I must
confess I’m hooked on the reality show Duck
Dynasty. I accidently discovered it because I collect wooden ducks, both
decoys and decoratively hand carved specimens, so the title jumped out at me
one evening when I was scanning the TV listings. I had to check it out.
There’s
this family of Louisiana rednecks who became fabulously wealthy by making those
gizmos hunters blow into to mimic a duck’s call. I read that the father of the
Robertson clan, Phillip, used his product while hunting one day and his friend
exclaimed, “You didn’t call that duck. You commanded it!” And so they named
their company “Duck Commander.”
Three
bearded, long haired sons with gorgeous blonde wives, a crazy like a fox uncle,
Dad (Phillip) and Mom (Miss Kay), plus a few interesting employees as well as a
passel of grandchildren and pets, make up the cast of characters. The family owns acres upon acres of land, on
which they work, live and play.
Like
when Phil decided an old trailer would make a great deer stand once his sons
and Duck Commander employees got it hoisted and camouflaged high up into some
trees. It did look inviting and far more comfortable than freezing on a few
elevated two by fours while waiting for Bambi to saunter by.
Besides
the interplay and the running comments family members make about each other, I
find the Southern redneck culture the Robertson family celebrates charming. This
is regional America at its best. It doesn’t take long to realize this family,
is neither stupid nor uneducated.
Son Willie runs the company with skills he
acquired from his business degree. Grandfather Phil, bearded like all the
Robertson men, summons his grandchildren to his home and teaches them life
skills while he gets “free labor” from them. Clearly the teens do not
appreciate the tasks Phil assigns but they are respectful and do his bidding.
(Phil may have crossed the line on career day when he taught a classroom of 8th
graders how to eviscerate a duck…..but
with our current Congress, hey, you never know when that may come in handy.)
This series is about a family, once
poor and now wealthy because they embraced the American values of belief in
God, family, and hard work. Every segment ends with family prayer before a meal
and a comment on loving each other.
I have come to appreciate the special
view Duck Dynasty offers into a
culture that has endured for years and, judging by its popularity, America is
learning to appreciate as well.
