CHELSEA, Mich. The Chrysler Group will not tie in any marketing of its 2006 Dodge Charger with the upcoming movie, The Dukes of Hazzard, because it is afraid the display of the Confederate flag on the movie’s vintage Charger will offend some viewers.

The movie, scheduled to open August 5, is based on the TV series that ran from 1979 to 1985 and featured “good old boy” cousins eluding authorities in The General Lee, a 1969 orange Dodge Charger with a Confederate flag on the roof. The movie stars Jessica Simpson, Burt Reynolds and Willie Nelson.

“They gave us the treatment for the movie and talked about a marketing deal, but we said we can’t participate if you keep the Confederate flag,” Jason Vines, Chrysler Group vice president of communications, told Inside Line. “It’s offensive to a lot of people. But they [Warner Bros.] said ‘no.’ We still get a mention of the Charger in the movie, but we couldn’t do anything beyond that.”

OK, lets look at this ridiculous piece of “logic” they are trying to use.
One. Who is the complete idiot at Chrysler that actually said “If you take the flag off the car we’ll support it.” Why not say, make Santa Claus skinny because we don’t want to offend fat people.
Two. Who is going to go see the Dukes of Hazard movie, and then be offended by the Stars and Bars? (that’s the Confederate Battle Flag, in case you’re wondering!)
Three. The car is named the General Lee, for Christ’s sake! What are they going to rename the car, the MLK?

OK, logical extention of Chrysler’s reality: Bo is now a transgendered Eskimo rape crisis counselor, and Luke is an undocumented alien from Bolivia, who is just trying to support his family in our racist society. Of course Boss Hog and Sherriff Roscoe P. Coltrane still have to be older white males.
And as for Daisy… wait a minute: They do anything to Daisy and I’ll kill ‘em myself!

View Technorati blog reactions.

Related Posts