Laura Ingraham: Why 'Duck Dynasty' is a winner
August 19, 2013

By Laura Ingraham

Unless you've been living under a rock for the past year, you've heard about A&E's reality show the mega hit "Duck Dynasty".

The series follows a wildly successful family-run company in Louisiana that manufactures duck calls. On Wednesday, the show's fourth season premier shattered cable TV records for reality shows -- 11.8 million people tuned in, half of those in the critical 18 to 49 demographic. The show also lights up social media and it has its own hugely popular product line.

So what explains the success? What's the allure of watching a bunch of long-haired rednecks sitting around teasing each other talking about their business, relationships and family lives? There is no nudity, pretty much no foul language and no celebrity drop-bys.

Well first, this is my theory. The "Duck Dynasty" characters are genuinely funny, but it's not always the obvious slapstick stuff. The dialogue can be really ironic, too. The Robertson family comes across as unrehearsed, no-nonsense and warm.

Yet, there is another explanation for this mega hit -- the show's focus on family, country and faith. Each episode, in fact, ends with a prayer.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's pray. Father, we thank you for this night and we thank you for the blessing of being in this place. Thank you for mom and dad and their commitment to one another and all these years they've served you. Father we pray continued blessings on our family. Amen.

PEOPLE: Amen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

INGRAHAM: And this isn't one big put-on for the cameras. This is their way of life. In fact, the family patriarch Phil Robertson was a preacher for decades before the TV show and he openly discusses Jesus, the Lord God in media interviews. How often today do we see families in prayer on entertainment television? As families have disintegrated in America, as our culture has become hyper-sexualized, as kids are losing their innocence at younger and younger ages, I think it's undoubtedly a welcome relief to many TV viewers to just watch a program that doesn't offend their core values.

"Duck Dynasty" depicts a colorful intact, dare I say traditional family, and they're leading a happy and really successful life. What a concept. Wake up, Hollywood. There is a huge audience out there that is turning off and tuning out the garbage that passes as entertainment today. Sex might sell but real love, love of family, neighbor, country and yes God that sells too. And in the end it's a lot more fulfilling.

And that's the memo.

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Transcript Date: 
Fri, 08/16/2013
Transcript Show Name: 
O'Reilly Factor
Posted by BillOReilly.com Staff at 5:17 AM
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