American audience duped by Duck Dynasty hoax
Michelle Chance
The Duck Dynasty family is loved for their traditional American values, beliefs, and of course for their quirky family dynamics.
I mean, who doesn’t love a redneck version of Keeping up with the Kardashians?
Recently however, the dynasty has endured a firestorm of backlash as well as support after the patriarch of the family, Phil Robertson made comments during an interview with GQ magazine about gay people, the Bible, and other opinions that typical rich, southern, conservative, white men make about things that frighten them.
The weeks that followed the “scandal” were absolutely unbearable on social media.
Melodramatic arguments were popping up on Facebook feeds across the nation, and for what?
Perhaps both sides of the argument were valid, whichever side they were on, but the fact of the matter is that this controversy was manufactured by the suits at A&E to publicize their meal ticket show.
Think about it.
It just so happened that this entire production was being played out during the holiday season.
Supporters of the millionaire family rushed to their local Wal-Marts and wiped the shelves clean of Duck Dynasty
merchandise in honor and support of the unfair suspension of their fellow camo-draped comrade.
How convenient.
Then, but a week after his suspension, Robertson was given the green light to join the rest of the cast in filming again.
This fraudulent scheme successfully blinded America into becoming fans of the show, love them or hate them.
It undoubtedly skyrocketed sales of their merchandise, and most importantly it made not only the show, but the Robertson family name a household topic.
I would like to believe that our society is not so tirelessly gullible to these repeated PR stunts, but it clearly is not.
The danger with being distracted by entertainment and celebrity gossip is that we ignore the true scandals and offenses that are being made by our local governments, communities, and schools.
We the People, have the power to be informed and change the course of legislature that might limit our civil liberties and voice.
However, if we continue to be distracted and consumed by fake reality TV shows, and choose to ignore our true realities, we will surely and eventually lose the very freedoms being argued about in defense of the actors on Duck Dynasty.
I hope our society wakes up, and begins using our voice for the greater good, rather than for what is financially beneficial for corporations like A&E and millionaire family actors like the Robertsons
