All of the sudden, Phil Robertson is a vulgar, anti-gay, vile Christian . That may be. Let me preface what I'm about to say, sans the political and special-interest qualifiers: Sticks and stones may break my bones but names will never hurt me - unless there's a grain of truth.
Really, I've been called a lot of names: Bogart, Flake, Wild, Conservative, Liberal, Heartbreaker, Cheapskate, Verbose, Dumb Broad, Airhead, Chestyshire, Condescending, Grom, Flagrant, Sarcastic, Vampire, and the Granddaddy of them all, a Bad Cook.
This isn't counting the litany of slurred expletives my former husband generally hurls from the profane dump site housed in his mouth. No wonder he attracts so many flies. Slam dunk! That's what I'm talkin' about!
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Mr. Robertson was asked a direct question about a universally sensitive topic, SIN, in an interview by Gentlemen's Quarterly (GQ). The man answered the broad topic from his perspective: no pundit fluff, no anecdotes and no bull.
C'mon! In one Duck Dynasty episode, Mr. Robertson explained the birds and bees to his grandson, John Luke, by showing him the difference between male crawfish ding-dongs and female crawfish vaginas: Crawfish Anatomy Education
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As a matter-of-fact, the basic, non-clinical, anatomical lesson was so simple and to the point, the information could only have been personal wisdom imparted by Mr. Robertson to his grandson.
Obviously, as GQ magazines fly off the shelf, Mr. Robertson's words didn't rest well with everyone, but so what? I say the writer, Drew Magary, picked an inarguably concise subject to skewer – SIN -- inciting a cook-off which cast Mr. Robertson in the open fire pit of censure.
It's wise to read the finished, patronizingly entitled article/video and listen to Mr. Robertson speak: The Gospel According to Phil in the January 2014 issue of GQ: GQ Magazine Phil Robertson January 2014. Whether one agrees or disagrees with Mr. Robertson's discourse, he wields only a modicum of influence and evangelical weight, anyway. He's all about Duck Dynasty. Sheesh.
Undoubtedly, the gay and other offended communities are hard-pressed to delineate Mr. Robertson's backwoods lifestyle and his cultural perspective, right? I know I can't fully comprehend 30-minute, scripted intricacies, much less the full character and lifestyle choices of those closest to me. Thankfully, neither does anyone have to fully understand or appreciate my lifestyle. Phew! That's a social and psychological relief.
However, I identify with Mr. Robertson's faith in God, his familial platform and some of the personified idiosyncrasies posing familiar challenges: losing and finding Uncle Si's special iced tea cup; Willie's frustrated, autocratic business style (no doubt, scripted) as the CEO of Duck Dynasty; Miss. Kay's (his wife) matriarchal place in the household and the kitchen.
That's why I like Mr. Robertson and the show, Duck Dynasty. He's no less appealing with his candor in sharing HIS perfectly imperfect human views on every day issues. He's doesn't blow any smoke. He speaks when he's asked a question, as most people would. That's it, in true Phil Robertson fashion.
In the meantime, since my culinary skill is anything but fashionable, I thought I might try Miss. Kay's recipe for squirrel and dumplings. After all, Mr. Robertson also pointed out to his grandson that if a woman can cook this delicacy for her man, she's a keeper.
Lynda StarWriter is a freelance writer and public speaker. starwriterweekly.com lyndastarwriter@aol.com
