(source The 1970sChannel via YouTube)
TV Land network seems to have lost their minds. Perhaps feeling the PC pressure over the Confederate flag, they announced that they will no longer air episodes of “The Dukes Of Hazzard”. TV Land didn’t specify exactly why they’re dropping the beloved 80s show, but it wasn’t because of complaints over Daisy Duke’s short shorts (that actually was the only reason most tuned in…well that and Cooter). The Confederate flag was seen in every episode since it was painted on top of the General Lee, which the Duke boys drove. And that particular flag is back on the table of discussion after the horrific news broke recently of a madman entering a southern church and shooting multiple members. Absolutely unimaginable.
Now some say the Confederate flag represents the heritage of the south, where others claim it stands for hate, especially towards African Americans. Let’s leave that debate alone, and focus on TV Land’s decision to try and remove this television show from our memory. Do they want us to pretend it never aired? Will that heal racial tensions? Nope. It begs the question, ‘where does this censorship end’? If the Dukes of Hazzard program needed to be removed so as not to hurt anyone’s feelings, than let’s remove any cartoon with Porky Pig. Porky had a terrible stuttering problem, and that is probably uncomfortable to watch by anyone with such an affliction, right? TV Land also airs past episodes of Hogan’s Heroes, a 60s sitcom that dealt with Nazi issues. Hey, someone that served in WWII or who is Jewish and had family who were persecuted in the concentration camps might not find Hogan’s Heroes appropriate. So let’s get rid of it. And while we’re at it, best to stop airing old episodes of Bill Cosby’s masterpiece, “Fat Albert”. I mean come on, the name ALONE is not politically correct! You see my point? Where does it end? One might say, “Greg, you’re comparing apples to oranges”, but not really. You can’t question what makes one person uncomfortable and decide which is more hurtful or offensive. That’s a personal feeling that we each experience differently.
TV Land got it wrong. Perhaps this was just a publicity stunt to garner attention for their network. If so, touche’~
