Prepare yourself for the rose ceremony. Oh no, what kind of mischief did the Duck Dynasty clan get themselves into this time?
There’s no doubt reality TV shows like to instill a certain degree of shock and awe among their viewership. The scene before a commercial break will usually set up an awkward situation where confrontation is about to ensue. If you’re watching a reality TV show, you might think it’s stupid as it begins to unfold. But in an instant you might find yourself wondering how an episode pans out and before you know it you are sucked into the show thinking you know the characters firsthand, or maybe their drama makes you feel better about your own life.
But with shows like The Bachelor and Duck Dynasty, opposing viewpoints are happening on and off of the show. And they’re centering on the topic of homosexuality.
I don’t think anyone could say that homosexuality isn’t a widely discussed subject. With all the buzz around the White House about marriage equality, Americans are quickly taking sides whether to preserve or progress marriage unions. Many celebrities have also taken sides and many more have recently come out leading fans to either disapprove of or support their sexual orientation.
Marriage equality and homosexuality has evolved other the years into support rallies, petitions, and heated debates among the LGBTQIA community and those looking for things to stay the same.
I can scroll through my Facebook news feed just to read my friends’ opinions on these matters, and their opinions are split right down the center.
When Phil Robertson from Duck Dynasty’s remark hit the media in mid-Dec. I found out from my Facebook friends before I read any story or saw any news coverage. I was being invited to like the “Boycott A&E TV” page by my Facebook friends before I was aware of what this man I didn’t know had said. His comment, for those of you living under a rock was this:
“Start with homosexual behavior and just morph out from there. Bestiality, sleeping around with this woman and that woman and that woman and those men, it seems like, to me, a vagina—as a man—would be more desirable than a man’s anus. That’s just me. I’m just thinking: There’s more there! She’s got more to offer. I mean, come on, dudes! You know what I’m saying? But hey, sin: It’s not logical, my man. It’s just not logical,” according to GQ magazine.
In an interview with GQ magazine, Robertson had a lot to say. It seemed strange to me that the Duck Dynasty crew were considered for a magazine like GQ that tends to serve a specific niche audience. But then again, their presence is hard to ignore. I so much as step into Wal-Mart and I am surrounded by Duck Dynasty merchandise.
After Robertson’s comments, word was flying that A&E, the channel that airs Duck Dynasty were considering suspending the show because it did not reflect the station’s views. So fans took to their social media to save the show, causing an uproar and heated discussions. While the show may not have a predominately LGBTQIA fan-base, the community also spoke out in an attempt to educate the Duck Dynasty viewers or otherwise defend their stance on equal love.
After much debate the show was restored.
Shortly after in Jan., with the emergence of a new season of The Bachelor, bachelor star Juan Pablo Galavis when asked if a gay or bisexual bachelor would be a good idea, he responded saying,
“Obviously people have their husband and wife and kids and that is how we are brought up. Now there is fathers having kids and all that, and it is hard for me to understand that too in the sense of a household having peoples…Two parents sleeping in the same bed and the kid going into bed… It is confusing in a sense. But I respect them because they want to have kids. They want to be parents. So it is a scale…Where do you put it on the scale? Where is the thin line to cross or not? You have to respect everybody’s desires and way of living. But it would be too hard for TV,” according to the TV Page.
Well it hit the fan after that.
Shortly afterwards Galavis made a public apology to smooth over his previous comment and improve relations.
Whether these star’s comments are innocent slips or somehow aimed at creating buzz and attention I hope more grace and intelligence is taken when it comes to trying not to offend a nation. I know they’re labeled as reality shows. But I will always question the true realities and intents of the characters.
