If you’ve ever scrolled through your TV guide on Monday, Wednesday, or Friday nights, you might’ve seen a show called “Duck Dynasty” on A&E. One may assume it’s a hunting show, but would be completely wrong. The creators of “Duck Dynasty” managed not only to form a great reality show, but also a comedic view of the Robertson family lifestyle, making this reality show a cut above the rest.

Overview

“Duck Dynasty” follows the life and business at Duck Commander, a family business founded by Phil Robertson in Monroe, Louisiana that manufacturers duck calls and decoys.  The show premiered in early 2012, and its main character is Phil’s son Willie, who is now CEO of the company. In each episode, Duck Commander tackles orders, daily-life events of multi-millionaire rednecks, and even wild animals at times.  One popular element of the show is the family’s strong Christian lifestyle. At the end of each episode, the entire Robertson family and the Duck Commander employees sit down at the dinner table, thank God for their day and for the food, and then eat together with smiles on their faces. When watching the show, one will immediately realize each adult male in the show has one thing in common: facial hair. The Robertson family claims that “if we took all the wasted time we spent mowing grass and shaving our faces…we could be to Venus by now.”

History

Because Phil Robertson was unhappy with the duck calls on the market, he began to experiment with old pieces of wood he had, being a huge duck hunter himself. In fact, Phil claimed he wanted to build a call that sounded so realistic that “no duck would even place in a duck calling contest.” After creating his first duck call in 1972, he received a patent in 1973, and thus the Duck Commander Company was founded right in his very own home. At the Robertson house, Phil’s wife and four sons assisted in the assembly, packaging and shipments. Because the business started off small, Phil traveled store to store, hoping to catch a big break. Most stores declined his products; in fact, a large store in Stuttgart, AR ridiculed him for even trying. Ironically, that store is now one of Duck Commander’s largest customers.  Since 1973, Duck Commander has made much more than just duck calls, and their products have been sold in all fifty states and in several countries.

Main Characters

Phil Robertson:

Phil was born to a large family in Vivian, Louisiana. Because of this large family, money was tight, so hunting played a major influence in his life. In high-school, Phil became an extremely talented athlete. He received All-State honors in football, baseball, and track. His athleticism earned him a scholarship to Louisiana Tech University for football. While at LA Tech, he played first string quarterback. In fact, Phil played in front of NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Terry Bradshaw. Although Robertson was scouted by many NFL teams, he declined all offers into the NFL for one major reason: he would miss duck season. Phil told news reporters, “They said, ‘Why don’t you go in the NFL and play football?’ In the ‘60s, the late ‘60s, the going price was $60,000. You make the team? 60 grand. I thought, ‘And I miss duck season? And I have large, violent… men chasing me trying to stomp me in the dirt?’ It just seemed like a lot of stress and not a lot of money” (Interview Link). Phil is now a pastor after turning his life over to Christ. He enjoys preaching and spreading the word of God. Phil’s family includes his wife “Miss Kay,” and four sons, Alan, Jase, Willie, and Jeptha (Jep).

Willie Robertson:
Willie is the CEO of Duck Commander and is one of Miss Kay and Phil’s sons. After achieving a business degree at Harding University in Arkansas (the only business degree in the family I might add), Willie took Duck Commander and transformed it into a multi-million dollar company. Even though working with family all day long can be a headache, Willie seems to enjoy his time at Duck Commander. After high-school, Willie married Korie Robertson, and they now have five children: John Luke, Sadie, Lil’ Will, Bella, and a foster child named Rebecca.

Jase Robertson:

Jase is another one of Miss Kay and Phil’s sons. Jase, the complete opposite of Willie, is the executive designer for Duck Commander, and he supervises all the manufacturing, ensuring that every call is hand-tuned to perfection which he actually does himself. When motivated to do so, Jase can crank out hundreds of calls within hours, but because he doesn’t want to always satisfy the CEO, he takes his sweet time on other days. His motto is: “God, family, and ducks.” Jase has been married to Missy Robertson for 21 years now, and they have three children: Reed, Cole, and Mia.

Silas “Si” Robertson:

Si is Phil’s younger brother, but also his best friend. He has worked and hunted for Duck Commander as the reed manufacturer since 1993 after he retired from the US Army. In most episodes, Si manages to slip in a story about his time “in ‘Nam.”  His most famous story is that while serving, his mother sent him a blue cup and every day since then, he has enjoyed a cup of sweet tea from it. Si is married to Christine Robertson (who is not featured on “Duck Dynasty”).  Another notable quality of Si is that he is famous on the show for saying “Jack” after the end of his sentences. For example, one famous line is, “That’s what I’m talkin’ ‘bout, Jack!”

Wrap-Up

If you want to see redneck millionaires running around, making duck calls, blowing up duck blinds, and living the Christian life, I highly suggest you watch “Duck Dynasty” on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 9:00 PM (Central Time). Although its second season ended in December, the third season is set to air March 2013. It has good family humor and a southern twist that you will not catch anywhere else.

Bibliography

A&E TV Corporation . Duck Dynasty. 2013. 13 01 2013. <http://www.aetv.com/duck-dynasty/>.

Duck Commander. Meet the Duckmen. 2013. 13 01 2013. <http://www.duckcommander.com/duckmen/>.

“Duck Dynasty Banner.” n.d. Pink Zebra Lounge . 13 01 2013. <http://pinkzebralounge.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/news-generic-duck-dynasty.jpg>.

Johnson, James. Phil Robertson Explains Why He Turned Down NFL For ‘Duck Dynasty’. 09 November 2012. 13 01 2013. <http://www.inquisitr.com/416910/phil-robertson-explains-why-he-turned-down-nfl-for-duck-dynasty/>.

TV Guide. “Duck Dynasty: Pictures, Videos, News.” n.d. TV Guide. 13 01 2013. <http://www.tvguide.com/tvshows/duck-dynasty/371989>.

Wikipedia. Duck Dynasty. n.d. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duck_Dynasty. 13 01 2013.