Ben Jones telling fan's to not see the movie

[dukesran1]

I got this from my yahoo mail

Hey Y'all,

I thought this would be a good time to let everyone know my feelings about the upcoming "Dukes of Hazzard" feature film.

since

if it weren't for the "Dukes" fans, our show would have been long since "put out to pasture". The folks who love our show have kept

It

alive and well, despite the lack of respect it has been shown by ' Hollywood'.

Websites like ours have been an extraordinary means of

communication

for the 'Dukes' community. The power of the internet has emabled

us

to no only keep the show viable, but to help make it a hit show all

over again. CMT is getting record ratings and the kids of America think it is a new show. In our Business. It doesn't get much better than that.

Like our fans, those of us who worked on the show have a special affection for it. For over 25 years we have cared about it,nourished it, and fought for it. and it seems to me that it is time

for us to have our voices heard again. From all i have seen and heard, the"Dukes' movie is a sleazy insult to all of us who have cared about the "Dukes of Hazzard" for so long.

You probably know that the creators of this film wanted

absolutely

nothing to do with the original members of the cast. doesn't that seem strange to you. given how popular our show is right now and how popular our cast still is? after all, our hugh success for

so many years is the reason they are making the film and the film after all, is about us.

In the last few years I reckon I've done many hundreds of interviews.

around the country on radio and television and for dozen of newspapers. I always tell them that our is a classic family show.

with positive values. great action, wonderful slapstick comedy, mighty fine country music, and a very gifted cast who had great chemistry. America could tell that we were clearly injoying what we.

were doing and for that hour folks could forget their trouble

and

just have fun along with us. It is exactly the kind of

entertainment

that families crave fight now.

Lately most of the interviewers want to know my opinion of the "Movie" version that is coming out it August. I.ve always tried

to be candid with my opinions, and when it comes to this film I think it would be a mistake for me to pull the punches.

I like you haven't seen the film, but I have read the script, I've talked to alot of people who worked on the set, and I've seen the raunchy commercial. Frankly, I think the whole project shows an arrogant disrespect for our show, for our cast, for America family's

and

for the sensibilities of the heartland of our country.

Unless they clean it up before the August 5th release date I would

strongly recommend that true blue Dukes fans hold their noses and pass this one up. And whatevery you do, don't take any youngsters to see it.

as plain as I can put it, the only thing this movie shares,

with our show is the title. Oh, they do they do have the General Lee flying

through the air, although according to the New York times they didn't even us stunt drivers.

Sure it bothers me that they wanted nothing to do with the cast of our show.but what bothers me much more is the profanity laced script with blatant sexual situations that mocks the family values of our series. now, anybody who knows that

I'm not a prude. But this kind of toilet humor has no place in Hazzard County.

Rather than honoring out legendary show, they have chosen to degrade it.

When CMT brought our series back on the air in Feb of this year, 23 million viewers tuned in on that first weekend. very few

if any, movies have ever matched those kind of numbers for an

opening weekend. Our show is a hit right now! Very young children have fallen in love with the "Dukes" On CMT, just as their parents

did 25 years ago. They love the positive values of our show wholesome friendliness, and the fact that Bo and Luke are heroes who

always make the right moral choice. How can the producers of the film be so cynical, so jaded, so out of touch with America's heartland as to trash a great family show in this why?

Well, there may not be much we can do, but we have to do all we can.

Let's send them a message: "If you don't clean it up, were not going to see it." Maybe a kick in their pocketbooks will get their attention.

[travelerF150]

I will not judge something until I have seen it. I can tell you all that I will see this movie the first weekend that it is out and will report my opinion on this website. But in no means will I boycott this film. That's unAmerican to me and I'm an educated person capable of making my own decisions and opinions. I will not be a lemming and simply do something because someone I admire tells me too. I have a lot of respect for Mr. Jones. Not only for is role in the Dukes but also his contribution in the H of R. I know he's a good man but I'm an adult now and one thing I've learned in life (Maybe I even learned it from the Dukes) is that you should give something a chance before you condem it. If you don't want to see it, then don't go see, if you do, I'll see you there.

[dukesran1]

I had actuilly wrote something at the bottom but delete it but i will go a head say what i was going to say

No matter what Mister Jones says people are still going to watch it and him not whating them to will just make them what to more and fare as bring kids to this movie. childern today see alot worse Kids today now alot more about sex then we did when we where childern If we where living in the 70s and they had done a movie on the dukes then people would have watched but we live in the year 2005 and your not going to get people to seat throw a movie that is made like back in the 70s,60,50,40 when movies where movies like Betty davis a wonderful actress. I for one will see this movie but there will be others that will lesin to Mister Jones

[Dale The Bold]

I suspect someone is posing as Ben Jones. He's not that terrible of a speller, and it seems to have been written very hastily. Not only that, but he hasn't really been candid about his opinions about the movie, so why would he say he was? Something smells fishy. I think someone shucked and jived you by sending a message posing as Ben Jones.

[dukesran1]

Hay Dale about five of thoes miss spelled words was my fuilt my bad when i was coping it i should have stop to read over it again sorry the words are fixed

[Sway4829]

Actually I think it could very well be from Mr. Jones. When I went to Dukesfest they had an article in the local paper about what he thought about the film and he said a lot of the very same things mentioned in the above post. He mentioned how the movie people didn't want anything to do with the original creators or cast of the show even though he and others have tried to contact them and get involved and went on to say when they asked him if they could participate in Dukesfest this year he told them no saying if they didn't want anything to do with them, they didn't want anything to do with them.

