From my perspective, the real question is, “are you really so blind?” There are so many American people up in arms, outraged even, at what a “reality television personality” said publicly to seemingly ruffle some feathers in the fragile collective “American psyche”. Phil Robertson, of A&E’s Duck Dynasty fame, didn’t use his show as a forum to spit racist, hateful rhetoric. He did this elsewhere. No one, other than the handful of people present, heard him. GQ magazine printed his words and media execs ran with the idea of building a fire with it. Knowing very well that everything anyone has ever said in the last 40 or so years is apparently recorded somewhere, and subject to public scrutiny. Media “geniuses” saw this as an opportunity to create “controversy.” By stirring the pot, they have created an amount of interest in this program (and the network), that would have taken tens of millions of dollars in marketing to achieve.
I recently read an article on breitbart.com that highlighted the fact that A&E knew about the GQ statements the very day of the interview because the network sent a publicist with Robertson to the interview. I may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer, but it certainly appears to me as though A&E orchestrated the whole controversy. Isn’t that the capitalist system: “Win at ANY cost?” Knowing this, “Why the long face?” This ensuing controversy is contrived and ridiculous.
“It seems like, to me, a vagina — as a man — would be more desirable than a man’s anus; that’s just me, I mean, come on, dudes! … It’s just not logical.” Robertson said to GQ magazine. Whatever else he may have spewed (and don’t claim to have heard/read it all-I can only take so much before I feel like vomiting), this statement is NOT homophobic. Yes, he sounds degrading and appears to be mocking gays. But hell, most men I know think in these terms. The notion of being sexually attracted to a man is foreign and I just don’t understand it. At the same time, I could care less who is attracted to whom! I live and let live and no one has the right to determine for others whom they should love or be attracted to. Most people do have a filter between their brains and their mouths. Apparently, Mr. Robertson doesn’t. Apparently, GQ and A&E have not filters when it comes to making money, as well.
On a bigger scale, this controversy is an opportunity for people to realize just how far American society has degraded. The American capitalist system has gone totally rogue: corporations run the government and use their influence to turn elected officials into “plantation overseers.” The vast majority of the population is either poor or one paycheck away from it: we live in a nation where 1% of the people own 42% of the nation’s wealth and the top fifth controls 84%, while the bottom fifth owns 0.1%. Obviously, this points to a continuously shrinking middle class and the disintegration of the “American Dream.” Yet, people are more concerned about “political correctness,” and “gift-giving this holiday season.” Organizations like the Jewish “Anti Defamation League”, and others, constantly monitor the news wires looking (to create) an opportunity to jump on something someone has said that may be either misconstrued or blown out of proportion, in order to further their agenda. Their aim is to divert attention from the real issues, such as right-wing legislation that takes more money from working people (or takes away more rights), or their decision to crash another wedding party with a drone strike, or invade another brown/black country looking to steal natural resources for “terrorists.”
So, please count me out of the “moral majority’s outrage” at the bigotry of Mr. Robertson. What, you thought that because he has money and a television program, he would be “enlightened”? It, HE, is irrelevant in my life and in the grand scheme of things and people should be able to recognize this whole thing for what it is: a money-grab.
eldiaz158 