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'Duck Dynasty' Star Suspended; Legally Deaf NFL Player

Aired December 19, 2013 - 14:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back. I'm Brooke Baldwin.

And you are watching our special discussion on political correctness in America after the suspension of this reality TV star. On average, 14 million people watch each and every episode of "Duck Dynasty" every week on A&E. But if you are one of those people who has never seen the show, take a quick look. But be warned, one of the clips gets a little bloody.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I got the perfect spot for this.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is going to be fun.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now we're working.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's our rope swing, boys.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hit it.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Si, that's a poodle.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I know, look at the statue on this thing. He's got killer written all over him.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (inaudible).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, my goodness.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That dog is going to get that duck.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, there goes his wing. The duck's head has now been removed. A little bloody. One, two, three. Have you all ever heard of the term, Nam? people got shot up, medicals are running around fixing them all up, propped this guy against a tree, he had a shoulder wound. There is a Bengal tiger, grabbed this guy, he just (inaudible), dragged him off. Nothing but blood spraying everywhere.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think that will be just fine.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: Okay, "Duck Dynasty." Reality TV sure has multiplied since Ozzy Osbourne shuffled across the living room, calling out to his wife Sharon. Think about it, you have "Housewives," you have "Honey Boo Boo," "Swamp People," Kardashians. How do you top outrageous when outrageous is really the name of the game? HLN Showbiz Tonight anchor A.J. Hammer is joining me now. And AJ, 14 million people watch this each and every week. But reality TV is big business.

AJ HAMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Long gone are the days, Brooke, when network TV shows were the ones pulling in the big numbers exclusively. 14 million is beyond what a lot of your favorite network, even your favorite network primetime shows, are pulling in. So that's big bucks because, remember, these shows don't cost a whole lot to produce, they don't cost a whole lot for the networks to get on the air. A whole lot of eyeballs are coming to the network. You mentioned 14 for "Duck Dynasty." That is a huge number. But still, shows like "The Real Housewives of Atlanta," very successful with an average of about 3.3 million viewers a week. Keep in mind, with a show like "Duck Dynasty," there's a lot of merchandising too at stake. If this show actually ends up going away, it's a pretty big nugget going away for the network.

BALDWIN: I know, someone sent me a walmart.com page of like the comforters, the blankets, the t-shirts, it's everywhere if you want it. But when we say reality TV, A.J., be real with me. How much of this is really real?

HAMMER: This is something we have debated ever since reality TV has been on the air. You mentioned the Osbournes a few minutes ago. And by the way, you just reminded me, I'm probably going to go revisit that and watch the DVd collection over the holidays, because that's a classic show. Much of which, and Sharon has told me herself, much of it really was just a camera trained on their family, because they were that fascinating. But I have spoken with virtually all of the Real Housewives at one point or another, and they'll all tell me that, you know, a lot of the drama is real based on the personalities, but a lot of the situations they're put into, whether it be traveling on the yachts or the amount of alcohol they are given at a particular event, it's done by producers to create the drama, for sure.

BALDWIN: Okay, okay, A.J. Hammer, good luck watching the Osbournes. Loan me the DVD when you're done. All right?

Coming up, we'll talk about the decision here to suspend the patriarch of Duck Dynasty, Phil Robertson. How will it impact the show's branding? We'll get down to the nitty-gritty when it comes to PR, whether this may actually will help their audience, or maybe that's the start of a slow death of this hit show. Stay right here.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Welcome back to our special discussion. I'm Brooke Baldwin and we're talking about reality TV star Phil Robertson, the patriarch of the A&E hit series Duck Dynasty. So the network suspended him for the graphic, controversial comments he made about gays in the current issue of GQ magazine, and this move has ignited a firestorm on both sides of the debate over homosexuality and religion. But this guy, Phil Robertson is not the only star to feel the heat from their stepping in it, their controversy comments. Look at these faces. Mel Gibson, who was shunned by Hollywood for a spell over alleged racist and sexist comments. Alec Baldwin basically lost his cable show after using a homophobic slur against a member of the paparazzi. Isaiah Washington used the same anti-gay slur when talking about a co-star. Paula Deen apologized for using the n-word many years ago, and Michael Richards had a long time-out after a racist tirade after a comedy show. Folks, the list goes on and on.

Some of the stars, when you put this whole thing in context, they're back in the game. But you could argue their stars maybe don't shine quite as brightly. Robertson is a staunch Christian. This is part of his on-screen brand, but not all publicity may be good publicity. Let's talk to our panel here. We have CNN senior media correspondent and "Reliable Sources" host Brian Stelter. We have entertainment PR and studio entertainment PR and brand specialist Marvet Britto, and host of "The 11th Hour," Don Lemon.

Brian Stelter to you first, because I want to begin with A&E. They got on this like, boom, four hours after this came out in GQ and he's on hiatus.

BRIAN STELTER, HOST, RELIABLE SOURCES: Indefinite.

BALDWIN: Indefinite hiatus. What did they tell you?

