQ interview. Now another statement from the interview -- this time about the black community during the pre-civil rights era -- is stirring more controversy.

GQ's Drew Magary sat down with the "Duck Dynasty" patriarch for a candid interview about his road to fame. The 67-year-old journeyed from substance abuse to devotion to God to small-screen celebrity, all in the backwoods of Louisiana. According to Robertson, growing up in those Louisiana backwoods in the pre-civil rights era was not bad for black people.

“I never, with my eyes, saw the mistreatment of any black person," Robertson is quoted in GQ. "Not once. Where we lived was all farmers. The blacks worked for the farmers. I hoed cotton with them. I’m with the blacks, because we’re white trash. We’re going across the field.... They’re singing and happy. I never heard one of them, one black person, say, ‘I tell you what: These doggone white people’—not a word!... Pre-entitlement, pre-welfare, you say: Were they happy? They were godly; they were happy; no one was singing the blues.”

Before the civil rights movement of the 1950s, Jim Crow laws enforced a system of subjugating African-Americans in the South by upholding racial barriers for years after the Emancipation Proclamation. The cultural climate in the Southern states was one of "disenfranchisement, segregation and various forms of oppression, including race-inspired violence," History.com notes.

The Human Rights Campaign and the NAACP wrote a joint letter to the president of A&E, expressing deep concern over Robertson's remarks:

We want to be clear why Phil Robertson’s remarks are not just dangerous but also inaccurate. Mr. Robertson claims that, from what he saw, African Americans were happier under Jim Crow. What he didn’t see were lynching and beatings of black men and women for attempting to vote or simply walking down the street. And his offensive claims about gay people fly in the face of science. In fact, it’s important to note that every single leading medical organization in the country has said that there is absolutely nothing wrong with being [lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender] -- it’s not a choice, and to suggest otherwise is dangerous.

Robertson called homosexuality a sin and juxtaposed it with bestiality. After his homophobia made news, A&E released a statement announcing Robertson's indefinite suspension from "Duck Dynasty." The network emphasized that his beliefs are in contrast to those of the network.