"It is like every vile southern stereotype rolled up into one."

[Jesus Malverde]

These guys are fake fake fake. I'm guessing even their bigotry is a story line...

We're being played...

Before meeting the Hollywood producers..


After meeting the Hollywood producers..


Willie Robertson (The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (1992)) is married to Korie Robertson who has credits for Fox and Friends (1998) and the The O'Reilly Factor (1996). The family has a long history in the media business.

"Racist dad" was a star quarterback at Louisiana Tech University. Teammate was Terry Bradshaw.

The show—a reality sitcom showcasing the semiscripted high jinks of Phil, his brother “Uncle Si,” his four sons, Alan, Willie, Jase, and Jep, and the perpetually exasperated but always perfectly accessorized Robertson-family ladies—has become the biggest reality-TV hit in the history of cable television, reportedly earning the family a holy shit–worthy $200,000-an-episode paycheck. It’s a funny, family-friendly show, with “skits that we come up with,” as Phil describes the writing process. They plunder beehives. They blow up beaver dams. And when the Robertson-family ladies go up to a rooftop in a hydraulic lift, you just know that lift will “accidentally” get stuck and strand them.

It’s easy to see the appeal. The Robertsons are immensely likable. They’re funny. They look cool. They’re “smarter than they look,” says sportswriter Mark Schlabach, who co-writes the family’s books.

their faith or one another has been a staple of every media article about the Robertson family. It’s their elevator pitch, and it has made them into ideal Christian icons:

Not only are the Robertsons among the most famous people in the country, they also happen to be among the most recognizable. You can spot them from a mile away with those beards. Imagine Johnny Depp walking around every day in his Jack Sparrow costume and you begin to get an idea

“Let’s face it,” he says. “Three, four, five years, we’re out of here. You know what I’m saying? It’s a TV show. This thing ain’t gonna last forever. No way.”

Read More http://www.gq.com/entertainment/television/201401/duck-dynasty-phil-robertson

This whole outrage is contrived and plays to their base. The republicans showed us long ago that bigotry sells. This is the show business version of it. Coming soon the story of the Robertson family redemption. It will be as hilarious as sending a "redneck" to a yoga class...

Now if willie was the popped collar DB from the first picture would anyone
A be surprised he's doing yoga
B think it was funny,
C appeal to any base
D watch it.

Put into context we see how fake and contrived this whole storyline is...

Note: I've never watched the show..

[SomethingFishy]

1. As with all "reality TV"... Here's another pic of the brothers:

[Jesus Malverde]

7. Thanks!

[niyad]

2. well, I, for one, would not recognize them. heck, until a couple of weeks ago, had never even heard

of something called "duck dynasty" (and when I did, kept looking for donald, huey, dewie and louie). as for the beards--at least a couple dozen guys I know sport long beards (including some of the natural santas here in town).

may they retire to the obscurity they merit.

[RandiFan1290]

3. Yep, phony baloney just like Dan Whitney

AkA Larry the Cable Guy

[riqster]

6. To be fair, he at least admits that LTCG is a character.

[RandiFan1290]

8. This is true

but his fans still refuse to believe it

[riqster]

9. THAT is some scary stupid. Really?

[RagAss]

14. So true...as is Andrew Dice Clay.

Seems like very few get the concept of performance art.

[YoungDemCA]

16. Or this rich preppie Ivy League asshole....

..who happened to have a cowboy hat and a fake Texan accent.

[Jesus Malverde]

18. ^^^^^This^^^^^

[jsr]

52. +1

[nomorenomore08]

35. He's a guy from Nebraska who fakes a Southern accent.

Can't be much more of a panderer than that.

[hfojvt]

47. actually when I went to school in Lincoln

I noticed a number of people with a southern-sounding twang. Being from South Dakota and Wisconsin, I was like "dang, I seem to be in the South".

And that was in the urban Lincoln. Go out to Kearney or down to Beatrice and it is probably more so.

