Dukes Of Hazzard , which aired on CBS from 1979 to 1985, has recently received some backlash amid the Black Lives Matter movement for the confederate flag painted on the roof of General Lee, the famous ’69 Dodge Charger from the show.
Since then, some of the original cast members have come forward to defend it, claiming that the “politically correct generation” has gotten out of hand.
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The Black Lives Matter movement has been making some serious headway these days, and I couldn’t be more glad.
It has given the oppressed a voice to speak out about racial injustices that have been swept under the rug for generations, and demand change .
And it isn’t just about police brutality. There have been smaller, but equally racist, details that have gone unnoticed for years, that are finally seeing their day in court.
Like Aunt Jemima, Uncle Ben’s, or Disney’s ” noose necklaces”, for instance.
And now, *Dukes Of Hazzard* is being held accountable for glorifying a symbol of racism on the show.
Bearing in mind that the show was created during a time when this sort of thing might have been more socially acceptable, that still didn’t necessarily make it right.
However, some of the cast has chosen to speak out and defend tthe confederate flag amid the controversy.
“The situation in the country has obviously changed in the last 40 years,” said Tom Wopat, who played Luke Duke.
“I feel fortunate to be living in a time when we can address some of the injustices of the past,” he said.
But he then stated that he thinks the flag painted on the car was harmless and that everyone who has an issue with it now is overreacting.
“But the car is innocent,” he said.
Then, John Schneider, who played Bo Duke, chimed in: “I have never had an African-American come up to me and have any problem with it whatsoever. “
He added that he believes the politically correct generation “has gotten way out of hand.”
If by “out of hand” he means that they are finally demanding respect, justice, and equality for all races, genders, religions, and sexual orientation, then yes — we have definitely gotten out of hand.
The show’s creator, Gy Waldron, who grew up in Lenoxburg, Kentucky, revealed that he had relatives who fought on both sides of the civil war, and that his family honored both the American and confederate flag.
BTW, for anyone that isn’t familiar with the meaning behind the confederate flag or what caused the civil war, here’s what happened in a nutshell:
The civil war was fought between the USA and the Confederate States of America, a collection of eleven southern states that left the Union in 1860 and 1861.
One of the primary disagreement between the two sides was over the institution of slavery.
“I had relatives fight on both sides of the Civil War and we honoured both the American and Confederate flags,” the show’s creator said.
Despite the very direct connection between the confederate flag and the enslavement of black people, he said: “No one even connected the Confederate flag with slavery.”
“It was simply a part of our Southern culture,” he added.
He then clarified that he “Wholeheartedly support[s] the Black Lives Matter movement and its quest to address racism around the world .”
John Schneider described the show as a “unifying force,” adding: “Mom, grandma, everyone wanted to watch it together. But who benefits from division?”
“The Dukes of Hazzard’ has been shot down, I believe unfairly. We haven’t missed a generation yet,” he said .
“But we may miss this next one,” he added.
And he isn’t wrong about that!
It seems that the younger generations are less tolerant of dated views, including racism, and bigger advocates of change. If that means boycotting an old TV show, so be it.
The idea of digitally removing the flag from the car to appease new viewers had been pitched, but quickly shot down.
Ben Jones, who played Cooter and now runs fan conventions, said: “That would be like taking the ‘S’ off of Superman’s chest.”
Yikes…
Do you think that the giant, confederate flag painted on the roof of the famous *Dukes Of Hazzard* car is offensive? Should the cast and creator be so defensive of it?
Sound off in the comments below! We would love to hear your thoughts on the matter!
