by Cate Waggoner

Duck Dynasty was a popular television show that aired from 2012 to 2017. It followed a local Louisiana family, the Robertsons, who made a living off of hunting ducks and were famous for their duck hunting whittle. The reality show focuses on the family dynamic and how their duck hunting passion has become the large business that it is. Immediately when you watch the show, you notice men with foot long beards and camo from head to toe. If you aren’t already thinking of redneck country, you are on the wrong channel. As you continue to watch, you notice other Southern aspects such as many of the characters always having a glass of iced tea in their hands, or even the way that their houses are decorated with deer heads on the walls. But really what completes the Southern vibe is the close knit family aspect highlighted throughout the seasons. 

Like any other reality TV show, there has to be drama. The show needs to focus in and highlight something that will entertain the viewers. For Duck Dynasty, it is the Southerness of the cast. The show spotlights how crazy and wild this family is in the way they talk, interact, and live. For example, one of the cast members, Si Robertson, is the kooky member of the family. If you can somehow understand him through his thick accent, you will hear all sorts of nonsense. His nephew Willie Robertson is the exact opposite. He is always serious and embodies several traits that people might think of as Southern in the way he looks (always in camo or boots) to the way he respects his mother and family. Despite their differences, the whole family has stayed close over the years, not just physically but emotionally. The way that the show follows each member of the family and captures how intimate each relationship helps to highlight just how Southern the show really is.