Greed -- I dont think it started out that way, they made a stupid decision, but they can turn it in to ever increasing ratings
The show has been on for five years, which is the average lifespan of a popular TV show. This whole business reeks of a publicity stunt. I mean come on. A white southerner with an MA talking about happy darkies singing work songs in the cottonfield? He is not that stupid. People who haven't watched the show (and there are plenty) will tune in to see what it is all about. This won't hurt his business. Sporting goods stores are not taking the duck calls off the shelves. How many duck hunters are gay, black or offended liberals? 5 percent?
To me it's not just liberals acting retarded over this, conservatives and Louisiana politicians are acting a damn fool too. Talking about how freedom of speech is being infringed upon. Last time I checked no Robertson wasn't in jail. No one arrested him for his words or detained him. His detractors have just as much right to voice their opinions as the family of wanna be ZZ Top impersonators do. Phil Robertson is gonna end up in the same dirt a bunch of gays are in one day and vice versa.
Phil received a bachelor's degree in physical education and a master's in education. He's smarter than most and knows what he's doing. Kind of like Troy Landry, the guy has been doing very well before this and will continue to do well after.
I think it was a calculated move by the Robertsons to break ties with A&E. They are not happy with a lot of things the network tried to do and has asked them to do. The family wants the show to be a vehicle to evangelize, and A&E wants it to be about a bunch of ignorant red necks getting into all kinds of zany red neck shenanigans.
An education does not excuse one's ignorances and evidently PR is no different. There is new video out today of a "sermon" he delivered a few years back where he literally advises men to marry 15-16 year old girls because they will be more submissive. Furthermore, the Robertson's have stood on their ideologic purity but I am willing to bet you money that the contract they have with A & E prohibits them from making radical speech on the show or as long as they are under contract. So my question is this: if you are so convicted about your religion, then why not honor the terms of your contract. You know, the one you signed your name to and agreed to? But that is not the way it works with "christians." I say that in parentheses because the word is supposed to mean followers of Christ. Yet, no where in my bible can I find where Christ condoned any of the behaviors being currently exhibited by "christians." The Pope has made powerful statements regarding how the poor are treated and exactly what Christ had to say about our treatment of the poor. In today's terms the word christian has come to mean someone who is anti-gay, anti-abortion, anti-poor and pro-war with a twist of Ayn Rand thrown in for good measure. And another thing: Being a pastor is a lazy man's job; little more than a modern day snake oil salesman peddling second hand gospel.
