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Part of a series on History Channel. [View Related Entries]


Overview

Phil Robertson's Anti-Gay Comment, better known as The Duck Dynasty Controversy, refers to a controversial statement made by the star of the A&E reality TV series Duck Dynasty on the subject of homosexuality in a feature interview with GQ in December 2013.

Background

On December 18th, 2013, GQ Magazine[2] published an interview with Phil Robertson, a cast member of the A&E reality TV series Duck Dynasty and the head of his family-owned hunting supplies business Duck Commander, for the January 2014 print issue. In the interview, Robertson was quoted as stating that homosexuality is a “sin" and condemned gay relationships as unnatural and illogical, citing his devout commitment to the teachings of the Bible.

Out here in these woods, without any cameras around, Phil is free to say what he wants. Maybe a little too free. He’s got lots of thoughts on modern immorality, and there’s no stopping them from rushing out. Like this one:
“It seems like, to me, a vagina--as a man--would be more desirable than a man’s anus. 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.”
What, in your mind, is sinful?

“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 says. Then he paraphrases 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. Don’t deceive yourself. It’s not right.”

Notable Developments

Suspension From A&E

On the same day, A&E announced that Robertson had been indefinitely suspended from Duck Dynasty due to the statements made in GQ.

"We are extremely disappointed to have read Phil Robertson's comments in GQ, which are based on his own personal beliefs and are not reflected in the series Duck Dynasty," the network said in a statement Wednesday. "His personal views in no way reflect those of A+E Networks, who have always been strong supporters and champions of the LGBT community. The network has placed Phil under hiatus from filming indefinitely."

Robertson's Rebuttal

Also on December 18th, A&E distributed a statement from Robertson, in which he defended his anti-gay statements as part of his Christian religious faith:

“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.”

A&E Boycott Campaign

Also on December 18th, a Facebook[6] page titled "Boycott A&E Until Phil Robertson Is Put Back On Duck Dynasty" was launched, gathering upwards of 1.5 million likes in the first 48 hours.

DUCK DYNAS HAPPY. HAPPY. HAPPY COM Boycott A&E Until Phil Robertson d Like | Follow Message-▼ Is Put Back On Duck Dynasty 1,546,417 likes Community This page is to show support for the freedom of speech of Americans. 71 Unless Phil is reinstated to the show, we refuse to watch the A&E Channel! About Suggest an Edit Photos Likes

“This page is to show support for the freedom of speech of Americans. Unless Phil is reinstated to the show, we refuse to watch the A&E Channel!”

On December 19th, CBS Houston[7] published an article about the Facebook campaign, which quoted the administrator who claimed he had been temporarily banned due to the page gaining 4,500 likes in one hour.

Online Reaction

On December 18th, former Alaskan governor and vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin tweeted about the suspension, claiming that it was an affront to freedom of speech.


On December 19th, several image macros commenting on the controversy reached the front page of /r/AdviceAnimals,[3][4][5] including Captain Hindsight (shown below, left), Everyone Loses Their Minds (shown below, middle) and Actual Advice Mallard (shown below, right).

IF YOU WATCH A REALITY SHOW ABOUT .REDNECKSACTINGLIKE REDNECKS_ YOU SHOULDN'TBESURPRISED WHENONE OF THEM SAYS SOMETHING A REDNECK WOULD SAY made on imgur
AN ENTIRE PART OF THE WORLD EXECUTES GAY PEOPLE FOR THE CRIME OF BEING GAY AND NO ONE BLINKS AN EYE SOME BEARDED WEIRDO WHO LOVES JESUS AND LIVES IN THE RURAL SOUTHISN'TA FAN OF GAY PEOPLE AND EVERYONE LOSES THEIR MIND.
FREEDOMOF SPEECH AND THE FIRST AMENDMENTONLY PREVENT TE GOVERNMENT FROM LIMITING YOUR RIGHTS PRIVATE CITIZENS AND BUSINESSES DON'T HAVE TO RESPECT YOUR OPINION OR GIVE YOU A PLATFORM

Also on December 19th, The Daily Show host Jon Stewart mocked Fox News' coverage of the controversy in comparison to its "War on Christmas" reporting (shown below).

