When we last left the Duke boys, they were mid-jump in what looked like an inescapable situation. Friends, let’s see how that turns out for ol’ Bo and Luke…
In the latest case of “ I don’t think you understand the real problem,” TV Land has stopped airing its twice-daily reruns of The Dukes Of Hazzard in light of the recent controversy surrounding the Confederate flag. Yes, the flag is still flying down in South Carolina, but third-shift workers who want to watch a little “hicksploitation” in the afternoon are out of luck.
According to TV Line, “this move follows a decision by Warner Bros. to cease any Dukes merchandising deals involving the Confederate flag.” The treasonous battle flag had been emblazoned on the roof of the Duke boys’ orange 1969 Dodge Charger, affectionately called the General Lee. But now that Warner Bros. has ceased licensing any Dukes merchandise involving the flag, models and toys of the famous muscle car are going to be hard to come by, even at your local Winn-Dixie.
White-washing fictional history tends to get folks up in arms: There is a subset of people currently enraged about an imaginary ban on Gone With The Wind stemming from a commentary piece in The New York Post that resulted in the 75-year-old film becoming a bestseller on Amazon.com. The ban was a hoax, and Gone With The Wind will remain available for purchase. But let’s be fair, Gone With The Wind is no Dukes Of Hazzard.
Everyone seems to have an opinion on whether the stars and bars should still fly in the South. Even the actor who portrayed “Cooter” on Dukes offered his in an all-caps rant on Facebook that included the phrase, “And we know that in Hazzard County there was never any racism.” And if “Cooter” says it, then it must be true. Perhaps the Warner Bros. could hire the team over at ILM to digitally alter the roof of the General Lee for future reruns?