I'm embarrassed to admit that I know the names of all the characters on A&E's reality show, Duck Dynasty. Only because Jeremy makes me watch that show all. the. time. I can't even get him to watch Project Runway with me, yet he tunes in to his favorite redneck reality show whenever it's on.
While I first turned up my nose at the idea of watching another reality show about trashy people who live in the swamp and don't have a full set of teeth between their whole family, I have to say it's really not that bad a show. In fact, I find myself laughing out loud from time to time. Maybe because it's a train wreck--you can't not look at it!
A few months ago, I didn't even know what a duck call was, much less realize a whole empire could be built upon its sales. I thought a duck call was a noise you make while sporting camouflage and tromping through the woods. The picture of Elmer Fudd comes to mind here. But apparently, it's a little wooden whistle-like instrument that sounds like a duck. Again, I'm shocked it's made these people millions! But hey, who am I to judge? Had I known there was an unmet need for such an object, maybe I would have created it myself and could then be writing this blog for a living.
The folks who make up Duck Dynasty look like they just stepped off of Willie Nelson's tour bus (and I mean that with the utmost respect to Willie--the most famous person I've ever kissed on the cheek...but that's another story for another day). These two brothers, Willie and Jase Robertson, sons of Phil and nephews of ponytail-sporting Uncle Sy, are quite hilarious. They don't appear to have cut their hair or shaved their thick beards for the better part of a few decades, yet they're married to beautiful, blonde women. Is money a factor here? Hmmm. Who knows? But I find myself tapping my foot along to the opening theme song, ZZ Top's Sharp-Dressed Man.
When I first tuned in to the show, I wondered how they could possibly create a whole series based on a hunting-enthused family and their duck and buck call business. With each episode, though, they find some sort of drama to get into. I was surprised to learn that almost the entire cast is college educated. Apparently, Phil played college football at a major university as a first-string quarterback followed by a then second-string Terry Bradshaw. He then gave up a professional career in the NFL to pursue his dreams.
Though the Robertson family makes themselves out to be a gun-toting, hee-haw having, sweet tea-drinking bunch of rednecks, they really do have their priorities straight. They believe family is the most important thing in the world, they spend their time doing what they love, and they end each episode with a great big family dinner that Phil leads in a word of prayer. It may be a train wreck of a show, but it's maybe one of the only morally sound reality shows on TV. And that's something to say "amen" about!
