Duck Dynasty Star Booted

[n david]

I was discussing with my wife whether or not this was a ploy to boost ratings which backfired on A&E.

The show is going to begin its 5th season next month. Filming is already complete, so Phil won't lose much, if any, time on the show. The GQ magazine article is the January edition. Most shows begin to lose interest in the 4th or 5th year, especially reality shows. A&E was aware of the GQ interview and had to approve it, since it was about the show.

In order to keep the high ratings, A&E may have decided to stir the pot before the 5th season premieres. By setting up an interview with Phil and GQ, they knew something would be asked regarding Phil's views, and they likely knew the answer would be "controversial."

A&E thought they would have a win/win situation, where they could stand up for GLAAD and at the same time generate interest in what would happen in the new season starting in a month.

Except A&E wasn't prepared for the backlash. They probably thought people would agree with their decision. They read the polls and thought that they were true -- that a majority of Americans were accepting of LGBTs.

What happens now doesn't matter. I believe A&E was ready to drop the show after this season. End on a high note. They just wanted to boost ratings for this season, and that's exactly what will happen.