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Can anyone explain the success of...

Posted: Mon Aug 26, 2013 2:49 pm
by johno
...Duck Dynasty? I've caught bits & pieces of it...seems like mundane family conflict, carping and quibbling. And a crazy Uncle. I avoid it.
[T]he subjects of the biggest reality show hit in the history of cable television, “Duck Dynasty,” which has shattered ratings records this summer, reaching a high of 11.8 million viewers for the season premiere this month.
NYTimes

Re: Can anyone explain the success of...

Posted: Mon Aug 26, 2013 2:57 pm
by Dunn
johno wrote:...Duck Dynasty? I've caught bits & pieces of it...seems like mundane family conflict, carping and quibbling. And a crazy Uncle. I avoid it.
[T]he subjects of the biggest reality show hit in the history of cable television, “Duck Dynasty,” which has shattered ratings records this summer, reaching a high of 11.8 million viewers for the season premiere this month.
NYTimes
I think the same thing. Nothing overtly bad about it, but I think it is silly TV. I know a bunch of folks who flat out believe that it's not scripted in any way. If nothing else it is a show that illustrates "good family values".

My biggest gripe with it is the fans that try and repeat Si's bullshit lines in an attempt to be funny.

Re: Can anyone explain the success of...

Posted: Mon Aug 26, 2013 3:28 pm
by Kazuya Mishima
My dad is one of those people who loves it (I don't know why), and has asked me about a million fucking times "Do you watch Duck Dynasty? No, Dad...I don't...but I know that you like it."

The few times that I've been subjected to it is when staying with my dad. Invariably, he'll be channel surfing and will run across an episode that he's seen a hundred times, and will sit there and tell me what's going to happen before it happens so it's like eating the same dog turd twice. My mom will then come up to the front of the house and start cursing my dad, "Kaz Sr., turn that shit off...you know that Kaz Jr. hates that damn show. No he doesn't...he likes it...don't you son? Oh, it's alright...watch what you want to." Shit is priceless.

I too think it's popular because of the down home, family values, working class type of humor. In many ways it's the new Hee-Haw...just not any lowcut blouses and tight cutoff blue jeans. I also think it's kind of like Scarface for white people...hitting it big in America and all that. White people eat it up because no drugs were sold, and no people were shot.

What kills it for me (besides the fact that it's really not funny, and I don't particularly care for the guys and their gay kids and their semi-hot wives) is the fact that it's more of a work than wrestling. Oh look, Si decided to teach the dog to drive the truck...somebody get a camera. Fuck me. The only one of them that I can even halfway stand is Jace, and I'm still struggling to understand why I find him the least bit compelling. I think Si is the old one that everybody loves...fuck me, I grew up around a hundred guys just like that...backwoods crazy. The old guy Phil is like every other male I grew up around...curmudgeonly Jesus accolyte.

It's infinitely more classy than Lizard Lick Towing, but only slightly more believable. The allure of the show completely escapes me, and this fact validates my status among the 1%.

Re: Can anyone explain the success of...

Posted: Mon Aug 26, 2013 4:26 pm
by Freki
I keep seeing ads for it during Real Housewives of NJ and have always wondered what it was.

Re: Can anyone explain the success of...

Posted: Mon Aug 26, 2013 4:38 pm
by SubClaw
Awesome beards = success.

Re: Can anyone explain the success of...

Posted: Mon Aug 26, 2013 5:04 pm
by TerryB
johno wrote:Can anyone explain the success of...Duck Dynasty?
People think it's funny?

It's not complicated.

Re: Can anyone explain the success of...

Posted: Mon Aug 26, 2013 6:49 pm
by beefheart
Freki wrote:I keep seeing ads for it during Real Housewives of NJ and have always wondered what it was.
=D>

Re: Can anyone explain the success of...

Posted: Mon Aug 26, 2013 11:08 pm
by Holland Oates
It caters to the red state Christians. And it's just good light hearted fun with an emphasis on family.

Re: Can anyone explain the success of...

Posted: Tue Aug 27, 2013 4:47 am
by milosz
I've seen two episodes, it wasn't funny but it stood out for not being mean. The producers don't want you to hate the characters (or idolize hateful people), which is a nice change.

I can't watch even a few minutes of most reality tv (excluding the Dirty Jobs/work-oriented ones) because it just makes me more misanthropic - oh, here are some shitty, stupid people doing shitty stupid things; or it's here's some section of the ignorant underclass doing ignorant shit for you to laugh at.

Re: Can anyone explain the success of...

Posted: Tue Aug 27, 2013 2:32 pm
by Pinky
Kazuya Mishima wrote:In many ways it's the new Hee-Haw...just not any lowcut blouses and tight cutoff blue jeans.
I've re-read this sentence a few times, and I still don't understand it.

Re: Can anyone explain the success of...

Posted: Tue Aug 27, 2013 2:49 pm
by Bob Wildes
I've watched a couple of episodes because I miss Swamp People and was hoping DD would be similar.

It isn't near as interesting as Swamp People, but compared to most of the shite on TV it is passably
watchable.

Re: Can anyone explain the success of...

Posted: Wed Aug 28, 2013 1:17 am
by DikTracy6000
I made it thru 1-1/2 episodes just so I could relate with my 13 y.o. grandson. it reminds too much of spending a week with buddies at deer hunting camp, lots of farts and old bullshit stories that never happened quite the way I remember them.

Re: Can anyone explain the success of...

Posted: Wed Aug 28, 2013 2:44 am
by Kazuya Mishima
Pinky wrote:
Kazuya Mishima wrote:In many ways it's the new Hee-Haw...just not any lowcut blouses and tight cutoff blue jeans.
I've re-read this sentence a few times, and I still don't understand it.
Hee Haw had a mild bit of titillation going on.

DD is just the down home hayseed material without the permed up beauties in scanty attire (and not as much music either, I guess).

Image

Re: Can anyone explain the success of...

Posted: Wed Aug 28, 2013 2:52 am
by Turdacious
Kazuya Mishima wrote:Hee Haw had a mild bit of titillation going on.
And Roy Clark and friends, making it one of the greatest show in history.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVX_HI4mzes[/youtube]

Re: Can anyone explain the success of...

Posted: Thu Aug 29, 2013 12:12 am
by DrDonkeyLove
Turdacious wrote:
Kazuya Mishima wrote:Hee Haw had a mild bit of titillation going on.
And Roy Clark and friends, making it one of the greatest show in history.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVX_HI4mzes[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwhGhRDoGmw[/youtube]

Re: Can anyone explain the success of...

Posted: Thu Aug 29, 2013 12:44 am
by Turdacious