Suspension Lifted

On December 27th, A&E announced in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter[8] that Phil Robertson would be reinstated as a cast member in Duck Dynasty:

"So after discussions with the Robertson family, as well as consulting with numerous advocacy groups, A&E has decided to resume filming Duck Dynasty later this spring with the entire Robertson family. We will also use this moment to launch a national public service campaign (PSA) promoting unity, tolerance and acceptance among all people, a message that supports our core values as a company and the values found in Duck Dynasty. These PSAs will air across our entire portfolio."

Following the announcement, the LGBT rights group GLAAD issued a reaction condemning A&E for lifting the suspension:

"Phil Robertson should look African American and gay people in the eyes and hear about the hurtful impact of praising Jim Crow laws and comparing gay people to terrorists. If dialogue with Phil is not part of next steps then A+E has chosen profits over African American and gay people – especially its employees and viewers."

The same day, the Christian religious organization Faith Driven Consumer published a blog post on their affiliated Phil Robertson fan site IStandWithPhil[9] applauding A&E for reversing its decision to suspend Robertson but questioned the television channel's true intent.

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Duck Dynasty Controversy

Duck Dynasty Controversy

Part of a series on History Channel. [View Related Entries]

Updated Dec 15, 2024 at 07:07PM EST by LiterallyAustin.

Added Dec 20, 2013 at 02:09PM EST by Don.

PROTIP: Press 'i' to view the image gallery, 'v' to view the video gallery, or 'r' to view a random entry.

Overview

Phil Robertson's Anti-Gay Comment, better known as The Duck Dynasty Controversy, refers to a controversial statement made by the star of the A&E reality TV series Duck Dynasty on the subject of homosexuality in a feature interview with GQ in December 2013.

Background

On December 18th, 2013, GQ Magazine[2] published an interview with Phil Robertson, a cast member of the A&E reality TV series Duck Dynasty and the head of his family-owned hunting supplies business Duck Commander, for the January 2014 print issue. In the interview, Robertson was quoted as stating that homosexuality is a “sin" and condemned gay relationships as unnatural and illogical, citing his devout commitment to the teachings of the Bible.



Out here in these woods, without any cameras around, Phil is free to say what he wants. Maybe a little too free. He’s got lots of thoughts on modern immorality, and there’s no stopping them from rushing out. Like this one:
“It seems like, to me, a vagina--as a man--would be more desirable than a man’s anus. 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.”
What, in your mind, is sinful?

“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 says. Then he paraphrases 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. Don’t deceive yourself. It’s not right.”

Notable Developments

Suspension From A&E

On the same day, A&E announced that Robertson had been indefinitely suspended from Duck Dynasty due to the statements made in GQ.

"We are extremely disappointed to have read Phil Robertson's comments in GQ, which are based on his own personal beliefs and are not reflected in the series Duck Dynasty," the network said in a statement Wednesday. "His personal views in no way reflect those of A+E Networks, who have always been strong supporters and champions of the LGBT community. The network has placed Phil under hiatus from filming indefinitely."

Robertson's Rebuttal

Also on December 18th, A&E distributed a statement from Robertson, in which he defended his anti-gay statements as part of his Christian religious faith:

“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.”

A&E Boycott Campaign

Also on December 18th, a Facebook[6] page titled "Boycott A&E Until Phil Robertson Is Put Back On Duck Dynasty" was launched, gathering upwards of 1.5 million likes in the first 48 hours.


