When Duck Dynasty was popular back in 2013-14 or so, I never thought much of the show.  I knew it was something that conservative evangelicals and rural people enjoyed.  Since I had just moved back to my small hometown around that time pretty much everybody I came into contact with was talking about it.  The show's mainstream popularity cratered after Phil Robertson became more outspokenly anti-gay in early 2015, though the cast has remained popular in rural America especially among evangelical Christians. At the time however, I didn't think the show really had much of a broader cultural impact.  I am starting to reconsider that.

Does anybody think that Duck Dynasty and it's popularity (along with the Chick Fil-A appreciation day) was a precursor to Trump's America?  Duck Dynasty was popular right around the time that the SJW movement was starting to become big and Phil Robertson became somewhat of an early figurehead for the alt-right/anti-SJW movement.  Duck Dynasty represents a significant part of '10s culture; the perception of rural America as the "real" America, the rejection of science in favor of religion, the rejection of reason in favor of emotion, and a hyperfocus on traditional values and opposition to alternative lifestyles such as homosexuality. 

Thoughts?

I've strangely noticed this too. I knew a few rednecks in my high school who were obsessed with that show back when it first came out, but like you, I didn't really think nothing of it since most people seemed to hate it. It looked like one of those shows marketed towards more right leaning/rural communities.  However, as the show progressively started to become more popular I started to notice more and more people in my town starting to watch it. All of a sudden many of the former wiggers/swaggers in my town transformed into (wannabe) rednecks due to the rising popularity of Duck Dynasty. Outdoors activities like Hunting, Fishing, Biking, etc. got really big in 2014-2015, and people started to incorporate a mixture of the hipster/neo redneck fashion trends (timberland boots, flannel shirts, beards, straight legged levi jeans, etc.).

Its funny because the county I live in is one of the more conservative counties in my state (NJ), but comparatively when compared to other conservative regions in the country (even our neighbors in PA) we're seen as pretty liberal. From what I observed over the years, especially seeing tons of Trump signs around where I live and barely any Hillary, it seems like the county is starting to take a hard turn to the right. While in the past it was more of a moderate political county, in some elections going blue and others going red. And its not just my county, many other counties in the state have become more sympathetic to right wing views in recent years. Perhaps having a GOP governor for the past 8 years have made people in the state receptive to that, but I digress.

With this craziness going on here in many parts of NJ, one of the most liberal states in the country, I couldn't even imagine how much of a shift you've felt in your own state. Judging by your past traumatic experiences, I'm guessing its somewhere in the mid-west or south? Regardless, its likely a reliably red state right?

When Duck Dynasty was popular back in 2013-14 or so, I never thought much of the show.  I knew it was something that conservative evangelicals and rural people enjoyed.  Since I had just moved back to my small hometown around that time pretty much everybody I came into contact with was talking about it.  The show's mainstream popularity cratered after Phil Robertson became more outspokenly anti-gay in early 2015, though the cast has remained popular in rural America especially among evangelical Christians. At the time however, I didn't think the show really had much of a broader cultural impact.  I am starting to reconsider that.

Does anybody think that Duck Dynasty and it's popularity (along with the Chick Fil-A appreciation day) was a precursor to Trump's America?  Duck Dynasty was popular right around the time that the SJW movement was starting to become big and Phil Robertson became somewhat of an early figurehead for the alt-right/anti-SJW movement.  Duck Dynasty represents a significant part of '10s culture; the perception of rural America as the "real" America, the rejection of science in favor of religion, the rejection of reason in favor of emotion, and a hyperfocus on traditional values and opposition to alternative lifestyles such as homosexuality. 

Thoughts?


Most of the alt-right isn't religious (Richard Spencer, Jared Taylor, and Kevin MacDonald for example, are all atheists), and even if they do have a religion, it's most likely Odinism or some type of Germanic neopaganism (Henrik Palmgren, Varg Vikernes, Seana Fenner, Lana Lokteff, Weev, etc).

The only alt-right person I could think of that is religious in your perspective (Christianity) is Vox Day.

With this craziness going on here in many parts of NJ, one of the most liberal states in the country, I couldn't even imagine how much of a shift you've felt in your own state. Judging by your past traumatic experiences, I'm guessing its somewhere in the mid-west or south? Regardless, its likely a reliably red state right?


Fort Smith, Arkansas area, on the Oklahoma side.  This is probably the most conservative, homophobic, Trump supporting area of the country.  It downright sucks to live here with my sensibilities but it is what it is.  I left in 2009 swearing to never return yet I did in 2012.  Now we are a half decade later, my twenties are gone, and I am still working on coming to terms with things.  FML  >:(

Fort Smith, Arkansas area, on the Oklahoma side.  This is probably the most conservative, homophobic, Trump supporting area of the country.  It downright sucks to live here with my sensibilities but it is what it is.  I left in 2009 swearing to never return yet I did in 2012.  Now we are a half decade later, my twenties are gone, and I am still working on coming to terms with things.  FML  >:(


Damn that sucks man :-\\.

You just to have to keep living man. Your 20s may be gone, but you still have the rest of your life to look forward to. I'm not too sure about your economic situation, but just continue to work your way up and maybe you could eventually move out of that place and start fresh.

It's just a sucky situation though. I can't believe theres still people in this country that still think that LGBTQ people are considered inferior. That just infuriates me >:(.