To view the complete video interview, click here.
As I sat quietly in front of a bank of lockers in the back of a brand new Gander Mountain, I wondered what, exactly, I was doing there.
There was an exciting chattering in the background. “I’m going to get one signed for my little cousin.” “I’ll be their favorite uncle after this.”
They were referring, of course, to the main event, the reason I was sitting in that dim back room in front of that bank of lockers: Troy and Chase Landry from the History Channel show Swamp People were on their way to sign shirts and hats and pictures; I was trying to get an interview on video.
I had no stake in the game. I didn’t know much about hunting and I’d never even seen the show.
To me, it was just another sign of the History Channel’s decay, adding to the mounting pile of evidence that the History Channel was anything but. But to the huddled group of employees these men were idols.
Swamp People is a show about just that -- swamp people, members of a predominantly cajun community that go out hunting for alligators every season. They have a quota that they are allowed to bring in and every season is a race to see if they can fill it while maximizing their profits. Troy’s been in the show since the very beginning. Chase joined him in season three.
For Troy and Chase, this hunt is a family business. For the History Channel, it’s entertainment. For the people in that back room, it’s inspirational.
These two men represent, in many ways, the ideal American. Strong and individualistic, they are consummate woodsmen, and talented hunters. They operate their own business, and have done exceedingly well with it. And most of all, they are living the American dream.
According to TVbythenumbers.com, Swamp People’s premiere in 2010 was the History Channel’s most successful ever. The final episode of the second season in 2011 was the second most watched program on TV that night with 2.8 million viewers. The series remains the most successful that the History Channel has ever run.
So they’re kind of a big deal.
The first thing that struck me as I walked into Gander Mountain was just how large it was. In Memphis, we have a Bass Pro Shop, which I thought was pretty big. This was much bigger.
The second thing that struck me as I walked into Gander Mountain was the massive line that snaked around the entirety of the store.
I found the floor manager, who very graciously said that he would approve of an interview so long as his marketing director signed off on it.
Was she available? No, she was out for the day, but Troy and Chase would be back tomorrow, and she with them. Would he mind if I talked to a few customers? No, not at all.
I took the opportunity to talk to a few of the people waiting in the line. Who were these men? Why were they so important that people were willing to wait in line for an hour just to have them sign a hat?
The answers quickly revealed the deep respect and love that people had for Troy and Chase, and made me more than a little worried. Had I bitten off more than I could chew? I needed to do more research.
The next day I showed up early. I found the marketing manager, Morgan Colby. Troy and Chase were expected at 11:30 a.m., she told me, and were to begin signing at noon. I was going to have 10 minutes to talk to them.
And so I found myself shown to the back. I took a seat in front of a bank of lockers and began to wait.
The clock slowly ground to 11:30 a.m.. They were nowhere to be found. I glanced at my phone nervously. 5, 10, 15, 20 minutes passed. They rolled in at 11:50 a.m., riding a crowd of jubilant employees into the breakroom. They immediately began signing hats and taking pictures with practiced ease, and I could instantly recognize why they were so adored.
Troy and Chase were the perfect gentlemen. Charming, funny, witty, and benign, they absolutely dominated the room with their presence. They were both soft-spoken and rowdy, respectful and comfortable, distanced and familiar. It was mesmerizing.
They signed and photographed for 10 minutes before I was able to get the marketing director to pry them from their employee fans. It was noon. They were supposed to be out on the floor!
I was sweating when I picked up the camera. I nervously directed them to sit on some chairs in front of the bank of lockers. I sat opposite them, and began turned my gear on.
I had them for 3 minutes.
In those 3 minutes, I asked them 6 questions, each of which was answered promptly and with detail. They knew the drill. Troy cracked a joke about half way through that brought laughter from the employees who had gathered to watch, earning them a wry wink in return.
Before I knew it, the interview was over. As I exited the break room in the back of the Gander Mountain, I almost ran into a crowd that had gathered, waiting. “That’s not Troy!” a kid shouted. No, it wasn’t; he was only a few steps behind me. The crowd erupted, and I slid through their ranks towards the door.
As I turned around right before reaching the doors, I caught a last glimpse of Troy through the crowd, grinning from ear to ear as he stalked up to the signing table with Chase and cried out, “Y’all ready?!”
They were true pros.
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