But don't notice southern accents in Kansas.

[Blue_Tires]

4. LOLz

"Not only are the Robertsons among the most famous people in the country, they also happen to be among the most recognizable. You can spot them from a mile away with those beards. Imagine Johnny Depp walking around every day in his Jack Sparrow costume and you begin to get an idea"

Of course I'm from a generation who sees those beards and instantly thinks "Pro wrestler from the 1980s" or "ZZ Top"

[riqster]

10. And I think "Grizzly Adams" or

Oak Ridge Boys,

[Jesus Malverde]

11. UNIX Programmer..

Last edited Thu Dec 19, 2013, 03:45 PM - Edit history (1)

GNU forver!

[life long demo]

5. Never saw the show, never will see the show

I personally don't view it as a family friendly show.

[dionysus]

12. i had the misfortune to be bored enough to catch part of one show when i was sick one day.

They were having some big anniversary party for the company, and made this massive duck call out of a log. they didn't have time to test it and the whole contrived drama was whether or not they could get the duck call to work by using a leaf blower.

after much drama, they were able to get to the duck call to make some not very loud, warbling fart type noise, and everyone was like YAY!!!!!!

it was one of the most contrived things I have ever seen...

[msongs]

13. no wonder they are the perfect people to be pitching myth and superstition as reality lol nt

[Jesus Malverde]

19. It is perfect, a product created to serve an audience.

This isn't a case of an audience finding an authentic product.

A good parallel is rapper Rick Ross. He's a former corrections officer who stole the name of a famous drug dealer. His persona and message promote the worst stereo-types.

[Pretzel_Warrior]

15. thank you for putting this analysis together. As Jim Gaffigan would say, "It's all McDonalds"

especially starting at 5:45

[Jesus Malverde]

37. That was funny and on target

Thanks!



I've never seen him before, he's good.

[Initech]

17. For a second there I thought this was about Tyler Perry's latest Madea crapfest.

Both that and Duck Dynasty are equally obnoxious.

[Jesus Malverde]

20. GOP Politicians Defend ‘Duck Dynasty’ Star’s Right to Anti-Gay Comments

The A&E network’s suspension of “Duck Dynasty” star Phil Robertson has prompted an outcry from Republican politicians, including Sarah Palin and Sen. Ted Cruz.

“Free speech is an endangered species. Those ‘intolerants’ hatin’ and taking on the Duck Dynasty patriarch for voicing his personal opinion are taking on all of us,” former Alaskan governor Palin wrote on Facebook Wednesday night in a post featuring a photo of her with the cast of “Duck Dynasty.”

Not to be outdone, Cruz, R-Texas, wrote on his Facebook page, “The reason that so many Americans love Duck Dynasty is because it represents the America usually ignored or mocked by liberal elites: a family that loves and cares for each other, believes in God, and speaks openly about their faith.

“If you believe in free speech or religious liberty, you should be deeply dismayed over the treatment of Phil Robertson. Phil expressed his personal views and his own religious faith; for that, he was suspended from his job. In a free society, anyone is free to disagree with him – but the mainstream media should not behave as the thought police censoring the views with which they disagree.”

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2013/12/gop-politicians-defend-duck-dynasty-stars-right-to-anti-gay-comments/

Enter stage right ms. palin and mr. cruz. The drama plays on...



We need some counter drama... who will stick their neck out and condemn this bigotry???...so controversial.

[NightWatcher]

21. all these schmucks running to their defense are being played as the fools they are

They are being "Larry the cable guy'd"

[stage left]

22. I disagree.

I'm guessing their bigotry is the real thing.

[Filmmaker78]

23. NOT TRUE

The Duck Dynasty Robertson family has had the beards for ages. I was a producer at the Outdoor Channel when the Duck Dynasty guys started out. This was a few years before they went to A&E, and the show at the time was called Duck Commander. Here is a video from that series from 2009. You'll note the beards are present.

They've had the beards for a long time. That was not invented by "Hollywood producers" at A&E.

