And again, people will see and read what they want to see. It reads to me like he is saying before blacks became entitled thanks to welfare they were still happy.

 

But that's his personal experience so it's all good.

 

Were you really offended by those comments? He was talking about a specific set of people he grew up with. Naive, sure. But I doubt the black people he grew up with were moping around and they probably were happy. Doesn't mean their lives couldn't of been better.

The end of that section read as if to say "before that troublesome civil rights nonsense, black people were happy and singing in the South". He painted a Walt Disney "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" version of the South that jumped right off the page at me.

 

This.

I'm going to guess that there are more gay people that watch A&E than black people.

 

 

 

I have no stats to back up that assumption.

 

A survey of one? :lol2:

Well, I'm still going to watch Bates Motel.

Now there's no doubt about that. The guy went down there with the intention of asking him questions that would generate responses like this. But in the end, he's the one that gave the answers.

 

Agreed

I'm going to guess that there are more gay people that watch A&E than black people.

 

 

 

I have no stats to back up that assumption.

Since Intervention went off the air I honestly can't name another show on A&E off-hand.

The end of that section read as if to say "before that troublesome civil rights nonsense, black people were happy and singing in the South". He painted a Walt Disney "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" version of the South that jumped right off the page at me.

 

Phil grew up poor and in the back woods. I'm guessing he only saw a small sliver of the south in a small close community.

Were you really offended by those comments? He was talking about a specific set of people he grew up with. Naive, sure. But I doubt the black people he grew up with were moping around and they probably were happy. Doesn't mean their lives couldn't of been better.

 

I thought his comments about blacks were incredibly stupid. Offended? No. You have to go hard to offend me. I'm simply asking questions.

 

And how do you know they were probably happy? I guarantee I know a whole lot more about how happy blacks in Louisiana in the 60s were more than you do.

The end of that section read as if to say "before that troublesome civil rights nonsense, black people were happy and singing in the South". He painted a Walt Disney "Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah" version of the South that jumped right off the page at me.

I didn't take it that way at all. I took it as there wasn't a racial divide where he was in the south at that time, for him at least. Guess I'm way off on that one.

A survey of one? :lol2:

 

I at least gave a disclaimer.

Phil grew up poor and in the back woods. I'm guessing he only saw a small sliver of the south in a small close community.

He was also a standout athlete in several sports (which requires travel) and played college football. I think he saw a decent chunk of the south growing up.

I didn't take it that way at all. I took it as there wasn't a racial divide where he was in the south at that time, for him at least. Guess I'm way off on that one.

 

I didn't either the first time, but I can certainly see it now.

I thought his comments about blacks were incredibly stupid. Offended? No. You have to go hard to offend me. I'm simply asking questions.

 

And how do you know they were probably happy? I guarantee I know a whole lot more about how happy blacks in Louisiana in the 60s were more than you do.

 

I don't know anything so you are right. My point was Phil was making a point on a very small sample size he grew up with and worked with. Which I found to be naive on his part but I've never found Phil to be a liar so maybe that is what he really thought at the time.

I have no idea what you were going for here. :lol2: I am cool with A&E's decision, just saying that 95% of people knew where Phil stood on homosexuality, including A&E, but then want to act offended.

 

When it comes down to it, it is all in how he stated his beliefs. Had he just said, "I do not believe ...." and be done with it he probably would not have suffered any repercussions. I am all for gay equality, marriage, etc. but the comments made me pause for a second. I just think many go out of their way to find offense. Then again I get offended by very little.

 

I just don't get the notion that "everyone knew how he felt" before he said these things because he is a devout Christian on the show. He had some deranged opinions. Why should I have known those because of his reverence for his faith?

 

Here's a guy strongly associated with his religious beliefs who gets a big platform to talk about whatever he wants and he says these totally predictable, stereotypical Southern things. I would have cringed if I was a fan of his upon reading this. I think the show has been heralded for rehabilitating that stereotypical image of the South by showing a good-natured, fun, loving family that isn't ignorant just because they have accents and hunt. Then he says all this that everyone would expect a guy with an accent who hunts to say.

 

All that leads me to believe the show, like its reality ilk, is scripted illusion. A&E has made a lot of money marketing these guys as "a good-natured, fun, loving family that isn't ignorant just because they have accents and hunt" and now the curtain is pulled back a little bit. I have to think they fear their reality empire is in jeopardy.

He was also a standout athlete in several sports (which requires travel) and played college football. I think he saw a decent chunk of the south growing up.

 

I don't know when he played were southern schools integrated at that time? If I had to guess I would bet the only black people he met until adulthood were the ones he worked with.