Phil Robertson "Fired"

[Teheheman]

My personal take on this? I don't care. He was asked a question about his beliefs and what he felt and he gave an answer. Just like the Chik-Fil-A thing, they were asked about it, they gave an honest answer. People wanna compare this to the Dixie Chicks, and the reason that this is more free speech than they had was mostly, in my personal opinion, was the fact that they were out of the country when they said it(Also, you kind of have to know your audience before you say stuff about a president popular with the people buttering your bread you know? But, the thing that bothered me more than that is they said it in England and not here). I actually read the article and it didn't seem that the interview was stuck on stuff like that or the race thing(Which I heard Jesse Jackson called him "More offensive than Rosa Parks' bus driver"). It DID seem like he was asked about sin, and asked about all this and was giving an honest answer. It's not like they asked him "Hey, what's your favorite Ice cream?" and he said "THE GAYS ARE RUINING THE COUNTRY". But, I do gotta give him credit. He HAS turned his life around from drugs and booze to religion and if religion is keeping him on the straight and narrow, and not letting him go back to the way he was before, then more power to him.

Daniel

 

[jvcarroll]

My personal take on this? I don't care. He was asked a question about his beliefs and what he felt and he gave an answer. Just like the Chik-Fil-A thing, they were asked about it, they gave an honest answer. People wanna compare this to the Dixie Chicks, and the reason that this is more free speech than they had was mostly, in my personal opinion, was the fact that they were out of the country when they said it(Also, you kind of have to know your audience before you say stuff about a president popular with the people buttering your bread you know? But, the thing that bothered me more than that is they said it in England and not here). I actually read the article and it didn't seem that the interview was stuck on stuff like that or the race thing(Which I heard Jesse Jackson called him "More offensive than Rosa Parks' bus driver"). It DID seem like he was asked about sin, and asked about all this and was giving an honest answer. It's not like they asked him "Hey, what's your favorite Ice cream?" and he said "THE GAYS ARE RUINING THE COUNTRY". But, I do gotta give him credit. He HAS turned his life around from drugs and booze to religion and if religion is keeping him on the straight and narrow, and not letting him go back to the way he was before, then more power to him.

Daniel

Meh. He could have said what he believed without mocking gay relationships (which he DID), comparing gays to bestiality and terrorists (which he DID) and the giving voice to notion that the Jim Crow days weren't as dire as reported because he didn't see any African Americans complaining is indefensible. The fact that people are celebrating him shows more about the bigotry of Americans than the prejudice of Mr. Robertson himself. But yeah, he's pretty much a useless person that found his way into the news.

 

[D'Snowth]

I'm sorry, but again, reading the comments myself, I don't see that he compared being gay to bestiality or terrorism, I think that's something the media blew out of proportion (which they love to do anyway). He was asked what he felt were sins, and he listed off what he considers sin: he started with homosexuality, then he followed that with bestiality, sleeping around, among other things, that's all he did was list off what he views as sins, somehow, the fact that he mentioned bestiality after homosexuality seems to indicate that he's comparing the two... I honestly don't think he was. It's almost like Kermit saying the show needs more frogs, dogs, bears, chickens, and whatever... is he somehow comparing frogs to dogs, or vice-versa, simply because he mentioned dogs after frogs?

Maybe I'm just not getting too deep into this like other people, but again, actually reading the comments, and ignoring the media hype surrounding it, all I see is that he mentions that he believes homosexuality is a sin, then adds that he also thinks bestiality, sleeping around, and other such acts are sins as well, but I don't see any kind of comparison to one or another, just listing things off.

I can still agree though that no matter what, his later comments about African-Americans was just plain wrong and inappropriate.

 

[jvcarroll]

I'm sorry, but again, reading the comments myself, I don't see that he compared being gay to bestiality or terrorism, I think that's something the media blew out of proportion (which they love to do anyway). He was asked what he felt were sins, and he listed off what he considers sin: he started with homosexuality, then he followed that with bestiality, sleeping around, among other things, that's all he did was list off what he views as sins, somehow, the fact that he mentioned bestiality after homosexuality seems to indicate that he's comparing the two... I honestly don't think he was. It's almost like Kermit saying the show needs more frogs, dogs, bears, chickens, and whatever... is he somehow comparing frogs to dogs, or vice-versa, simply because he mentioned dogs after frogs?

Maybe I'm just not getting too deep into this like other people, but again, actually reading the comments, and ignoring the media hype surrounding it, all I see is that he mentions that he believes homosexuality is a sin, then adds that he also thinks bestiality, sleeping around, and other such acts are sins as well, but I don't see any kind of comparison to one or another, just listing things off.

I can still agree though that no matter what, his later comments about African-Americans was just plain wrong and inappropriate.

Those are some mighty rose-colored glasses! He directly lumped gay people in with those who are promiscuous and also insultingly lumped gay people in with terrorists, murderers and those who commit bestiality. He also went on to mock what he viewed as the definition of gay sex. He was pretty awful. There's no way around it, unless of course, you have a pair of rose colored glasses.

 

[dwayne1115]

To be fair that's what the Bible verse says.....but the context of the verses where not to the lost and dying world out there. It was to a young preacher, to show him what was bad in the world, and how to be good. A person that invites Jesus into there life Will start dealing with the conviction of the Holy Spirit. If a person be gay, and the Lord convicts them of that, then it will be between then and God.

