The final stake may have been driven through the heart of one of the religious right’s media darlings. Participants of the A&E reality show ‘Duck Dynasty’ had scheduled a stage show in Springfield, MO. The show, titled ‘Faith, Family & Ducks,’ was supposed to take place April 26th at Springfield’s 11,000-seat JQH Arena. Tickets were on sale for $37, $50 and $58. The show was to be a mix of live music and lectures from the ‘Dynasty’ cast members, where they would discuss their faith and perhaps do some preaching and/or inspirational speaking.
Well, that event isn’t going to happen now. Apparently, even in the heart of the Bible Belt, people weren’t willing to shell out their hard earned dollars on the Robertson clan. The event was canceled due to low ticket sales. Refunds will be sent out over the next few weeks. However, who knows how many people actually bought tickets to this show/concert/sermon/whatever you want to call it. Obviously, not too many, based on the cancellation.
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The Robertson clan and their one-time hit show have been on a downward spiral these past few months. Ever since family patriarch Phil Robertson spewed ugly anti-gay rhetoric in a GQ interview last December, the show and family have been seen in a different light. A&E initially suspended Robertson for his comments. However, the network eventually kowtowed to the braying from high-profile conservatives like Sarah Palin, Bobby Jindal and the entire lineup at Fox News and brought Robertson back.
However, the damage had been done. While Robertson may have made himself a hero to the far-right by revealing how bigoted and hateful he really is, but his actions and comments turned off far more people. His views on race were also looked at as being completely out-of-touch, as he insinuated that things were better when the South had Jim Crow laws. Also, shortly after his culturally insensitive and homophobic remarks were made, it was revealed that he advocated marrying underage girls during a sermon a few years ago.
This past season saw a huge decline in ‘Duck Dynasty’s’ ratings. Overall, the show has seen a decline of 30% in the ratings from a year ago. In the key 18-49 demographic, the ratings drop has been even more severe. Last month’s season finale saw a 28% drop from last April’s season finale and a 40% drop in the 18-49 demo. It appears that Americans in general are just plain rejecting the Robertsons and their brand of entertainment. As Jason Easley pointed out in February, the show’s ratings plummet is further evidence that America really is a liberal nation.
Justin Baragona is the Managing Editor at Politicus Sports as well as Senior Editor at PoliticusUSA. He was a political writer for 411Mania.com before joining PoliticusUSA. Politically, Justin considers himself a liberal but also a realist and pragmatist. Currently, Justin lives in St. Louis, MO and is married. Besides writing, he also runs his own business after spending a number of years in the corporate world. You can follow Justin on Twitter either with his personal handle (@justinbaragona) or the Sports site’s (@PoliticusSports).
