Duck Dynasty Suspension Lifted!

The news came in today that A&E is recalling its suspension of Phil Robertson.

This is also on the heels of Cracker Barrel changing its decision to pull certain Duck Dynasty products.

Here’s A&E’s official statement:

“While Phil’s comments made in the (GQ) interview reflect his personal views based on his own beliefs, and his own personal journey, he and his family have publicly stated they regret the ‘coarse language’ he used and the misinterpretation of his core beliefs based only on the article. He also made it clear he would ‘never incite or encourage hate…Duck Dynasty is not a show about one man’s views. It resonates with a large audience because it is a show about family, a family that America has come to love. As you might have seen in many episodes, they come together to reflect and pray for unity, tolerance and forgiveness. These are three values that we at A&E Networks also feel strongly about….So after discussions with the Robertson family, as well as consulting with numerous advocacy groups, A&E has decided to resume filming Duck Dynasty later this spring with the entire Robertson family”

Here is Cracker Barrel’s official statement:

“When we made the decision to remove and evaluate certain Duck Dynasty items, we offended many of our loyal customers. Our intent was to avoid offending, but that’s just what we’ve done. You told us we made a mistake. And, you weren’t shy about it. You wrote, you called and you took to social media to express your thoughts and feelings. You flat out told us we were wrong.

We listened.

Today, we are putting all our Duck Dynasty products back in our stores. And, we apologize for offending you. We respect all individuals right to express their beliefs. We certainly did not mean to have anyone think different. We sincerely hope you will continue to be part of our Cracker Barrel family.”

Regardless of your opinions on this matter, it’s been interesting to watch all of this unfold. I think large corporations still have a lot to learn–namely, that popular, Hollywood values are not the same as those to whom they are selling their products.

Middle America is a sleeping giant.

Push hard enough, as we’ve seen, and the giant wakes with a fury.

 

Here is our previous post:

https://gospelgeeks.net/ae-beheads-golden-goose/