After being bombarded by emails, petitions and outcry from fans of “The Dukes of Hazzard”, along with being lambasted by cast member Ben Jones, Warner Bros. provided the following statement to NBC:
‘We were not, and are not, planning to change the design of the General Lee on merchandise. All reports to the contrary have been inaccurate.”
We’re not so sure they were inaccurate. We think WB stepped back after realizing that popular public sentiment stood against them. Whatever the case, the issue is at rest, and the General Lee will keep his full uniform. But the controversy surrounding pop-culture use of the rebel flag will be an ongoing battle.
We’re grateful that Warner Bros. is leaving the flag on the General Lee. We also acknowledge that there’s gonna be somebody out there who thinks the rebel flag shouldn’t be on a toy car.
Yet, if those objectors would simply watch a few episodes of the show, they’d realize there’s no hate in The Dukes of Hazzard. There never was. It promoted values like helping your neighbors, saying grace before a meal, speaking respectfully to your elders, doing your chores, being kind to animals, upholding justice and standing up against corruption.
Not much to protest, is there?
Thank you, Warner Bros., for hearing the fans.
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