 

[Drtooth]

But, I do gotta give him credit. He HAS turned his life around from drugs and booze to religion and if religion is keeping him on the straight and narrow, and not letting him go back to the way he was before, then more power to him.

Ugh... he's one of those....

On the one hand, I have the utmost respect for those who find religion when they're lost. But then again, that respect gets tossed out the window when it's an excuse to be a sanctimonious, self-righteous jerk. There's a difference between bettering yourself through religion and becoming a finger wagging hypocrite. Not to mention that's the wrong kind of guidance anyway. If anything, he needs to wag his finger at drug addicts and alcoholics like himself so they can find a better road instead of blacks for being on welfare and daring to take away part of his paycheck and gays for eeeeeewing him out.

 

[D'Snowth]

Either way, A&E has announced they're letting Phil Robertson back onto the show now.

 

[jvcarroll]

Ugh... he's one of those....

On the one hand, I have the utmost respect for those who find religion when they're lost. But then again, that respect gets tossed out the window when it's an excuse to be a sanctimonious, self-righteous jerk. There's a difference between bettering yourself through religion and becoming a finger wagging hypocrite. Not to mention that's the wrong kind of guidance anyway. If anything, he needs to wag his finger at drug addicts and alcoholics like himself so they can find a better road instead of blacks for being on welfare and daring to take away part of his paycheck and gays for eeeeeewing him out.

Sifting through Mr. Robertson's past statements about blacks and gays, there's a lot of rather rude and/or incorrect assumptions he makes.

• LGBT people are not inherently promiscuous, nor is it imperative for a gay person to ever have sex to consider him or herself gay. His getting into the nuts and bolts of his perception of gay intimacy was crude and misguided.
• His assumption that blacks are tied to entitlement programs is equally as insulting. And I'll never get beyond the fact that he doesn't seem to believe that bigotry existed in his section of the Jim Crow south because he didn't notice anyone complaining. That's downright narcissistic. I see prejudice toward African Americans daily and in one of the most liberal cities on the planet. It existed and it still exists!!!! What's next? Is he going to go after the Jews and deny the Holocaust? At this point, it wouldn't surprise me.

I don't particularly think he's a racist or a homophobe as much as I think he's an ignorant jerk. A Christian hypocrite that does not conduct himself with the righteousness he flings at others.

 

[Drtooth]

Either way, A&E has announced they're letting Phil Robertson back onto the show now.

Herald has ingenious foresight on this one. It was nothing more than a cheap ratings stunt. Even if he does believe this stuff, there's no way A&E was letting this cash cow go. Heck, anytime I check the TV listings, A&E has several marathons of Duck Dynasty daily. I'm guessing there was a ratings slump until Phil shot his mouth off. His actions are trolly, probably orchestrated, and the boycotts weren't going to hurt the loyal fanbase still bothering to tune in.

Is he going to go after the Jews and deny the Holocaust? At this point, it wouldn't surprise me.

If he did, then his career would actually be over. Gays and African Americans are one thing. That can usually be forgiven, but if you say something anti-Semetic, you're done for. Mel Gibson barely survived that one.

Hope he does say something anti-semetic. I freaking hate his show and the crappy merchandise. And killing ducks.

I don't particularly think he's a racist or a homophobe as much as I think he's an ignorant jerk. A Christian hypocrite that does not conduct himself with the righteousness he flings at others.

Exactly what I was saying about his "born again" values. If religion pulls you out of alcoholism and drug use, that's one thing. It's quite another to drag others down for not being as holy as all the sudden caring about religion because you were doing something stupid and destructive in the first place. The rest of his conservative values are laughable from that standpoint. If he didn't drag himself out of his own debauchery, you know full well he'd run to the government for cash, becoming the very same welfare queens he paints as all African American people. Talk about self righteous. Again, it's all about money. He has some, so he's better than everyone else.

 

[CensoredAlso]

Herald has ingenious foresight on this one. It was nothing more than a cheap ratings stunt. Even if he does believe this stuff, there's no way A&E was letting this cash cow go. Heck, anytime I check the TV listings, A&E has several marathons of Duck Dynasty daily. I'm guessing there was a ratings slump until Phil shot his mouth off. His actions are trolly, probably orchestrated, and the boycotts weren't going to hurt the loyal fanbase still bothering to tune in.

Why thank you, lol. Still, I don't think this was all A&E's master plan. I think they did misjudge their audience a bit. I speculate that they mistakenly thought most of the show's audience was there to ridicule the family for being red necks. But as it turned out, the audience just kinda like the family for who they were and identified with them. I'm not talking about specific religious values. I'm saying the family members do often have clever senses of humor and an endearing working class attitude. They just seem like regular guys you might know. It certainly beats the bland male models or materialistic idiots so often seen on TV. The dinner prayer at the end of each episode was always pretty pleasant and avoided controversy, and audiences appreciated that.

For A&E to suspend this guy, they were kinda saying to their audience, "We've decided for you that you were wrong to ever like this guy. We know what's best and you don't!" History shows that audiences resent that condescending attitude from big companies.

Now it's ENTIRELY possible A&E knew a suspension might actually mean more publicity for their very popular show. I wouldn't put it past them, hehe.

Bottom line, sometimes you have to let people decide for themselves. I don't agree with what the guy said. But that doesn't mean he's suddenly the devil and I must shun him and his family forever. I disagree with friends and family about a lot of things, but I don't write them out of my life. That's not particularly Christian and I have no right to be that arrogant, lol.