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Commentary: The Duck Dynasty Double Standard
Black Entertainment Television ^ | January 2, 2014 | Jonathan P. Hicks

Posted on 01/02/2014 11:27:22 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet

Phil Robertson is a chilling example of how certain figures are celebrated for their offensive comments.

When Sarah Palin tastelessly invoked slavery into a critique of the federal debt, MSNBC commentator Martin Bashir suggested that the failed vice presidential candidate would do well to experience some of the more barbaric aspects of pre-Civil War servitude, referencing an especially revolting practice.

The remarks created a stir and Bashir, a British journalist of Pakistani background, apologized for them. But before long, the veteran journalist was suspended by the network and he resigned.

Just days later, another controversy brewed, this time involving Phil Robertson, the star of the reality show Duck Dynasty. In an interview, Robertson expressed his revulsion to gay sex, likening it to bestiality. Not content to stop at offending one segment of the population, he went on to say that African-Americans were far happier in the days of segregation, a period when he insists “no one was singing the blues.”

There was no apology from Robertson for offending anyone. Instead, there was a rush from a wide range of right-wing commentators and politicians to defend his right to speak out. While A&E suspended the program and certain stores decided not to sell Duck Dynasty products, the backlash from the right caused all those parties to reverse their sanctions. Now Robertson has been vindicated by the right and he undoubtedly feels free to continue to make more outrageous statements.

Not only was there no apology from Robertson, but there was the further revelation from him that he believes the best age for women to marry is 15 or 16. That controversial position should renew the discussion of whether this is an appropriate character for A&E to feature on one of its programs.

If nothing else, it points to a troubling double standard in this country, one that has been highlighted to breathtaking degrees in this age of Obama.

It is difficult to imagine an African-American figure making disparaging or insulting comments about any particular group without being tarred and feathered by the conservative forces in America. It is patently unthinkable that any Black reality show star would have the same good fortune as Robertson after making statements half as controversial.

History is filled with the high price African-Americans have paid for comments deemed offensive by the larger society. Some have seen their political fortunes fade and their influence diminished.

The significant issue is not Robertson’s right to make senseless comments, as many on the right contend. The issue is that Americans have a right to make decisions about who they patronize and support based on the free speech practiced by citizens. To that end, Robertson and his supporters would do well to focus on the need to shun and condemn offensive comments toward their fellow Americans.

The Author


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: duckdynasty; homosexualagenda; palin; philrobertson
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

Mr. Hicks article is bigoted and offensive.


21 posted on 01/03/2014 4:44:14 AM PST by Rebelbase (Tagline: optional, printed after your name on post)
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To: jocon307

It certainly isn’t!


22 posted on 01/03/2014 5:08:46 AM PST by LibLieSlayer (FROM MY COLD, DEAD HANDS! BETTER DEAD THAN RED!)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
Where on my cable menu is 'White Entertainment Television'? I can't seem to find it.

BET is trash.

23 posted on 01/03/2014 5:10:55 AM PST by ExCTCitizen (2014 the year of dead RINOs)
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To: driftless2

He has no self respect. He earns a living whining about how unfair it all is. He is the intellectual equivalent of an organ grinders monkey.


24 posted on 01/03/2014 5:20:54 AM PST by Jimmy Valentine (DemocRATS - when they speak, they lie; when they are silent, they are stealing the American Dream)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
Typical whine from the Ly’in Left. He twists facts that are individually somewhat true, into a scenario that is a bald faced lie. To accurately dispute this lie would take a dozen paragraphs of boring detail. Thus the lie stands, but only with those prone to believing it. Unfortunately, there are enough prone to believing it, particularly in the media, that it is rarely disputed.
25 posted on 01/03/2014 5:24:48 AM PST by norwaypinesavage (Galileo: In science, the authority of a thousand is not worth the humble reasoning of one individual)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
I didn't realize that the use of the word "slavery" was restricted, and any usage is automatically linked to the slavery of blacks.

Moreover, these liberals apparently don't have the intelligence to understand economic slavery.

26 posted on 01/03/2014 6:08:49 AM PST by Moorings
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To: 2ndDivisionVet
When Sarah Palin tastelessly invoked slavery into a critique of the federal debt...

It's only slavery and tasteless if you're the one doing the work while someone else enjoys the fruits of your labor, bozo! That's the way a lot of working Americans feel about excessive taxes, and not surprisingly, a lot of non-working parasites think it's a great deal.

The racism comes in with the statistics. In pre-Civil War US, not all blacks were slaves, but all slaves were black. In the US, not all welfare recipients are black, but a lot of them are. The author is using what I call pre-emptive guilt by association to talk up his book.

27 posted on 01/03/2014 6:40:17 AM PST by Pearls Before Swine
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To: Moorings
I didn't realize that the use of the word "slavery" was restricted, and any usage is automatically linked to the slavery of blacks.

Slaves don't want to be free; they want to be masters.

28 posted on 01/03/2014 7:05:32 AM PST by VRW Conspirator ( 2+2 = V)
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To: LibLieSlayer

And with a pajama-boy elitist smirk. . .


29 posted on 01/03/2014 9:57:27 AM PST by Hulka
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To: Hulka

He drank the chocolate!


30 posted on 01/03/2014 10:00:31 AM PST by LibLieSlayer (FROM MY COLD, DEAD HANDS! BETTER DEAD THAN RED!)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

These clowns are really trying to milk this for all it’s worth...attacking from any angle imaginable and I find the piling on completely despicable.

In addition, I wouldn’t consider the “author” of this piece a “fellow American” by any stretch of the imagination...his screed clearly demonstrates he has a complete lack of comprehension and he has elected to engage in mislabeling and borderling slander by misrepresenting what Mr. Roberson really said.

PR: “Were they happy? They were godly; they were happy; no one was singing the blues.”

He is saying that SINCE they were “godly people”, they were happy.

I stand with Phil on this, he’s a godly man who is doing his level best to educate the millions of morons running loose in this country as to what TRUE happiness is and through whom it comes. Jesus Christ.


31 posted on 01/03/2014 10:16:41 AM PST by SZonian (Throwing our allegiances to political parties in the long run gave away our liberty.)
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