Posted on 12/20/2013 11:05:43 AM PST by BenLurkin
But the particular problem for the TV industry is that it's trying to profit off the same cultural tensions it's exploiting. That inevitably leads to problems such as the current one engulfing "Duck Dynasty."
The reality programming trend in recent years has made stars out of everyone from bakers to pawnbrokers to catfish-wranglers. That these "authentic" people have opinions and values that don't always jibe with those of the media elite in New York and Los Angeles isn't necessarily surprising.
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But it means that the executives and PR handlers have had to get very good at backpedaling away from uncomfortable realities. That's most likely what is happening now on "Duck Dynasty."
"A&E has been very careful in editing and presenting this family, being careful not to show any potential controversial views," said Robert J. Thompson, professor of television and popular culture at Syracuse University. "But they can't control what they say outside of the show."
"Channels like A&E program 'regular' people mostly to make curiosities out of them," said Jeffrey McCall, a media studies professor at DePauw University. "The programmers want to manage every aspect of their 'reality' commodities, but that isn't really possible.
"If A&E wants the Robertsons to make money for the channel by being authentic, then at some point A&E has to accept that reality stars will be real human beings," McCall added. "If A&E didn't like the Robertsons as they are, then why did they give them a weekly platform?"
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
It’s actually a really funny show with a good Christian moral to each episode wrapped up with the family prayer at dinner time at the end.
You have not been paying attention… it is not about the show. A person spoke about his faith and was asked specifically about sin and homosexuality. Phil answered in a biblical manner and essentially was fired for speaking his faith. YOU and everyone else should be outraged at this. The ‘truth’ patrol will be knocking on your door next saying you said something to someone that was offensive. This is a threat to anyone who wishes to be able to speak openly. This country is a very short distance from out lawing biblical teaching and the Bible. YOU and everyone else should care about this
I’ll bet many of those “outraged” tv execs don’t care one way or the other about Robertson’s statements. I get the feeling that Robertson was set up. These libs had to know what he and his clan thought about homosexuality. They couldn’t have been that dumb even if they are libs. Probably some homo(s) with power at A&E decided to force the issue and take the network down the tubes with him rather than tolerate Christians on his network.
A&E started Duck Dynasty as a way to poke fun at their lifestyle. Mockery. Now they have an unexpected hit on their hands and the stars of the show use their success to speak out on Christianity.
Liberal A&E would rather lose the ratings than allow conservative viewpoints to be expressed. While this is not a first ammendment issue, it is certainly an illustration of the lengths that the entertainment industry will go to silence Christians.
You have to wonder how much the producers of “American Chopper” had to do with the explosion of the Tuttle family. It seemed to me like a lot of the controversy that you’d see during a typical episode was amped-up to say the least.
Or a very short distance from unleashing hell on the communist sex perverts trying to subjugate us.
This is where we draw the line, time to tell the faggots to get back in the closet and leave decent folk alone
Boy, can the NY Daily News take insult to a HIGH level.
DD’s not my cup of tea either.
But as a cultural phenomenon that represents pushback by “the people” and something that others enjoy, I’m for it.
The ONLY show?
I watch the old stuff, Frasier, and such. The old shows are great and your kids would love them. You don't have to tell them that they are old shows if they are very young. Just let them enjoy.
As for the liberal brainwashing agendas, that's par for the course since the most liberal Dems are the network moguls. I would think they would be a great teaching tool for you.
Yes, seriously. I don’t find the two guys funny AT ALL...seriously.
Yep, I’d say he’s pegged it just about perfectly.
TV Land... dissenting opinions are not allowed
Agreed on the second paragraph.
Hollyweird detests Christianity because it decries their lifestyle, the nudity, profanity, blasphemy, immorality, greed, and such. That is what Christianity is SUPPOSED to do, among other things.
i don’t care about Duck Dynasty; never watched it and rarely watch TV, but the hypocrisy should outrage everyone and I, for one, am glad its getting this kind of coverage...
think of it like this; the same whiney liberals who are screaming about this guys views on homosexuality think NOTHING of referring to you or i as “tea baggers”....
You have a point.
“My favorite shows, since I can’t give you just one: ...”
Well there you go...you do have any comedies listed except O’Reilly. That’s why you don’t get it.
If you’re a person with a family you will enjoy this show. Yes, for the most part it’s fake, but they make fun of themselves and if you’ll take your time to get to know the characters, you’ll love them.
They have marathons of this show all the time. I’ll challenge any one with a sense of humor to sit down and watch 3 episodes. If you do, you’ll be hooked.
I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so hard at a television show more than when Willie Robinson took a Yoga class while trying to lose weight. Too freakin funny.
Clearly, you don’t. Why would anyone bother to answer your question? Why do you even ask it? Does it make you feel superior?
I watched a couple of episodes. It’s not really my cup of tea, although I do like the various Storage Wars shows on A&E. But the big picture here is the precedent set. If professing a Biblical point of view is unacceptable in one major corporation, especially a media corporation, it will over time become the norm in corporate culture in general. If expressing such a view risks future career opportunities, it will have, to use a phrase the liberal media loves, a “chilling effect” on freedom of religion and speech. So although I’m neither a fan of the show nor a Christian, I think it’s important.
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