The Duke boys are in trouble again. TV Land has pulled reruns of "Dukes of Hazzard" amid the recent Confederate flag controversy.
The cable network has not given a reason for their programming decision, according to Entertainment Weekly, but it's likely due to the fact that the Confederate battle flag is painted on top of the car driven by the main characters Bo and Luke Duke. Warner Bros. Consumer Products announced last week that it would stop licensing toys or models of the '69 Dodge Charger, known as The General Lee (named after the Confederate Army General Robert E. Lee).
Many retailers including Walmart, Amazon and Sears/Kmart have pulled Confederate flag merchandise in response to the racially-motivated shooting in Charleston, S.C. and the Confederate flag that still flies over the South Carolina State House.
"Dukes of Hazzard" star Ben Jones, who played Cooter, defended the flag on his Facebook page and vowed to continue to selling Confederate flag merchandise at his Cooter's Place establishments. "The Confederate battle flag is the symbol that represents the indomitable spirit of independence which keeps us 'makin' our way the only way we know how,'" Jones wrote on June 23.
His co-star John Schneider who played Bo Duke also defended the flag's use in the series in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter saying, "Labeling anyone who has the flag a 'racist' seems unfair to those who are clearly 'never meanin' no harm.'"
"Dukes of Hazzard" ran on CBS from 1979 to 1985 and starred John Schneider and Tom Wopat as the Duke cousins Bo and Luke. The show also starred Denver Pyle as Uncle Jesse and Catherine Bach, who played their sexy cousin, Daisy Duke.
The series will continue to run on CMT and online.
