Here comes that overused, but ever true cliché:
While I deplore much of what Phil had to say in GQ, I equally and unequivocally support his right to say it and for others to react accordingly.
If honesty is a virtue, Phil might be granted points for that as well, yet only to a limited extent, for honesty untempered by wisdom signals the folly of a fool.
For someone holding a Master of Arts Degree in Education from Louisiana Tech, as does Patriarch Phil, one would normally expect a bit more sophistication than displayed in his chronically crude and widely quoted pronouncements, both on and off the air. By example, comparing one’s wife to a Labrador Retriever is not generally recommended as persuasive foreplay in all but the most canine of cultures.
Did you know that Phil was also a schoolteacher, Willie has a Bachelor’s Degree in Health and Human Performance from the University of Louisiana and Korie is a graduate of Harding University? This is why I herein propose that “Duck Dynasty” – for all its down home, by golly, gee wiz charm — is pretty much a great big act.
So is A&E’s supposed punishment of Phil, who’s already completed most of his fourth season work and isn’t even due back on the set till March, by which time all will be amiably settled to everyone’s contractual satisfaction, leaving issues of unresolved morality and propriety for others – elsewhere — some new day.
“Reality Television” is a contradiction in terms – like – “Military Intelligence” or “The Vegetarian Tiger” or “A Fish Camp Socialite.”
And if all this hasn’t made you want to duck and cover – I hope you’re sitting down.
A few days ago, Dr. Bill Atwood, J.R. Froelich, Alan Cheah and I were sitting around the bar at Crab Cakes amiably and festively conversing about all sorts of things, when Dr. Bill came up with an outstanding idea. You might only read about it here this one time, since part of the concept is to maintain confidentiality as a critical aspect of the initial exercise until we see what happens during and after our first “session”.
The genius of the proposed intellectual adventure rests in its simplicity.
Just the four of us will pick a certain time and place and sit down together. Each will summarize our basic thoughts and generalized philosophy without interruption, contradiction or debate in any form. There will be no note taking and nothing discussed may be used in any future columns by anyone present other than that which may be, in time, unanimously agreed upon.
That’s it!
If you don’t believe me, ask any of the others.
In a phrase, it would be quite cool individually and collectively discovering “where each of us is coming from.”
I think that would be an extraordinarily positive way to begin a New Year and congratulate Dr. Atwood for his proposal, as well as Alan and J.R. for their enthusiastic endorsement of the basic concept.
Happy 2014!
“You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one.”
Imagine!
Chapter Thirty-Three – “Getting It”
Buried under eight feet of snow and six feet of earth, he’s not going anywhere.
That would be my great grandfather and namesake, Peter Cavanaugh, who was born in Ballyoughter, Ireland in 1816 and now rests under a remarkable Celtic cross next to St. Mary’s Church in Fulton, New York — having established permanent residency at such a fine location upon his death in 1892.
Fulton, on the leeward shore of Lake Ontario, averages 179.6 inches of snowfall per season. It is 30 miles northwest of Syracuse, which receives a comparatively puny 115.6 annual inches. It was 72 ever so dry degrees on our back deck in Oakhurst last week as I spoke with my brother in Syracuse, where it was 8 above zero with two feet of freshly fallen snow on the ground from the previous night.
As anyone who watches the Weather Channel or just looks out the window knows, we are being confronted with increasingly strange and potentially ominous environmental conditions in current times, the jet stream dividing us into two separate realities between East and Far West in this latest instance of marked deviance from national norms. We are becoming as temporarily polarized climatologically as we are even more sadly separated in our political persuasions – devolving into a new U.S.A. – The Un-United States of America. Yet, unlike the scientifically undeniable realities of global warming, this social disintegration won’t last long. Formed by the unwavering forces of unstoppable demographic change, a new America awaits us all. I say, let’s get on with it.
