Social media was burning up like a swamp fire Thursday as everyone from politicians to average fans rushed to defend or denounce anti-gay statements made by “Duck Dynasty” patriarch Phil Robertson.
“Start with homosexual behavior and just morph from there,” Robertson, head of the bearded Louisiana clan that runs the Duck Commander company, maker of famous duck calls and other fishing and hunting equipment, told GQ. “Bestiality, sleeping around with this woman and that woman and that woman and those men,” added Robertson, 67, when asked what he considered sinful behavior.
“Don’t be deceived,” Robertson continued, loosely quoting a Bible passage. ”Neither the adulterers, the idolaters, the male prostitutes, the homosexual offenders, the greedy, the drunkards, the slanderers, the swindlers — they won’t inherit the kingdom of God. Don’t deceive yourself. It’s not right.”
The A&E network quickly suspended Robertson from the oddball hit show, which focuses less on the family business than on the petty and often-hilarious squabbles among the backwoods clan.
The show is so popular even President Obama, in an interview with People magazine conducted Dec. 6 that will be published in the Dec. 30 issue, suggested he’d like to hang out with the guys.
“The ‘Duck Dynasty’ family seems like a pretty fun bunch, so I can see how that would be pretty fun,” Obama replied when asked whether he’d rather spend the day with the Robertsons or the Kardashians.
The White House didn’t immediately respond to questions about whether the president has changed his mind following the controversy.
Sarah Palin, meanwhile, took to Twitter and Facebook to call the suspension an attack on free speech.
“Free speech is an endangered species: Those ‘intolerants’ hatin’ & taking on Duck Dynasty patriarch for voicing personal opinion take on us all,”the former Republican vice presidential candidate tweeted.
Palin also re-posted a picture of her meeting with the stars on her Facebook page.
Republican Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, also weighed in, describing Robertson and his extended family as “great citizens” of the state he leads.
“The politically correct crowd is tolerant of all viewpoints, except those they disagree with,” Jindal said in a statement.
“I don’t agree with quite a bit of stuff I read in magazine interviews or see on TV. In fact, come to think of it, I find a good bit of it offensive. But I also acknowledge that this is a free country and everyone is entitled to express their views.”
A Facebook page set up to support Robertson had already drawn more than 550,000 Likes by midday today.
A&E said it was “extremely disappointed” over Robertson’s remarks. “The network has placed Phil under hiatus from filming indefinitely,” it said in a statement.
Gay rights group GLAAD condemned Robertson, saying he knows nothing about gays.
“Phil’s decision to push vile and extreme stereotypes is a stain on A&E and his sponsors, who now need to reexamine their ties to someone with such public disdain for LGBT people and families,” GLAAD said in a statement.
The suspension won’t have an immediate effect on the show or its roughly 12 million viewers – a record for a nonfiction cable show.
Most of the fifth season, set to premiere Jan. 15, has already been shot.
But it could put a dent in the sale of “Duck Dynasty” merchandise – including everything from books and bobblehead dolls to antibacterial bandages and camouflage furniture.