Why Duck Dynasty Threatens The Left

From Adrienne Royer of the Federalist.com:

The surprise should be how liberals dismissed the rise of Duck Dynasty until this fall, when it was too late to stem the show’s popularity. Once it became evident that this family held so much influence, the left suddenly realized they faced the first threat to their decades-long monopoly on popular culture.

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At its core, Duck Dynasty is a show about family, faith and the American Dream. The show combines the nostalgia of Father Knows Best with the humor of Jackass. Each episode ends with the family gathering in Phil and Miss Kay’s double-wide as Willie, the CEO of Duck Commander, narrates in the same style as John Boy from The Waltons. Most shockingly, Phil ends each episode with prayer, which has been a known point of contention with A&E since the show debuted in 2012.

In just four years, the Robertsons have gone from hosting a hunting and fishing show on the Outdoor Channel to starring in the most popular reality TV show in history. This astonishing growth – and their ability to merchandise practically any product sold at Wal-Mart – demonstrates how the show’s primary focus on humor combined with their beards, camo, and frat boy antics can push messages supporting traditional marriage, church, masculinity, and gun rights.

The appeal of the show comes from the surprising normalcy and likability of the family. The men might dress like the cast of Easy Rider, hunt almost daily, and make millions in their business, but the show emphasizes the Real America part of their lives rather than only focusing on the cast as developing celebrities. The conflicts on the show emerge from issues average Americans face: helping your parents with their will, teaching your kids to drive, losing weight for your high school reunion, sibling rivalry among brothers, and struggling to find the right Christmas present for your wife. Ask any fan why they love the show, and you’re likely to hear, “The Robertsons remind me of my own family.”

.................. The threat of the Robertsons isn’t in Phil’s politically incorrect comments. The threat is that this family has figured out how right-wing politics and Evangelical Christianity can influence pop culture without being the punch line or the bad guy. While the left has spent decades making conservatives look like idiots and Christians look like bigots, Duck Dynasty reminds average Americans that these views are mainstream.

This puts A&E in a bind. The most famous show prior to Duck Dynasty was "Breaking Bad", which just ended with a viewership of 10 million, it's highest viewership ever. But Duck Dynasty AVERAGES 13.3 million viewers.

I'm sure A&E needs the Robertson a lot more than the other way around. And The Robertsons have enough principles (and money) to walk away from A&E. PLus I can guarantee there are other channels waiting in the wings to scoop up the show, if A&E decides to cancel the show.