Following Barack Obama’s reelection in 2012 and a pronounced diminution in the popularity of ultra-conservative candidates by an awakened national electorate, the Republican National Committee undertook several months of serious study into what went wrong and what to do about it. This massive “Growth and Opportunity Project” conducted 36,000 online surveys, initiated 800 conference calls and employed fifty focus groups. Its final recommendations involved increased efforts to clarify messaging with a renewed focus on appeals to minorities — particularly Hispanics, African-Americans, Asians, women and youth. Since the results of the exercise were presented for consideration and action last year, the national GOP has moved in exactly the opposite direction.
Last week’s Sierra Star presented a summary of 2013 highlights in Madera County, beginning with “a substantial loss of income for area businesses” due to October’s governmental shutdown, which included a closure of Yosemite National Park for 16 days. Jerry Rankin, who manages Oakhurst’s Comfort Inn, is quoted as saying, “Within the first 4 hours, we had about 15 rooms cancel. That’s $1,500 in lost income.”
Similarly, with over an estimated million local dollars vaporized as a direct consequence of the unwarranted slam down, Dan Cunning of the Yosemite Visitor’s Bureau noted, “If there is a silver lining to this cloud, it is that it didn’t happen during our peak season.” Not so fast, Dan. It could happen again this brand new year if our Congressman, Tom McClintock, has anything to say about it.
This Representative has gone on record time and time again in his dedicated efforts against the trumped up specter of “big government” in general and President Barack Obama in particular. McClintock presents himself as a champion of individualism, opposed to such nonsensical collective fantasies as “economic fairness” and “social justice.” What’s wrong with that new Pope? In attempting to tie repudiation and overturning of “ObamaCare” into approval of last fall’s temporary congressional budget deal, McClintock was directly responsible for Yosemite’s closure and this region’s ensuing financial woes, sharing such shame with fellow supporters in the GOP’s hard-right wing.
And where is Tom on Immigration Reform? Infrastructure investment? Job creation? Voter suppression? Tax reform? Unemployment Insurance? Women’s Rights? And yes – where is our Congressman on still another prohibitively expensive government closure?
He’s busy rolling up his 2014 campaign kitty – much of which he’ll not even need to spend – being securely cocooned in a “safe district.”
Tom McClintock is not worried about you – or for you – at all.
He’s got his.
Get your own.
##
About The Author
At the age of sixteen in 1957, Peter C. Cavanaugh enjoyed a fifty-eight percent total audience share on his hometown station, WNDR in Syracuse, New York. Decades later, he wrote "Local DJ" -- a book about his adventures ever since, promoting and producing literally hundreds of early concerts with the likes of Chuck Berry, The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, The Who, Bob Seger, Ted Nugent, Alice Cooper, Kiss and so on, as well as running Reams Broadcasting -- a seven station radio group which included the top-rated Rock & Roll stations in America. In the early '80's, Cavanaugh introduced Michael Moore to an unsuspecting public over WTAC and WWCK in Flint, Michigan.
Mr. Cavanaugh is former Chairman of the NBC Source Board, President of the ABC Radio Affiliates Board and President of the Flint Area Advertising Federation. He is a multiple award winning broadcast executiv
e -- prominently featured in Cleveland's Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Peter lives in Oakhurst, California, with his wife of 50 years, Eileen, and remains active with broadcast consulting, writing, counseling and public speaking.
COOL LINKS:
"Digital Scrapbook" -- https://www.wildwednesday.com
"Professional Website" -- https://www.petercavanaugh.com
Peter C. "Blog Site" -- https://www.petercavanaugh.wordpress.com
Facebook Link -- https://www.facebook.com/peter.cavanaugh1
To Write Peter Cavanaugh -- mailto:[email protected]
"Remembering WTAC" -- https://www.facebook.com/big6WTAC
"Sherwood Forest Concerts" -- https://www.facebook.com/SherwoodForestInDavisonMI
"Rejoice Dear Hearts" Page 9