During its 11-season run, Duck Dynasty was not without controversy, despite being one of the most popular reality TV programs at the time. The show chronicled the life of the business owners of Duck Commander, a wildly popular firm that produced duck calls and other items for duck hunters.
It was run by patriarch Phil Robertson, his wife Miss Kay, and their kids and other family members. It was so successful that, in its prime, the family was making a tonne of money from sales of everything from video games to clothes.
The family’s relationship with A&E, the network that aired the series, wasn’t always cordial. In particular, Phil frequently clashed with network executives and was even permanently barred from the show in 2013 following a controversial interview with GQ in which he implied that black people were exaggerating the hardships endured by their ancestors during the Jim Crow era and compared homosexuality to bestiality.
After Phil’s interview, the network released a statement, although it wasn’t exactly one endorsing the duck hunting patriarch. “We are extremely disappointed to have read Phil Robertson’s comments in GQ, which are based on his own personal beliefs and not reflected in the series Duck Dynasty,” the statement continued.
There’s no denying that the scandal hurt the clan’s standing with both A&E and their audience. Even Phil’s own show was momentarily suspended. Although the controversy wasn’t the only reason the show was cancelled, it undoubtedly played a part in the network’s decision to remove the Duck Hunters from the air.
Duck Dynasty Was Canceled by Mutual Agreement
The network and family jointly released a statement at the time of the cancellation news, which came soon after the premiere of season 11, stating that the decision had been reached by consensus.
The network’s statement included a video of the Robertson family making the announcement. “After five years, 130 episodes, and one of the biggest hits in the history of cable, the Robertson family and A&E jointly decided that Duck Dynasty, the series, will come to an end after this season,” the statement read.
One factor, nevertheless, cannot be disregarded: once Phil openly expressed his opinions about homosexuality and the pre-Civil Rights era, the show’s viewership fell precipitously in 2014. After the issue, viewers were just tuning out, and the figures don’t lie.
Between seasons four and five, the GQ article was broadcast; at the end of the fifth season, viewership had fallen by 2.4 million from the record-breaking numbers of the previous season.
The Louisiana duck hunting family was no longer the harmless presence in the homes of their viewers, as their ideas were viewed in a completely different light by the general public.
Duck Dynasty Struggled to Bounce Back After Controversy
Sadly, Phil doesn’t seem to have taken much of the incident to heart; even when Duck Dynasty was still showing, he kept making contentious remarks in the media.
He claimed that sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are a punishment for having sex before marriage, provided a rather gruesome hypothetical of what he believed atheists should endure, and teamed up with Citizens United to stop North Carolina’s transgender lavatory law in 2015 and 2016 alone—all while Duck Dynasty’s audience continued to decline.
The New York Times proposed that overexposure and the discovery that a large portion of the show was produced were further possible causes of the show’s demise. While Duck Dynasty aired two seasons annually, most popular television shows only create one, providing fans an excessive amount of the Robertsons’ homemade humour.
The Robertsons appeared content to acknowledge that their series belonged more to the questionable category of “guided reality.” This is in addition to the fact that, although the term “reality” in reality TV is frequently a bit misleading, viewers generally prefer to think that what they’re watching is, you know, actual.
By the time Duck Dynasty was cancelled, several members of the Robertson clan also had other commitments, maybe because they anticipated the show’s demise.
Uncle Si was cast in a spin-off series, Willie went on the Donald Trump campaign trail, Sadie joined the cast of Dancing With the Stars, and several family members chose to write books to cash in on Duck Dynasty’s popularity.
Although there isn’t a single explanation for the show’s cancellation, it’s safe to assume that the 2013 controversy had a cascading effect that ultimately resulted in A&E’s decision to end it. But don’t feel sorry for the Robertsons; Duck Commander has made a huge profit for the family and will probably do so for as long as there are ducks to kill.
Duck Dynasty experienced a sharp rise and fall, from unprecedented controversy to record-breaking viewership. Even if the Robertson family’s dominance on reality TV came to an end, their business and legacy are still going strong.
What actually caused the show to be cancelled, and what part did controversy play? Find out the whole narrative and the most recent information about the Robertson family’s endeavours. For a detailed look at their adventure, visit our website!