It’s Duck (Commander) Season on Lefty Sites

Liberal outlets revile ‘Dynasty’s’ Robertson for his heresy.

Hell hath no fury like the gay left scorned, as “Duck Dynasty” star Phil Robertson is currently learning. (Whether he cares or not, is another matter.) 

The self-proclaimed “Bible-Thumper’s” views on homosexuality, published in a January 2014 GQ interview spread like wildfire in the media. Robertson was charged with making “anti-gay” comments such as, “It seems like, to me, a vagina—as a man—would be more desirable than a man’s anus. That’s just me. I’m just thinking: There’s more there! She’s got more to offer. I mean, come on, dudes! You know what I’m saying? But hey, sin: It’s not logical, my man. It’s just not logical.” 

A&E, “Duck Dynasty’s” network home, went all profile-in-courage and immediately suspended Robertson, and shrieks of horror were heard in the usual corners of the lefty blogosphere. 

Slate’s Elliot Hannon pointed to Roberston as an example for “homophobia,” Alternet accused him of “homophobic and racial obliviousness.” (Elsewhere in the article, Robertson recalled growing up in the Jim Crow South, saying “I never, with my eyes, saw the mistreatment of any black person,” and “I never heard one of them, one black person, say, ‘I tell you what: These doggone white people’—not a word!”)

 Salon’s Neil Drumming called him an “old bigot” – while the Buzzfeed staff played around with “The 35 Gayest Moments From “Duck Dynasty.” 

The Los Angeles Times’ Meredith Black condemned Robertson as he went “on record with comments about the sinfulness of gays and black people under Jim Crow that are about as forward-thinking as his Old Testament facial hair.”

Jezebel’s Rebecca “Burt” Ray screamed, “OMG OMG WTF WTF SHUT UP” while calling Robertson out for a “homophobic rant” – a “pretty gross rant.” Jezebel’s Callie Beusman more casually assumed, “every sensible person in the universe is furious at Duck Dynasty for a lot of reasons.” (Except that they’re not. Support for Robertson was widespread and vociferous.) 

The Huffington Post’s Gay Voices Editor-at-large Michelangelo Signorile had a huge freak-out, and slammed the “hate” with more hate: “Religious zealots like Duck Dynasty star Phil Robertson are using the Bible to defame a group of people, and to excuse horrible actions against that group in the name of their Bible, refusing responsibility for the hate their words condone and inspire.” He continued, “it's not one individual who's been insulted but an entire group of people defamed, attacked, vilified, bludgeoned with words that have been used by bullies in America's schools and bashers on the streets to engage in violence against LGBT people.” 

Which is funny, since despite his assertion that homosexuality is sin, here’s Robertson’s attitude toward gays: “We never, ever judge someone on who’s going to heaven, hell. That’s the Almighty’s job. We just love ’em, give ’em the good news about Jesus—whether they’re homosexuals, drunks, terrorists.” You could take exception to the company in which Robertson put gays, but unless learning about Jesus qualifies as “violence against LGBT people,” Signorile should really take a sedative. 

The Huffington Post’s “fascination” with Robertson didn’t end there. Noah Michelson labeled him a “homophobe” while Lori Sanders wrote about, “Why A&E's Suspension of Phil Robertson Is Something Christians (and All Americans) Should Support.” 

But liberals are nothing if not hypocrites. NewsBusters exposed the networks this week as they were all too happy to denounce 'outrageous' Robertson after ignoring Bashir's despicable attack on former Alaska governor Sarah Palin.

— Katie Yoder is Staff Writer, Joe and Betty Anderlik Fellow in Culture and Media at the Media Research Center. Follow Katie Yoder on Twitter.