Author: Paul Bond

Mark Sullivan/Getty Images

Sean Hannity

Sean Hannity is so upset at the suspension of Duck Dynasty star Phil Robertson that he encouraged his radio audience on Thursday to call executives at A&E and even supplied the phone number.

Speaking of Robertson’s religious objections to homosexuality, Hannity said: “A&E knows how he feels about this. Why did they put him with a GQ guy in the first place? How stupid are they? By the way the number to the CEO at A&E is Abbe Raven. If you wanna give her your opinion about this, or Nancy Dubuc is 212-210-9007. The general number at A&E is 212-210 1400.”

PHOTOS: ‘Duck Dynasty,’ Matthew McConaughey, ‘Breaking Bad’ and the Rule Breakers of 2013

Raven is chairman of A+E Networks, while Dubuc serves as president and CEO of A+E Networks.

Robertson was the hottest topic on talk radio all of Thursday following his comments to GQ magazine.

“It seems like, to me, a vagina — as a man — would be more desirable than a man’s anus,” Robertson says in the January issue. “That’s just me. I’m just thinking: There’s more there! She’s got more to offer. I mean, come on, dudes! You know what I’m saying? But hey, sin: It’s not logical, my man. It’s just not logical.”

PHOTOS: ‘Honey Boo Boo,’ ‘Duck Dynasty’ and Cable’s Blue Collar Boom

Robertson is asked what he finds sinful. His answer: “Start with homosexual behavior and just morph out from there. Bestiality, sleeping around with this woman and that woman and that woman and those men.”

His comments have since been slammed by GLAAD, but the reality star has drawn support from Sarah Palin and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal.

Robertson released his own statement in response to the controversy early Wednesday: “I myself am a product of the ’60s; I centered my life around sex, drugs and rock and roll until I hit rock bottom and accepted Jesus as my Savior. My mission today is to go forth and tell people about why I follow Christ and also what the Bible teaches, and part of that teaching is that women and men are meant to be together. However, I would never treat anyone with disrespect just because they are different from me. We are all created by the Almighty and like Him, I love all of humanity. We would all be better off if we loved God and loved each other.”

STORY: ‘Duck Dynasty’ Stars Don’t Mind Knockoffs and Imitators: We Need ‘Clean Television’

A&E addressed the issue in a statement later that day: “We are extremely disappointed to have read Phil Robertson’s comments in GQ, which are based on his own personal beliefs and are not reflected in the series Duck Dynasty. His personal views in no way reflect those of A+E Networks, who have always been strong supporters and champions of the LGBT community. The network has placed Phil under hiatus from filming indefinitely.”

The Robertson family made The Hollywood Reporter‘s 2013 Rule Breakers list, which hit newsstands Wednesday.

Email paul.bond@thr.com

A&E

Phil Robertson

When A&E dumped Duck Dynasty patriarch Phil Robertson for anti-gay sentiments he expressed in a GQ magazine interview, the network picked a fight with conservatives and Christians, and both groups have come out swinging. Some are accusing A&E of bigotry and censorship and are threatening a boycott.

A Facebook page in defense of Roberson sprang up Wednesday night and by Thursday morning was “liked” by more than 500,000 people. “Unless Phil is reinstated to the show, we refuse to watch the A&E Channel!” says the page.

On his syndicated radio show Thursday, Rush Limbaugh read a statement from GLAAD commending A&E and accusing Robertson of bigotry, then said: “Well excuse me for just a second here, but who is being discriminated against here except Phil Robertson, who just lost a job because of his religious beliefs? Phil Robertson. Nothing happened to anybody at GLAAD. Nothing happened to any gay people.”

PHOTOS: ‘Duck Dynasty,’ Matthew McConaughey, ‘Breaking Bad’ and the Rule Breakers of 2013

Limbaugh also said: “He ends up getting fired and GLAAD starts running around talking about, ‘We’re not gonna put up with this kind of discrimination.’ Well, then, you better start demanding he be rehired because he’s the only guy whose been discriminated against.”

Limbaugh also made a prediction. “It is obvious that Robertson’s goose is cooked — the Duck Dynasty goose is cooked — at A&E,” he said. “I don’t know how long it will be, but some other network will pick up this show … The gay population that’s supposedly offended here is, max, 2 percent. The Christian population is 250 million people. So the market is going to reflect that at some point.”

Robertson and Duck Dynasty, in fact, were the hottest topic on talk radio Thursday. Dennis Prager on his syndicated radio show, for example, said that while Robertson didn’t choose his words carefully, his firing was symptomatic of a larger problem. “It is clear that only one side is not allowed to speak,” Prager said. “You can say anything from the left.”

Radio host Dennis Miller was vague and brief, but was presumably referring to the controversy when he tweeted, “It’s time for all of us to sit down and have a talk about free spe”, purposely ending mid sentence.

And KABC AM Los Angeles host Larry Elder used the occasion to take a swipe at MSNBC. “Compare the ‘offensive’ words of A&E’s Phil Robertson to the bigoted words AND deeds of MSNBC’s Al Sharpton,” Elder tweeted, linking to an article he wrote about Sharpton’s alleged misdeeds.

Former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin weighed in shortly news of Robertson’s indefinite suspension with a note at her Facebook page.

 “Free speech is an endangered species. Those ‘intolerants’ hatin’ and taking on the Duck Dynasty patriarch for voicing his personal opinion are taking on all of us,” Palin wrote.

The Facebook page of Dinesh D’Souza’s popular political documentary, 2016: Obama’s America, now features giant photo of Robertson along with one of his quotes: “I think our problem is primarily a spiritual one … where there is no Jesus, evil always reigns.”

PHOTOS: ‘Honey Boo Boo,’ ‘Duck Dynasty’ and Cable’s Blue Collar Boom

TruthRevolt.org, a recently launched, right-wing version of Media Matters for America mounted an attack on A&E Thursday.

“A&E has demonstrated its disdain for religious Americans of all stripes. … We ask A&E to reinstate Phil Robertson rather than caving to the dictates of anti-religious bigotry, and we pledge to turn off A&E until Robertson is reinstated to Duck Dynasty,” reads the petition.

Plus, a separate online petition at IStandWithPhil.com was quickly signed by some 3,000 people.

“Your rash, discriminatory, and unfair treatment toward Mr. Robertson – a recognized symbol of the faith community – is a slap in the face of to Faith Driven Consumers and everyday Americans alike,” reads the petition.

Fox News has also been all over the topic. “I have not talked to anyone in the family — I don’t know if they will stand for this,” Fox & Friends co-host Brian Kilmeade said Thursday.

“This is a slippery slope,” said Sean Hannity a night earlier. “We now have an entire industry built on targeting advertisers and starting campaigns to get people fired.”

Greg Gutfeld, who stars in two shows on Fox News, used multiple tweets in an effort to illustrate what he thinks was an absurd move on the part of A&E. 

“I once used a duck call, & this duck showed up & was all like, ‘you’re not a duck.’ It was super embarrassing. He felt like I wasted his time,” read one tweet. He followed later with, “My point is: in this entire controversy, no one is asking about the ducks. What about the ducks?”

Email: Paul.Bond@THR.com