I think the point is that the urban vs rural divide has not been the dominant conflict in America up until now. In the past other identity politics such as blac

I think the point is that the urban vs rural divide has not been the dominant conflict in America up until now. In the past other identity politics such as black and white or north vs south have dominated. Every state has rural and urban areas - why is it just now, in the early 2000s, that the urban vs rural cultural divide now dominates the cultural discourse? Duck Dynasty and Modern Family is just one more symptom of the cultural divide. It's interesting because it's a small part of a much larger conflict with major political and economic implications that have already been felt (most obviously, the recent US election). Also for me it's personally very interesting. I'm going to start watching shows that it would not have occured to me to watch, because it's one way to escape my own cultural bubble. Normally Duck Dynasty and Empire wouldn't be on my list, now they are - because it's a way to understand a culture that would normally be somewhat alien to me.