Duck Dynasty - Crackers from Hell

There is a lot of controversy right now about the A&E show Duck Dynasty because one of the characters said some stuff a number of people believed to be inflammatory.  I've read what he said and it's not the kindest thing he could have said, but there are other people out there who've had worse turds fall out of their mouths.  This is the United States and we are guaranteed freedom of speech.  This means even a Judgmental, Crazy Christian can spout shit.  Now that the frenzy seems to have reached its peak, I have to wonder just how much of this PR extravaganza was orchestrated by the A&E Television network.

I have to say I have never seen the show for two reason:  I don't like reality TV, and I despise reality TV which makes celebrities out of white trash.  Just because the Robertson family has a million dollar duck call business doesn't mean they're not white trash.  Money has nothing to do with it.  An associate of mine has told me the show is so popular because the Robertson's are so stupid.  Her comment to me was "you don't even need to watch it, just listen to them talk to find yourself laughing hysterically."  Which brings me back to the PR extravaganza thing.  From what I've read, the executives at A&E television knew that Phil (?) Robertson was a Judgmental, Crazy Christian simply from his conversations on the set.  So why would they arrange for him to have an interview with GQ unless they were hoping he would open his mouth and shit would fly out.  Evidently, there was a representative from A&E present, most likely to see which juicy tidbits could be blown up out of proportion.

Crackers from Hell



Instead of merely putting out a disclaimer about this cracker's opinions, A&E made a big, public announcement that he would not be back on the show, ever.  He was fired because of his opinions.  At this point the bait was set, all they had to do was wait for the media and "socially conscious" America to jump into the trap...and they did.  Ratings went through the roof.  This little PR stunt went global as everybody now wanted to watch Duck Dynasty.  Was this extravaganza minutely detailed by A&E?  I don't think so, however I do believe there was some hopeful anticipation going into the interview.  All they needed was one little nugget and this Cracker from Hell gave it to them and because of it a lot of people are going to the bank.

Hoarders vs Pigs

There is a show on A & E which I used to occasionally watch called Hoarders.  I don't anymore because something happened, it transitioned from a show about people who hoard things to a show about people who are, for lack of a better word, pigs.  The original episodes concerned themselves with individuals who bought thousands and thousands of dollars worth of unnecessary items and filled their homes with this clutter:  dolls, and clothing, and purses, and knick-knacks, and most of it was boxed or in bags.  You might barely be able to walk through the stacks of clutter, but you could walk.  Those shows were interesting because there were psychologists and social workers involved, and they always ended with a blurb about the subjects, whether they were on counseling or not, and how well they were doing; if they had overcome their hoarding tendencies.

A hoarder's treasure trove

But as I said, something changed, perhaps because the producers wanted to increase their ratings, and they became increasingly about individuals who preferred living in squalor.  Hoarders tend to be collectors on steroids, there is no stop mechanism.  Pigs are too lazy to throw out the garbage.  I think the last episode I watched concerned a woman and her daughter who would eat outside in their van because there was no space in the house.  The rooms were filled with garbage rather then clutter; soft drink clans, pizza boxes, fast food bags.  The camera was showing you first hand what it was like to live in a pig sty.  When they revealed that this woman had a guinea pig sleeping in her bed and that she never cleaned up the shit and piss - that's when I realized the show had turned completely.

A pig's sty

 

In spite of what some would have you believe, this is not hoarding, this is nothing but stupid laziness.  The focus had changed direction, it was now on garbage and squalor and people who are pigs.  These people have serious mental issues.  Turning them into entertainment is rather repulsive.  None of them are going to get the help they need to pull their lives together.  No matter what friends or relatives may say, once the camera leaves they're pretty much on their own.  Unlike hoarders, they cannot change.  In no time at all they'll be pigs again.