IMDB TV May Remove ‘Dukes of Hazzard’ Over Its Confederate Flag
The picture above pretty much sums it up. While the show remains popular in syndication and online, The Dukes of Hazzard also unfortunately features a very prominent Confederate flag adorning the roof of the famous General Lee car driven by Bo and Luke Duke. As symbols of the Confederacy have become increasingly controversial, so too has The Dukes of Hazzard. In 2015, Warner Bros. stopped producing replicas of the General Lee with the Confederate flag on top. That same year, TV Land stopped airing Dukes reruns.
Now, reports Variety, The Dukes of Hazzard is back in the spotlight again, as one of the many shows and films being reconsidered amidst ongoing protests about racism and police brutality throughout the country and the world. The trade claims Amazon is “considering pulling the show’s seven seasons off [the free streaming service] IMDb TV because of the Confederate flag’s association with the history of racial intolerance and slavery.” Amazon declined to comment
Frankly, it’s kind of shocking the General Lee lasted as long as it did; they made a big-screen Dukes of Hazzard movie in 2005 with Johnny Knoxville and Seann William Scott, Confederate flag and all. In 2005! That’s unbelievable — but it happened. It‘s one thing to make that car (or watch a show with that car) in the late 1970s, it’s another thing entirely to do it today. Regardless of the outcome with IMDb TV, DVDs of the Dukes of Hazzard show and movie are still available for purchase.
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