Lessons From ‘Duck Dynasty’?

One of the problems with, and opportunities of, social media is how easily one’s newsfeed or Twitter stream can be overwhelmed by commentaries about the latest fleeting, but popular, tempest.

Until last week, if you had asked me who Phil Robertson was, I’d have looked like a duck caught in headlights.

Today, thanks to all those comments on social media, I know he’s the racist, bigoted, heartless, ignorant bearded man millions of Americans have grown to love.

For those who don’t know him, he’s the patriarch of the camouflage-wearing, fowl-calling family on A&E network’s “Duck Dynasty.” It’s the high-flying, top-of-the-ratings production among the gaggle of “reality” shows cable television networks have discovered as a lucrative business.

But Phil Robertson’s recent comments in a national magazine didn’t camouflage anything, and raised the question of how much reality is too much for the makers of the show.

A&E put him on indefinite suspension for harsh comments about gay people and rather naive (or worse) comments about black people being happy toiling in the fields before the era of the civil rights battles.

Plenty of folks are outraged about the comments. I’ll leave that to them. I’m more interested in the reaction to the entire flap within the world that created Robertson’s stardom.

What have these networks done? They’ve gone out into “middle America” and found some of the most oddly fascinating families or circumstances on the planet and turned them into television programs.

Like P.T. Barnum, they’re capitalizing on these oddities and viewers are watching because these characters are unusual.

These nonconformists are on television specifically because they’re different, almost bizarre.

Take our own local celebrities, the Duggar family. Their conservatism and fertile productivity in the children department made them a perfect subject for TLC’s “19 Kids and Counting.” But are they mainstream America? Are they interesting because they’re just like everyone else or because they’re way, way different from most people? The Duggars are to the right of a lot of Arkansans, and many of the entertainment world elite think Arkansas - with its constitutional definition of marriage as one man and one woman - is as backward as a state can be.

Let’s agree that Robertson’s comments were hurtful to gay people.

But can these television networks really be surprised when such eccentric folks say or do something crazy?

If you hire Ozzy Osbourne to host a Christmas special, can you really be appalled when he sings “Look into my eyes, you will see who I am; my name is Lucifer, please take my hand.” Talk about warm holiday greetings.

Can anyone anywhere react with astonishment when Miley Cyrus does, well, anything?

Gay rights advocates were appalled at Robertson’s comments, as they have every right to be.

Conservatives decried A&E’s response and other outcry as an infringement on Robertson’s rights (they’re not) and persecution for his religious beliefs. Since when is being booted from a reality TV show considered persecution? Being forced to watch some reality shows, perhaps, but not being placed on “indefinite hiatus” from starring in one.

This debate isn’t new.

Is anyone really shocked there are people who believe homosexuality is a sin? Let’s not pretend there aren’t major churchdenominations that clearly take such a stance.

Is it surprising that others believe “love is love” between any consenting adults? It is one of the major public policy issues of our day and so far 17 states - the latest New Mexico - agree to the point they allow same-sex couples to wed.

Does anyone need Phil Robertson to serve as a lightning rod for the discussion, and will the overheated debate change anyone’s minds?

People’s stances on homosexuality are going to evolve over time. As with questions of faith, people won’t be beaten into submission in an emotion-filled back-and-forth prompted by comments from a man whose 15 minutes of fame will come and go. No one is going to suddenly be “for” or “against” homosexuality, as if that affects its existence, based on what Phil Robertson or Neil Patrick Harris says.

As for the Christians who got caught up in Robertson’s situation as some sort of faith issue, they and non-Christians alike need to realize one thing: Phil Robertson is not Jesus. Whatever example Robertson sets is that of a flawed human in need of God’s grace.

And we all fit into that category.

GREG HARTON IS OPINION PAGE EDITOR FOR NWA MEDIA.