Dukes Of Hazzard On The Chopping Block—Where Will It All End?

Amazon has announced that it is seriously considering removing the 1970s series “The Dukes Of Hazzard” from availability on its streaming service. It seems that the series is under review by Amazon for its content in the wake of the recent racial tensions protests.

The series, which ran on CBS for seven seasons, follows the daily lives and antics of Bo and Luke Duke, who are known for their mischievousness in their small home town of Hazzard County, GA. Before now, for years, the show has received much criticism for the focal point of the program, a car named The General Lee. The reason being that there is a confederate flag proudly emblazoned on the roof of the General.

Bloomberg reports that Amazon is considering removing the series so as not to receive any negative backlash due to the ongoing controversy and movements in the US. At present, Amazon offers the series, streamed with ads, on its service IMDB TV, as well as for sale on its Amazon store.

If Amazon does decide to remove the series, it would be in line with the recent decision made by HBO Max. That streaming service removed the epic classic film Gone With The Wind, an Oscar-winning movie set during the Civil War. The reason stated by HBO Max was that with the current heightened tensions sparked by George Floyd’s death May 25th, they felt the move was the most logical one.

The 1939 Gone with the Wind is set on a plantation in Atlanta, during the years of slavery. Much as with the confederate flag on the Dukes of Hazzard’s car, the film has been criticized in our modern-day for its undertones of racism as well as its unfavorable representation of black people.

The epic period piece won eight Oscars, including best picture. However, history was made with the film as co-star Hattie McDaniel was the first black American to be awarded an Oscar for her performance, opposite Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable.

With the recent headline-grabbing case of George Floyd’s death, detailed in a video showing Officer Derek Chauvin kneeling on the victim’s neck for more than eight minutes, people took to the streets in protest against police brutality in relation to the black community.

Is the removal of films and tv shows really the answer to the situation at hand?