‘The Dukes of Hazzard’ Cast Stands by Their Show Despite Confederate Flag Criticisms

After renewed controversy sparked around The Dukes of Hazzard last month, the stars and creator of the ’80s series are speaking up to defend the show, The Wrap reports.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter today, the show’s leads, John Schneider and Tom Wopat (Bo and Luke Duke) addressed the criticism of their show, which has been called out for its use of the Confederate flag. The Dukes of Hazzard features the flag on top of the General Lee Race Car, which Bo and Luke ride around town in nearly every episode, cementing the status of the bright red car as a central symbol of the show.

Schneider said that despite the growing criticisms today, he’s never heard anyone directly take issue with The Dukes of Hazzard. “I have never had an African American come up to me and have any problem with it whatsoever,” he said. “The whole politically correct generation has gotten way out of hand.”

Vulture reported in mid-June that Amazon was considering pulling The Dukes of Hazzard from IMDb TV, its free streaming service, because of the show’s prominent display of the Confederate flag on top of the General Lee Race Car. Wopat, Schneider’s co-star, acknowledged that today’s generation has a different relationship with the flag, but still defended the General Lee Race Car.

“The situation in the country has obviously changed in the last 40 years,” he said. “I feel fortunate to be living in a time when we can address some of the injustices of the past. But the car is innocent.”

Although the Amazon news came just last month, the race car has seen its fair share of controversy over the years. In 2015, after a gunman who posed with the Confederate flag shot and killed nine people at a church in Charleston, South Carolina, Warner Bros. TV stopped licensing images of the of the car to toymakers. ViacomCBS also removed the series from TV Land following the shooting.

The Dukes of Hazzard creator, however, has continued to stand by the flag ever since it first appeared on screen in 1979. To Gy Waldron, it’s simply “Southern culture.”

“I had relatives fight on both sides of the Civil War and we honored both the American and Confederate flags,” Waldron said. “No one even connected the Confederate flag with slavery. It was simply a part of our Southern culture.”

Waldron added that he “wholeheartedly support[s] the Black Lives Matter movement and its quest to address racism around the world.”

The Dukes of Hazzard remains on IMDb TV, where all seven seasons are free to stream. The popular series, which ran from 1979-1985 on CBS, later inspired a movie remake in 2005 starring Jessica Simpson and Johnny Knoxville, which also featured the Confederate flag on the General Lee Race Car.

Where to watch The Dukes of Hazzard