Traxan

I had drifted away not because of the Phil controversy but because it had become so obviously scripted and fake. But I figured I'd give season 8 a look. Some glaring changes.

- New opening theme. Not sure when 'Sharp Dressed Man' was dropped, this season or last.

- Phil's gone. I mean, completely. He doesn't even lead the prayer at the end. The sons and their kids are doing now.

- Si dialed it back. He's goofy but clearly got the message after the outrage on DD sites over the scooter episode a few years back.

- Stories tend to be split with Jase and the gang from the manufacturing room and Willie with Miss Kay and his wife and kids.

- The meanness that had crept in is gone. Lots more good-natured joking. Willie isn't acting like a sitcom dad any more and Jase comes off as less of a psycho.

They won't bring back the mania but the show is more watchable now.

The Cow

Phil is not completely gone. He was in a recent episode where Willy was setting up a petting zoo for his mom.

SkullOrchard

Whenever I have an unshakable urge to watch a bunch of homophobic redneck millionaire assholes, I simply hit myself really hard on the head with a hammer until that urge goes away.

buckeyes8604

I've enjoyed this season a lot more than the past couple.

Josh-da-man

I saw about two minutes of DD by accident.

Life's too short, man...

Nick Danger

I don't get the show. I watched a few minutes once. The guys were arguing about something, and they were pretending to be so stupid that they wouldn't have been able to run a cash register, let alone a business.

TheBigDave

I dropped it around Season 5 for the same reason. That happens to a lot of reality shows. After a couple seasons, everyone tries too hard to act like their character, and it no longer feels natural.

If they made some changes, I'll give it a try again.

Jason

I was only exposed to it once. The only lasting side effect was I took Sharp Dressed Man off the car's iPod.

DJariya

With all the great scripted television on these days, I don't know why anyone would waste their time on this show. I saw Phil Robertson appear on FOX News earlier this year giving his opinions about radical Islam. I mean who the fuck cares what this idiot thinks? They even dedicated a full hour to him talking.

Traxan

Phil has been keeping a very low profile, especially after that weird, rambling speech he gave a few months back. I began to wonder if he was losing it (he's 68 after all), and the lack of public appearances kinda makes me wonder.

Troy Stiffler

Nah. People like Phil live in their own bubble. And then it's weird when you open up to a national audience of diverse people. It's the job of your PR to not be living in that bubble. And your PR people tell you to shut up or your business will be ruined.

Happens all the time.

Traxan

Does Phil strike you as someone who listens to other people?

JeffTheAlpaca

No but some of these hilljacks have hot wives or girlfriends.

Troy Stiffler

He strikes me as someone who is going to shut the hell up when his PR and financial management team tells him to.

Abob Teff

Still? Nope, never watched it in the first place. I pretty much avoid faux-ality TV.

Draven

Well remember, they used to look like this. Their current look is probably just a way to make money.

Josh-da-man

They make duck calls and a cornpone reality show. Racism and gay bashing is only going to increase their appeal to their fans to the kinds of people who buy duck calls and watch that the tv show.

Traxan

Christ, do I go into the threads of shows I don't like and make disparaging comments? If you don't like the show fine, but STFU and stay out of the thread.

mattysemo247

I think you identified the problem