Duck Dynasty Phil Robertson Controversy: Embattled Cast Member Encourages Men to Marry Teen Brides
Controversial Duck Dynasty patriarch Phil Robertson continues down his path of so-bad-it's-good self-destruction by releasing comments encouraging men to marry teen brides.
According to The Daily Mail (nice to know that we're the laughingstock of the world at this point...), Robertson -- recently under fire for his homophobic and racist comments -- made the comments back in 2009. In the 2009 Sportsmen's Ministry talk, Robertson, 67, who began dating his wife when she was 14-years-old, advises his audience, "You got to marry these girls when they are 15 or 16. They'll pick your ducks" -- which is a literal reference to removing dead bird's feathers.
While the comments may be slightly tongue-in-cheek, they're nothing if not wildly inappropriate, given the clan leader's recent comments that caused him to be suspended from his family's hit show on A&E. Strongly wagging his Bible during his talk, Robertson, declares that each man marrying his young bride needs to make sure she is a God-fearing woman. "Make sure she carries her Bible," preaches the duck call patriarch as he repeats his claim that a lady who plucks ducks -- an unsavory task -- is a real woman.
According to Inside Edition, A&E had no comment on this recent video release, but claims that Robertson is set to make a public service announcement announcement promoting "Unity, tolerance and acceptance among all people." And while his suspension from the "Duck Dynasty" show has been lifted by A&E, Robertson and the rest of the family have been gun-shy about appearing in public since this latest brouhaha... and it's no wonder.
On one hand, the comments -- both these latest ones, and his homophobic and racist ones spouted in GQ -- are completely out of line and highly inappropriate, especially in today's progressive world. On the other hand, however... are we really surprised that a hillbilly redneck is acting like a hillbilly redneck? What did we expect from self-professed "white trash" -- an exegesis worthy of publication in the New England Journal of Medicine? A Harvard University commencement speech? Let's be fair now.
In any regard, check out the video of Phil speaking about the virtue of teen brides below, and leave your thoughts in the comments!