STELTER: The backlash today has been tremendous. You've been talking about it the last few minutes. I was wondering if A&E would say something new today, maybe they would change their stance, maybe they would defend themselves, but nothing. No comment from A&E today. I think that's going to change. I think they are just trying to weather the storm that is out there on the Internet today, but I do think the Robertson family might comment. I'm not sure what they might say. Maybe they'll come out and defend their father, maybe they'll say they have a good relationship with A&E still, I'm not sure. So that might come later today.

DON LEMON, CNN ANCHOR: I'm going to say they're getting their ducks in a row.

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: Boom.

LEMON: The word hiatus. That tells you something.

BALDWIN: Marvet, what do you make of the fact they jumped on it, so they jumped on it, but then, where do they go from there?

MARVET BRITTO, ENTERTAINMENT, PR AND BRAND STRATEGIST: They jumped on it and now they're recalibrating. They are assessing the situation to determine what they need to do. Remember, this is the highest-rated show in reality -- reality show ever.

BALDWIN: Ever. BRITTO: So it's not going away. Remember, this show is popular for many reasons. One of which is honesty and its relatability. Relatability translates to commonness, which means there are many people, millions feel the same way Phil does. He may not have had to say those words, but it's manifested through his lifestyle, through his beliefs. And we have to realize that we can't sensor reality. It's called reality television for a reason. I think we're becoming so desensitized to seeing scripted individuals. We have to look at the context. He didn't say it to be harmful or hurtful, like other celebrities.

BALDWIN: Although he did harm and hurt some.

BRITTO: He did, but he was being honest.

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: How did he harm and hurt some? I don't understand--

BALDWIN: People are taking great offense.

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: Yes, I was offended, but it didn't harm or hurt me. Yes, I'm offended. I don't think people should use that language. Does it affect my personal life? Me personally? No. Might it affect some children who might have issues with their sexuality? Yes. We should talk about those things, but we should also bring light to the fact that we wouldn't be sitting here talking about it if he didn't bring it up. So why can't we look at the positive side of this instead of trying to say this man should be fired for speaking his mind? Yes, he said something that was very offensive to lots of people, but how did it affect you really? How much influence does this man really have?

BALDWIN: Well, 14 million people watch the show each and every week. 14 million people watch it, and it could be even more. This whole thing could end up back in the face of the people who are offended because more and more people could be watching, and this could really galvanize a group, right, who says, amen, this is exactly how I feel and I'm going to get my friend and my friend to start watching.

STELTER: The new season is a few weeks away. They have already taped those episodes. He'll be on all those episodes.

LEMON: Best publicity they probably could have gotten.

STELTER: And they're going to keep doing more episodes even if he's not on them. There's no doubt about that, this show isn't going to go away, even if he goes away from it for a while.

BALDWIN: We have to sneak a quick break in, but how then would Duck Dynasty pick up? Does it matter this is an ensemble cast versus him being the star? And really, when we talk about good publicity, when we talk about how this could really help the show, how much could it help, how much could it hurt? Quick break. Special discussion with these three. After this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: All right, welcome back to the special discussion about all things Duck Dynasty, political correctness, whether the show should come back, what it looks like when it comes back without this patriarch based upon this fiery GQ interview. So rejoining me, Don Lemon, Marvet Britto, Brian Stelter. And before we chat, I read this fascinating article, "Time" magazine today, this is a guy, James Poniewozik, and this is what he wrote about what Phil Robertson said. He said, "There are enough of all kinds of fans, family viewers, comedy fans, fans of the culture to make the show a massive cable hit. As long as the subtext was subtext, but with Phil doing an interview in a national magazine talking gay people, anuses, damnation, oh, and how the Japanese fought us in World War II because they didn't have Jesus," he goes on, "that presents a problem. Now you have an issue with those of us who maybe just want to watch a family comedy about people outside a major city, but please, without somebody thumping gay people with their Bible or a problem with people with gay friends or family, or, you know, actual gay A&E viewers." Does he have a point?

LEMON: Yes, but that's where the market comes in where he says so those people won't watch anymore. But as Marvet said, people who feel some sort of a commonality with him, millions and millions of people, will stay and they will watch. And maybe other people will watch because of all the attention they're getting here on the news.

I think the bigger point in this, when he talks about, you know, when he talked about religion in that piece, I think he mentioned it in the "Time" piece, and you were doing a segment on it, I think really that is the most important peg here. Is the religious aspect of it, whether or not people use religion as a shield for bigotry or whatever, but there are a lot of people who believe in America, am I wrong? Who believe the same thing Phil Robertson believes.

BRITTO: And there's a large segment that will hold to those values and the beliefs. He said things that were common to him growing up in Louisiana.

BALDWIN: Sure.

BRITTO: They may not be common to someone living in New York, they may not be common to someone living elsewhere, but it doesn't mean he should be muted if it's a reality show.

BALDWIN: There are so many Christians who disagree with him, absolutely disagree.

BRITTO: We may be Christians and not agree with each other. That is the one thing that Christians do agree on, is that they won't ever agree, right? That's why you have different religions. Different expressions of your belief.