That series ran for 2-3 seasons on Outdoor Channel before they moved to A&E and renamed the show Duck Dynasty. Prior to being on the Outdoor Channel, they produced duck hunting DVDs that were very popular with hunters. Here is one of their DVDs, which is from 2008. You'll note again that from the cover art they looked the same then as they do now:

http://duckcommander.com/store/dvds-and-cds/a-fistful-of-ducks-a-hunting-dvd

Just because they had a clean cut phase at one point in their lives, doesn't mean their look now was invented by Hollywood.

As for the fakeness of the show - it is definitely what we in the industry call "soft-scripted," which is what most reality shows are. However, I know the family, they are real, and the show is how they really are. And Phil is a real life preacher and I have not doubt that he believes 100% in the things that he told GQ. I personally don't agree with what he said, but outside of Phil's misguided religious beliefs, I always knew the Robertsons to be good people.

[TBF]

24. Did you get one of Jep's holiday cards too?

Uh, welcome to DU. I think.

[Jesus Malverde]

26. Amazing..nt

[MattBaggins]

33. Is that one of the stars

[Jesus Malverde]

25. The Hollywood producers at the Outdoor Channel?

How do you explain the transition between college golfing preppy jocks to backwoods camo wearing hillbillies.

It seems obvious they established a brand and are playing a role.

This is just reminds me of ricky ross.

[Filmmaker78]

27. How do I explain it?

Well, I don't erroneously blame it on shadowy "Hollywood producers." For starters, the Outdoor Channel is a small independently run network with about 1/3rd the reach of A&E and about 1/10th the programming budgets. They were just recently sold to a company based in Denver, but when the Robertsons were on the air the entire programming budget for ALL of Outdoor Channel's original shows was equal to, or less than, what A&E spends on Duck Dynasty ALONE. The producer who helped the Robertsons make their first TV show for the Outdoor Channel was a guy at the Benelli gun company - not at all a Hollywood producer. And as I proved here already, they had already started sporting the beards and camo prior to that.

And they are legit hunters, regardless of how they once did their hair and dressed. Their family business really is a duck call manufacturing company. They became known for putting out duck hunting videos that were loved by their fellow hunters. None of that is fake.

As for why they changed their look, I don't know why. How many people look the same in middle age as they looked as high schoolers? People reinvent themselves all the time. Phil loves to tell the story about how he was drinking and sleeping around and out of control before finally cleaning up his act and finding religion. Maybe they did go ZZ Top to give their homemade duck hunting DVDs a little edge or an identity. Maybe that's how they preferred to look all along, but had a clean cut look earlier while trying to make their family duck call business a success. I don't know. But the fact is it had nothing to do with producers at A&E or anywhere else trying to manufacture a fake redneck family. I have worked with the Robertsons and they are who they appear to be in that show.

And again, I don't agree with anything that Phil said, and I wish he would get to know some gay couples and families before making remarks like that again.

[Jesus Malverde]

28. Interesting... and welcome to DU.

I don't watch the show and am suspicious of people who reinvent personas especially when they are cultural representations...

The background you provide is interesting. Thanks!

[Filmmaker78]

29. Happy to help!

I have no issue with A&E suspending Phil, and I support gay rights and disagree strongly with what he said. But when it's a subject that I have special access to, I like to make sure the facts are kept straight.

Happy to answer any other questions about the subject. The Robertsons really are good, salt-of-the-earth types. I've seen them help out people who they credit with getting them to where they are today, when they didn't have to. Unfortunately, when it comes to social politics, they are also a product of growing up in the deep south.

[Boom Sound 416]

36. Welcome to DU

From the Industry.

"Hollywood Producers"

[Jesus Malverde]

30. Do you know what Willie Robertson was The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (1992)?

Curious what his early fame was.

[Filmmaker78]

31. Per IMDb

Per IMDb, Willie was on The Tonight Show in 2012. Sometimes when a show title is mentioned on a site like IMDb, there is a (date) next to the title that is actually a reference to when the show first started. "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" started in 1992, so that's probably where that date came from.

