So one side says, hey, Phil Robertson had a right to say what he said about gay people. True enough.

And the other side says, OK, and A&E had a right to suspend an employee that embarrassed them. Also true.

You know what else is true? The family has a right to say: hey, maybe we don’t want to do this show any more:

We want to thank all of you for your prayers and support. The family has spent much time in prayer since learning of A&E’s decision. We want you to know that first and foremost we are a family rooted in our faith in God and our belief that the Bible is His word. While some of Phil’s unfiltered comments to the reporter were coarse, his beliefs are grounded in the teachings of the Bible. Phil is a Godly man who follows what the Bible says are the greatest commandments: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart” and “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Phil would never incite or encourage hate.We are disappointed that Phil has been placed on hiatus for expressing his faith, which is his constitutionally protected right.We have had a successful working relationship with A&E but, as a family, we cannot imagine the show going forward without our patriarch at the helm. We are in discussions with A&E to see what that means for the future of Duck Dynasty. Again, thank you for your continued support of our family.

Anybody who didn’t see this coming, was not thinking it through. This seemed obvious to me the second I heard about it. Maybe the A&E people are surprised by it, because maybe the A&E people don’t quite get family bonds.

Or maybe they do. Maybe A+E Networks is fully prepared to throw the whole show overboard, even though it is a ratings smash and their strongest-performing property.

After all . . . that is their right.

P.S. Technically, the family’s “right” to quit may be burdened by contractual obligations. Don’t get all technical on me.

P.P.S. Anyway, it’s hard for me to look at a picture of the guy

On indefinite hiatus

without thinking of one of my favorite Norm MacDonald jokes. Imagine the joke being said in Norm MacDonald’s voice:

“Every girl’s crazy about a sharp dressed man. But you know what every girl’s not crazy about? Long gross beards!”

This is how Barack Obama sees you, young people. A hipster doofus wearing a onesie and a bemused expression of detached irony as you clutch your steaming hot mug of Nestle’s Quik and contemplate your future of government dependence.

If you don’t have a problem with that, we don’t want your vote.

At the end of a slow news week, the controversy of the day is clear. In an interview with GQ Magazine, Duck Dynasty star (star?) Phil Robertson said . . . well, read it for yourself:

Out here in these woods, without any cameras around, Phil is free to say what he wants. Maybe a little too free. He’s got lots of thoughts on modern immorality, and there’s no stopping them from rushing out. Like this one:

“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.”

Now, he has been suspended from the show:

“We are extremely disappointed to have read Phil Robertson’s comments in GQ, which are based on his own personal beliefs and are not reflected in the series Duck Dynasty,” A&E said in a statement. “His personal views in no way reflect those of A+E Networks, who have always been strong supporters and champions of the LGBT community. The network has placed Phil under hiatus from filming indefinitely.”

Other than saying Robertson’s views did not reflect their own, spokespeople for A+E Networks did not elaborate further on A+E Networks’ own views of the relative merits of the anatomical features of men and women.

On indefinite hiatus

P.S. The linked Hollywood Reporter article also claims: “The news comes after Robertson compared homosexuality to bestiality in an interview with the magazine.” From GQ:

“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,” he says. Then he paraphrases Corinthians: “Don’t be deceived. Neither the adulterers, the idolaters, the male prostitutes, the homosexual offenders, the greedy, the drunkards, the slanderers, the swindlers—they won’t inherit the kingdom of God. Don’t deceive yourself. It’s not right.”

If that is a “comparison” then it should be noted that he also “compared” homosexuality to drinking, among other things.

Well this should be interesting, shouldn’t it?