So long, Duke boys...

[mjr]

They WERE Good Ole Boys...

Dukes of Hazzard reruns pulled from TV Land...

http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/...ry?id=32152437

I think someone (not me) mentioned a few days ago that they thought this would happen.

Now it has.

Seriously? Seriously? The Dukes of Hazzard?

[Gravekeeper]

I'm kind of impressed it was still on tv anywhere to begin with. >.>

As much as I loved the show as a kid ( I had no farkin' idea what the confederate flag was or anything, I just like jumping cars and crap ) you have to admit its a tad on the nose these days. I mean, the car has the confederate flag, is named the General Lee and the Duke boys were moonshine runners that were under probation for the entire show.

Should it be pulled from the air though? Ehhh....I can understand why it was given the current social climate. Its not the first show to get the "Ehhh, maybe that wasn't such a great idea" treatment decades later. Nor will it be the last.

[mjr]

I mean, the car has the confederate flag, is named the General Lee and the Duke boys were moonshine runners that were under probation for the entire show.

Remove the car from the equation.

Then you have moonshine runners under probation, who couldn't leave their county, who actually helped people out and foiled the plans of crooked politicians and sheriffs (though they'd occasionally help them, too). The Dukes didn't use guns, either.

A show like that today (sans car) would probably be lauded.

I wonder if whatever network shows it is going to pull "All In The Family". Anyone who's ever watched that show knows that Archie was wildly racist, misogynist, and a number of other things.

[Estil]

But even Archie (especially in later seasons) had his limits in that regard. And frankly who cares whether or not a show is in reruns these days or not? It will typically be chopped up for syndication to fit more commercials as well as have those God-awful giant annoying graphics plastered all over it. That's why we have these things called DVD sets of most any show you want and in most cases surprisingly affordable.

[Gravekeeper]

The Dukes didn't use guns, either.

They couldn't use guns, their probation prevented them. -.-

I wonder if whatever network shows it is going to pull "All In The Family". Anyone who's ever watched that show knows that Archie was wildly racist, misogynist, and a number of other things.

Probably not, no? I mean its pretty clear exactly what spurred the Duke boys getting pulled. As you just said yourself, remove the car ( and thus the symbol ) from the equation and its just a goofy old 70's show.

[Estil]

Still TV Land (and it looks like now CMT) pulling those reruns is a bit too much. In fact I wouldn't be at all surprised if the Confederate flag now (if it hasn't already) takes on a whole new meaning...as a symbol of free speech and standing up against PCness/censorship gone too far (especially to protest "speech codes" at colleges as that flag is typically among the first targets). Like I've said before, the Dukes didn't have a drop of racism in them and the cast of that show (Ben Jones, who played Cooter the mechanic and even was a two term Congressman back in the mid-90s has especially stepped up to the plate big time about this issue) is nothing short of class acts all the way.

To sum it up, I do agree that the Confederate flag does not belong at any government buildings. Have the states' and their leaders' allegiance where it belongs...to the US flag/constitution. But while we will always have the DVDs (and I do very much prefer them to chopped up syndicated reruns anyway), I just think pulling the Dukes reruns sends entirely the wrong message.

[mjr]

They couldn't use guns, their probation prevented them. -.-

Yeah, that's true. That's why they had to use bows from time to time. Though I did find it interesting that they "forgot" about the Dukes being able to leave Hazzard county in Season 3 (I think) when they introduced their "cousins" Coy and Vance, and Bo and Luke went off to race NASCAR, or something.

Probably not, no? I mean its pretty clear exactly what spurred the Duke boys getting pulled. As you just said yourself, remove the car ( and thus the symbol ) from the equation and its just a goofy old 70's show.

Sure. I get that. But whatever you do, DON'T take away Catherine Bach!!

[mjr]

In fact I wouldn't be at all surprised if the Confederate flag now (if it hasn't already) takes on a whole new meaning...as a symbol of free speech and standing up against PCness/censorship gone too far (especially to protest "speech codes" at colleges as that flag is typically among the first targets).

Well, there are a large number of people in the U.S. who still refer to the Confederate Battle Flag as the Rebel Flag...

And since the definition of "rebel" is as follows...

noun
1.
a person who refuses allegiance to, resists, or rises in arms against the government or ruler of his or her country.
2.
a person who resists any authority, control, or tradition.
adjective
3.
rebellious; defiant.
4.
of or relating to rebels.
verb (used without object), rebel, rebelled, rebelling.
5.
to reject, resist, or rise in arms against one's government or ruler.
6.
to resist or rise against some authority, control, or tradition.
7.
to show or feel utter repugnance:
His very soul rebelled at spanking the child.

[Bloodsoul]

Ah, they were going to get a new car at AutoTrader.com, anyway!

Though I suggest they replace the Dukes of Hazzard with reruns of that "classic" British sitcom, Heil Honey, I'm Home.

[HYHYBT]

I wonder if whatever network shows it is going to pull "All In The Family". Anyone who's ever watched that show knows that Archie was wildly racist, misogynist, and a number of other things.

Showing that he was in the wrong was the point, though.

[Gravekeeper]

I just think pulling the Dukes reruns sends entirely the wrong message.

Well, we're dealing with a commercial entity. Not a government one. So pulling the reruns is not a blanket political statement. There's a financial / market pressure component here. Especially after so many major companies ( Warner Bros, Walmart, etc ) have been dropping Confederate flag merchandise. Free market at work.

To be cynically blunt: If the Dukes of Hazard was still making anyone millions of dollars it'd still be on the air.

[Hyena Dandy]

To be cynically blunt: If the Dukes of Hazard was still making anyone millions of dollars it'd still be on the air.

Not sure I agree with that.

I think it seems more likely that they thought that if they capitalized on this situation, they'd be able to draw some approval from people who are in opposition to the rebel flag. They figured that was a bigger number than the people who'd be upset if you drop Dukes. That's not really the same as 'No-one wants to watch that anymore.'

[s_stabeler]

the point is that it is a commercial decision, not a decision on the basis of any racism in Dukes Of Hazard.

[Hyena Dandy]

the point is that it is a commercial decision, not a decision on the basis of any racism in Dukes Of Hazard.

It is possible to be two things. It's a commercial decision, yes, but it is also a political one. And as a political one, "Is this the message we want to send?" is a question worth asking.

[HYHYBT]

It's probably a good time to rest the show a while anyway.

With most major sellers dropping Confederate flag merchandise, yet certain types still wanting it, you don't want your series and its products to be the only readily available depiction of that symbol.