Say good-bye to The Dukes of Hazzard

True story: when I was little I never opened the door to my Cozy Coupe. I hopped in through the window like the Duke boys. So this one hits a little close to home.

Thanks to the Confederate flag controversy, TV Land pulled reruns of The Dukes of Hazzard.

TV Land has pulled reruns of The Dukes of Hazzard off its schedule, a spokesperson for the network confirmed to EW on Wednesday.The network did not comment further or say why the episodes were removed, but the news comes as the show became part of the growing national debate over use of the Confederate flag, which is displayed on the roof of the Duke boys’ car.

At long last we’ve been SAVED! Saved from cheesy 70s reruns, because of a… flag?

The whitewashing started with The Dukes of Hazzard merchandise last week when Warner Bros. said they’d no longer license any likeness of the show’s iconic General Lee.

Last week, Warner Bros. Consumer Products said it would no longer license toys or models of the iconic 1969 Dodge Charger, dubbed General Lee, joining a number of other retailers vowing to stop selling Confederate flag merchandise in the wake of the deadly shooting in Charleston, South Carolina, earlier this month.The Dukes of Hazzard originally ran on CBS from 1979-1985, following the adventures of Bo and Luke Duke in fictional Hazzard County, Georgia. One of the stars of the show, Ben Jones (who played Cooter Davenport), has come out in defense of the Confederate flag, while a Change.org petition launched Tuesday asking Viacom, Warner Bros., Walmart, and eBay to “stop banning” the hit series. As of this post, that petition has gotten nearly 700 signatures.

Not only have we been spared from “offensive” Civil War video games, but now we’ve been rescued from that vile, hateful Dodge Charger. Um, thanks?

Bo Duke, or John Schneider in real life, had a little something to say about TV Land’s decision. “The Dukes of Hazzard was one of the most beloved TV shows ever and now it’s being cast in a terrible light that it does not deserve.”

There are plenty of shows on TV that I’m sure I’d find offensive or gory or gross. But choice is a beautiful thing. I haven’t bothered to mount a antional insurrection over the fact that Girl’s is terrible TV, I simply turn the channel.

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Tags: Culture

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