This
past month in the world has been one crazy one, hasn't it?
From
Caitlyn Jenner's dazzling debut in Vanity Fair Magazine to Subway's Jared Fogle
being linked to a child pornography investigation to the voluntary admission by
Bill Cosby that he used quaaludes for the sole purpose of having sex with
women...is it just me, or has pop culture been flipped on its side over the
last few weeks?
Though,
just to confirm a few things...Caitlyn Jenner still looks beautiful, Jared
Fogle technically hasn't been charged with anything (though someone who worked
for his non-profit charity certainly has), and as for Bill Cosby...well, he's
making it incredibly difficult for people to believe him. That's all I will say on that matter.
But
do you want to know what I find the most shocking news of all?
The
fact that some television stations and retail chains have taken it upon
themselves to erase "The Dukes of Hazzard" from pop culture history.
Now,
I'll be the first to admit...I didn't understand it. I still don't understand it.
My family grew up watching "The Dukes of Hazzard" since it
first started airing. Reruns in Canada
have been screening off and on since the show ended thirty years ago, and I
can't imagine there being anything remotely offensive about the show at
all.
Well,
okay, some people didn't really like Daisy Duke's short shorts (I myself was
NOT one of them). But when you consider
that "Baywatch" revealed more skin on a weekly basis, "The Dukes
of Hazzard" seems tame by comparison.
So,
why the outcry over "The Dukes of Hazzard" now?
It's
because the car that was used in the show - the orange 1969 Dodge Charger
dubbed "The General Lee" - happens to have a Confederate Flag
plastered right on the top of it.
And
it is because of that flag that TV Land opted to pull the show from its
schedule, and prompted retailers to pull any merchandise that featured
"The Dukes of Hazzard" in any capacity.
The
decision to pull the show came days after the horrific June 17 church shooting
in Charleston, South Carolina, where a young man shot and killed several
people. He was also a Confederate
sympathizer and extreme racist who targeted an African American church because
he felt the world was a better place without them.
A
real prince of a guy, wasn't he? I hope
they throw the book at this piece of work.
Anyway,
the racially motivated shooting caused a bit of a stir in South Carolina when
people noted that Confederate flags were flying at government buildings all
over the state, and people felt that in the wake of the shooting that the flags
should be taken down completely.
For
what it's worth, I agree with THAT decision.
The Confederate States of America haven't been around since 1865, and
even its formation was filled with controversy as the Confederate States of
America were created in response to statements Abraham Lincoln made condemning
slavery. As far as I am concerned, the
Confederate Flag is a banner that was created out of defiance towards a nation
and hatred towards a group of people because of their skin colour.
Mind
you, not everyone will agree with my opinion.
I know musicians like Kid Rock and Ted Nugent have made it clear that
they will support the Confederate Flag.
But I suppose that's the beauty of America - the power of free
speech. Certainly people have the right
to embrace the Confederate Flag as much as I have the right to say that it is
one of the most controversial symbols to come out of the last 200 years.
But
that's all the flag is. History. The Confederate States of America only
lasted four years before it completely collapsed, and since 1865, America has
been one nation. And, when it comes to
the world, people are a lot more accepting and tolerant of others. Okay, so the world isn't perfect in that
regard, but we're a far sight better in 2015 than we were in 1915.
But
let's take a look at "The Dukes of Hazzard". Is the main focal point of the show the
Confederate Flag? No. Does the show feature segregation and racism
in the show at all? Well, not that I've
seen anyway. If racism were an issue
before, don't you think that TV Land would have never aired the show in the
first place? The show itself doesn't
demonstrate any negative values at all (or if it did, I must have missed that
episode), and pulling the show simply because of a flag decal that is just
there for decoration and authenticity is not a good reason.
Even
the stars of the show, John Schneider and Ben Jones have spoken out against the
decision, stating that there was no good reason to pull the show, and I agree
with them completely.
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