I do know that "Hollywood" was becoming aware of the Robertsons back when they were on the Outdoor Channel because I heard that a couple of the kids auditioned to be on The Amazing Race, and when they didn't quite make the final cut, they were told by the TV execs that if Phil Robertson, their dad/grandpa, ever wanted to be on the show, he wouldn't even have to audition. So they were appearing on the radar with entertainment folks even then.

However, before starting with the Outdoor Channel, the Robertsons were initially hesitant to have a show on TV because they were afraid it might eat into their DVD sales. So they weren't gunning to be TV stars from the beginning.

[Jesus Malverde]

34. Thanks for clarifying the date part. It was confusing.

[MattBaggins]

32. Wow Damage control is out in force for this guy

[Filmmaker78]

38. If that was directed at me...

...I'm not doing damage control for anybody. I've said twice here that I disagree strongly with what Phil Robertson said. I've been to DU before but never posted. I found this thread linked off of another site and decided to share what I know, having worked with this family before they were world famous.

[Kurovski]

39. Welcome to DU, 78.

[Jesus Malverde]

40. Where was it linked?

Thanks!

[HangOnKids]

55. Yes let us see the link

This is fucking hilarious.

[icymist]

45. There are no good people that claim other religions murder because "there's no Jesus".

There are no good people who are antisemitic. There are no good people who claim that the blacks were "happy and godly" before this nonsense of having civil rights was enacted. No. These are very hateful and hurtful people.

[El_Johns]

46. Yeah, they had their beards ever since they started being on TV in their "backwoods" persona.

Phil Robertson has a Master's degree. Si Robertson dropped out of college & went career military. Retired from the army in the 90s.

In high school & college, they both looked exactly like my cousins of the same age did; my cousins also played football & hunted, & they also became businessmen. If you grew up in the 50s & early 60s & lived in a rural area, hunting was the norm, not some strange thing. Big deal.

?w=298&h=409



The beards are fake, the personas are fake & the show is fake. The beards & the folksy personas are schtick.

[Jesus Malverde]

48. Thanks for that picture!

I knew he was football star. I did not know he had a masters! wow!

[El_Johns]

49. I added this picture of uncle Si in his army uniform. Career military, retired in '93.

A little research on that would be interesting, I think.

[Jesus Malverde]

41. More great background...

[Jesus Malverde]

42. Duck Dynasty BIGGEST PROOF on how the show is FAKE

[Agschmid]

43. That video was a bit ridiculous...

OMG they didn't have beards! OMG one had frosted tips!

I also had frosted tips at one point in my life... I now am bald so (no tips)... am I a fake?

I don't like the show, and all reality TV is soft scripted.

[El_Johns]

50. Did you shave your head so you could be on a reality show trying to sell people that you were

a biker dude?

No?

[Agschmid]

51. No ones offered yet...

If you've got an offer let me know.

[El_Johns]

53. Point is, the beards came when they started making videos & TV. Because someone thought it

was a more marketable image than the way they looked in their real lives.

How many backwoods types do you know that play golf?

Here's the eldest brother, who's not on the show -- he's a minister:

[Agschmid]

54. I don't see how...

Having or not having beards makes them fake?

And actually in my personal experiences in life I know a few people who hunt, have beards, and enjoy golf.

[El_Johns]

56. Do they also pretend to be backwoods hicks while having Masters degrees?

[Agschmid]

57. Well yah...

He lives in VT hunts deer built his own house drives a truck everyday, for off roaring... Etc.

But makes more than 2x my salary, loves golf and has a masters in a business related field.

Go figure... I mean it is only one example but I don't think you could argue that those two are mutually exclusive.

[El_Johns]

58. I think you understand what I'm saying, so no sense continuing this foolery.

[Tom Ripley]

44. I've always called it The Cracker Minstrel Show