DUCK DYNAS HAPPY. HAPPY. HAPPY COM Boycott A&E Until Phil Robertson d Like | Follow Message-▼ Is Put Back On Duck Dynasty 1,546,417 likes Community This page is to show support for the freedom of speech of Americans. 71 Unless Phil is reinstated to the show, we refuse to watch the A&E Channel! About Suggest an Edit Photos Likes

“This page is to show support for the freedom of speech of Americans. Unless Phil is reinstated to the show, we refuse to watch the A&E Channel!”

On December 19th, CBS Houston[7] published an article about the Facebook campaign, which quoted the administrator who claimed he had been temporarily banned due to the page gaining 4,500 likes in one hour.

Online Reaction

On December 18th, former Alaskan governor and vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin tweeted about the suspension, claiming that it was an affront to freedom of speech.




On December 19th, several image macros commenting on the controversy reached the front page of /r/AdviceAnimals,[3][4][5] including Captain Hindsight (shown below, left), Everyone Loses Their Minds (shown below, middle) and Actual Advice Mallard (shown below, right).


IF YOU WATCH A REALITY SHOW ABOUT .REDNECKSACTINGLIKE REDNECKS_ YOU SHOULDN'TBESURPRISED WHENONE OF THEM SAYS SOMETHING A REDNECK WOULD SAY made on imgur AN ENTIRE PART OF THE WORLD EXECUTES GAY PEOPLE FOR THE CRIME OF BEING GAY AND NO ONE BLINKS AN EYE SOME BEARDED WEIRDO WHO LOVES JESUS AND LIVES IN THE RURAL SOUTHISN'TA FAN OF GAY PEOPLE AND EVERYONE LOSES THEIR MIND. FREEDOMOF SPEECH AND THE FIRST AMENDMENTONLY PREVENT TE GOVERNMENT FROM LIMITING YOUR RIGHTS PRIVATE CITIZENS AND BUSINESSES DON'T HAVE TO RESPECT YOUR OPINION OR GIVE YOU A PLATFORM

Also on December 19th, The Daily Show host Jon Stewart mocked Fox News' coverage of the controversy in comparison to its "War on Christmas" reporting (shown below).



Suspension Lifted

On December 27th, A&E announced in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter[8] that Phil Robertson would be reinstated as a cast member in Duck Dynasty:

"So after discussions with the Robertson family, as well as consulting with numerous advocacy groups, A&E has decided to resume filming Duck Dynasty later this spring with the entire Robertson family. We will also use this moment to launch a national public service campaign (PSA) promoting unity, tolerance and acceptance among all people, a message that supports our core values as a company and the values found in Duck Dynasty. These PSAs will air across our entire portfolio."

Following the announcement, the LGBT rights group GLAAD issued a reaction condemning A&E for lifting the suspension:

"Phil Robertson should look African American and gay people in the eyes and hear about the hurtful impact of praising Jim Crow laws and comparing gay people to terrorists. If dialogue with Phil is not part of next steps then A+E has chosen profits over African American and gay people – especially its employees and viewers."

The same day, the Christian religious organization Faith Driven Consumer published a blog post on their affiliated Phil Robertson fan site IStandWithPhil[9] applauding A&E for reversing its decision to suspend Robertson but questioned the television channel's true intent.

Search Interest

External References

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Recent Images 17 total


Top Comments

FreshPrinceOfBeijing
FreshPrinceOfBeijing

I really don't see why there's sucha huge outcry over his comments. Sure they're anti-homosexual, but he wasn't saying things like "kill all homos" or "gays burn in hell" which is what organizations like Westboro baptist church say. He doesn't say anything condemning gays other than it's a sin (which is virtually stated in the bible anyway as an "abomination") and that they're deceiving themselves. He also says he just doesn't understand why homosexuals prefer what they prefer (he's basically just curious). All things considered, he wasn't being that much of a dick.

I having nothing for or against LGBT kind of stuff; it doesn't matter to me, but I think people are making a mountain out of a molehill. There are lots of people out there who've said much worse about homosexuals and done much worse (cyberbullying to the point of making the victims commit suicide, physical violence, etc).

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