Duck Dynasty fans can breathe a sigh of relief now; everyone else, cue your groan!
Why? Because Phil Robertson is coming back to the hit A&E show!
After the network first announced his indefinite hiatus prompted by his anti-gay remarks, fans, as well as his family, rallied around the the Duck Dynasty patriarch, supporting his actions and more disappointingly, his opinions.
Now, today, Phil was given the green light by the network to return to the show.
Can we say we’re shocked? Not really. Still, we are disappointed.
But A&E explained themselves in a lengthy statement, as well as announce a new initiative the family will be a part of to foster more tolerance for all:
As a global media content company, A+E Networks’ core values are centered around creativity, inclusion and mutual respect. We believe it is a privilege for our brands to be invited into people’s home and we operate with a strong sense of integrity and deep commitment to these principals.
That is why we reacted so quickly and strongly to a recent interview with Phil Robertson. While Phil’s comments made in the 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 mis-interpretation of his core beliefs based only on the article. He also made it clear he would “never incite or encourage hate.” We at A+E Networks expressed our disappointment with his statements in the article, and reiterate that they are not views we hold.
But Duck Dynasty is not a show about one man’s views. It resonates with a large audience because it is a show about family├óΓé¼┬ª 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.
We will also use this moment to launch a national public service campaign (PSA) promoting unity, tolerance and acceptance among all people, a message that supports our core values as a company, and the values found in Duck Dynasty. These PSAs will air across our entire portfolio.
In addition, an A&E source says the family and the network are going to work together to promote tolerance moving forward.
While we definitely did NOT agree to any of Phil’s statements about the gay community, we’re glad that A&E is taking the right steps forward in this controversy.
Especially since the whole family is on board to promote tolerance towards the LGBT community.
[Image via A&E.]