LEMON: That's a point of religion and God, live and let live. Turn the other cheek. You can disagree with someone, but it doesn't mean you have to castigate them or call them names. I'm a Christian. Marvet, I assume you're a Christian. I don't believe one word he said. I think people twist the Bible and verses and words and scripture into what they want it to be. I think he's doing that, but someone taught him to do that.

BALDWIN: Sure.

LEMON: So the lesson in all of this is what? How do we get people to understand that that's maybe not what the Bible is saying? That's your interpretation of the Bible.

BALDWIN: And if you disagree, click.

LEMON: Right.

BRITTO: There is a choice.

BALDWIN: Boom. Brian Stelter, last word.

STELTER: This is the kind of thing that should be on the show. You don't hear the conversations about his Christianity on the show the way we saw in GQ. Sometimes the best reality shows are the ones that actually address these real subjects.

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: You mean the reality shows that are actually real?

(CROSSTALK)

STELTER: It doesn't happen often, but maybe it will in this case, I don't know.

LEMON: This is pretty real, though, don't you think? When they're down in the swamps, and they're looking for (inaudible), that's pretty real to me.

STELTER: I have learned a lot.

(CROSSTALK)

BALDWIN: I know you're from Louisiana.

LEMON: I have.

BALDWIN: Don Lemon, Brian Stelter, Marvet Britto. Thank you you all very much.

Coming up, a man pulls a gun on a Seattle bus, and one passenger was not going to take it. We'll show you what he and his fellow riders did next.

Plus, Dennis Rodman back in North Korea, days after his best buddy Kim Jong-un executed his uncle, and of course he did. The basketball star has just spoken out. We'll tell you what he's up to, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BALDWIN: Welcome back. I'm Brooke Baldwin. Developing right now, markets are treading water after yesterday's huge rally. Look at the big board. Pretty flat there 24 hours after both the Dow and S&P 500 closed at record highs. This was after we brought it to you on the show, the news from the Fed announcing it was scaling back, just a little bit, scaling back its stimulus program.

Dennis Rodman back in North Korea today, and he says his trip is about pleasure, and not politics. The former NBA star says he's there to help prepare North Korean basketball players for an upcoming exhibition game. His visit comes days after the North Korean leader's uncle was executed.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DENNIS RODMAN: If he wants to talk about it, great. If it doesn't happen, (inaudible), because I don't want him to think I'm over here trying to be an ambassador and trying to use him, as his friend, and I'm starting to talk about politics. It's not going to be that way.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BALDWIN: This is Rodman's third trip to North Korea this year.

Look at this video with me. You're going to see a bus passenger slapping a gun away from his face. Starts punching this gunman who apparently tried to rob him. And you see these other passengers, they are getting up, trying to help, hold this gunman down until police can get inside. The suspect has been charged with robbery.

And if you recently shopped at Target, heads up today. Your credit, your debit card, perhaps, may have been hacked. I'll speak live with a hacker about how this massive breach could have happened.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Derrick Coleman is living a boy's dream, playing in the NFL for the top team in the league. The Seattle Seahawks. Now, he didn't start playing football until seventh grade. Because his mom really didn't want him to.

DERRICK COLEMAN: I was just a normal kid, I was just going out there and trying to play football.

GUPTA: And the dream of making it to the pros began in high school. There, he was ranked the No. 2 fullback in the nation by ESPN.

COLEMAN: I wasn't really thinking about it so much until maybe my senior year. I was just going out there and just playing hard. I just wanted to play. GUPTA: Next stop, UCLA, where he was a running back for four years. His college career ended with a degree in political science, and now the 23-year-old is showing his versatility as a fullback for the Seahawks, scoring his first touchdown in the pros earlier this month.

He's gotten this far with lots of hard work and by overcoming something only two other players in the entire NFL have. He is legally deaf. The result of a rare genetic disorder.

COLEMAN: Basically I lost my hearing when I was three. I had (inaudible).

GUPTA: How does he do this? First of all, he makes no excuses.

COLEMAN: No matter what your issue, that shouldn't stop you from doing what you want to do. You can always find a way.

GUPTA: His skull cap keeps his hearing aids in place. And --

COLEMAN: I can read lips. And I can read lips very well. So what I do is when I can't hear something, I'll always go and make sure I'm looking at the person. The person who I know is the quarterback or whoever, they look at me.

I was basically just like all of you guys.

GUPTA: Off the field, Coleman tries to make time to speak to deaf and hard of hearing children to offer words of encouragement, especially for those who may be struggling.

COLEMAN; Don't let your hearing being an excuse for not wanting to go for your dream, whatever your dream is. Successful people, in my opinion, they always find a way. If you want to be successful, you have to find a way.

GUPTA: Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN, reporting.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BALDWIN: I'm Brooke Baldwin. We continue on, hour two. Thanks for being with me today. This is a huge, huge deal. If you have been shopping at a Target store lately, keep a very close eye on your credit card or your debit card statements, because someone hacked Target, of all places. Huge, huge chain store right there at the little swipe machine by the register. At risk, 40 million accounts.