Personally I will probably end up watching the movie in the long run after it comes out on DVD or something just to see what they did, but as of right now I have absolutely no desire to see the film when it comes to theaters and that has nothing to do with Mr. Jones letter that's my own personal decision because I don't like what I've seen about the movie so far. And while I agree completely with what Mr. Jones says about the film and how they've degraded and even mocked the show we all love, I don't think it's necessarily fair for him to tell people not to go.

Edited to say that if you go to the Cooter's Place website you can read the exact post dukesran1 posted here: http://www.cootersplace.com/news_movie.asp so it is legit.

[Dale The Bold]

Well, the next time you need to copy a letter, click and hold the mouse button, drag it across the text, select Ctrl+C to copy, go to the place you want to put the text, select Ctrl+V to paste, and you'll get the whole thing dropped in place and you'll save yourself a lot of time. Ain't that slick?

[Scott]

I'll ask him in a couple days. I'm leaving Saturday morning for Gatlinburg. It'd be cool if he were at his place. We'll see. I will have the camera too so I might be submitting a few more photos.

[inga]

That letter, which I agree is a little harsh, is indeed from Ben Jones himself. He has it posted on his web site:

http://cootersplace.com/news_movie.asp

[Scott]

Well, I made it back from Gatlinburg Sunday. It's amazing how much money Ben Jones makes with his franchise. It's almost too much for me to appreciate. Inside the Garage is mostly about "him". I'm sure others on this site have been there so I won't describe it. I will say though, if he signs something the mark-up is about 100%.

Yes, Ben Jones was in the house for his autograph session. The line pretty much wrapped around the building but I didn't feel like waiting. If I did go in, I woulda have to have asked him about the movie...just to get his blood flowing. I would have asked why there were raised white letter tires on his car outside when he complained those exact tires were used for the movie cars. Hmmmm The Mrs wouldn't let me. (shhhh, next year) Also noticed they'd be so kind as to remove the rope so you could pay them $5 to take a picture of yourself in the GL...with your own camera! Ingenious!! Think I'll do that too.

As a little side note, there were only about 6 pictures of Coy and Vance in the whole store. Were they not that popular?

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10/Scott225/P3281312.jpg

[Scott]

Well, I made it back from Gatlinburg Sunday. It's amazing how much money Ben Jones makes with his franchise. It's almost too much for me to appreciate. Inside the Garage is mostly about "him". I'm sure others on this site have been there so I won't describe it. I will say though, if he signs something the mark-up is about 100%.

Yes, Ben Jones was in the house for his autograph session. The line pretty much wrapped around the building but I didn't feel like waiting. If I did go in, I woulda have to have asked him about the movie...just to get his blood flowing. I would have asked why there were raised white letter tires on his car outside when he complained those exact tires were used for the movie cars. Hmmmm The Mrs wouldn't let me. (shhhh, next year) Also noticed they'd be so kind as to remove the rope so you could pay them $5 to take a picture of yourself in the GL...with your own camera! Ingenious!! Think I'll do that too.

As a little side note, there were only about 6 pictures of Coy and Vance in the whole store. Were they not that popular?

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y10/Scott225/P3281312.jpg

[back]

Coy? Vance? Unpopular!? no way!!! uhhh, yea. umm, they didnt exactly tickle my pickle. its like Trying to replace the dude who played Luke Skywalker. it just aint gonna pan out right. Tom & John are the duke boys. plain and simple and no one will ever be able to fill there shoes - ever.

im gone.

-Brad

[back]

Coy? Vance? Unpopular!? no way!!! uhhh, yea. umm, they didnt exactly tickle my pickle. its like Trying to replace the dude who played Luke Skywalker. it just aint gonna pan out right. Tom & John are the duke boys. plain and simple and no one will ever be able to fill there shoes - ever.

im gone.

-Brad

[Scott]

No one'll ever fill The Original Daisy's shorts...er...shoes either. Amen.

[Scott]

No one'll ever fill The Original Daisy's shorts...er...shoes either. Amen.

[barbiegirl]

I just saw him day before yesterday while his band performed in Suffolk, Virginia. I can tell you that he is so friendly you just wouldn't beleive it. He stayed WAY after the show was over shaking hands, posing for pictures with people and just talking with them. I was there for two hours as people waited the whole time in a seemingly never-ending line just for an autograph. He went out of his way to make everyone feel comfortable, even way past dark and in 95 degree humidity, he kept on smiling. And the band was great. He said, "I'm not really a singer...I'm an actor. But they always let me sing because it's MY band!"

One more thing...MANY of the fans coming up to him were five - ten years old who watch the reruns and are now huge fans. He talked with them and shook their hands just like everyone else. Ben was simply stating his opinion, and that's okay. Truth is...there were MANY young children out there after all these years still looking at him wide-eyed. And if the original wasn't so family-oriented...that wouldn't be happening today. I'm sure when the movie comes out to video, I'll rent it sooner or later. But I can tell you one thing for sure...regarding the "Boots are Made for Walkin'" video...my six year old son will not see the new Daisy Duke covered in bubbles and rolling around on the General Lee in a bikini anytime soon.

[barbiegirl]

I just saw him day before yesterday while his band performed in Suffolk, Virginia. I can tell you that he is so friendly you just wouldn't beleive it. He stayed WAY after the show was over shaking hands, posing for pictures with people and just talking with them. I was there for two hours as people waited the whole time in a seemingly never-ending line just for an autograph. He went out of his way to make everyone feel comfortable, even way past dark and in 95 degree humidity, he kept on smiling. And the band was great. He said, "I'm not really a singer...I'm an actor. But they always let me sing because it's MY band!"

One more thing...MANY of the fans coming up to him were five - ten years old who watch the reruns and are now huge fans. He talked with them and shook their hands just like everyone else. Ben was simply stating his opinion, and that's okay. Truth is...there were MANY young children out there after all these years still looking at him wide-eyed. And if the original wasn't so family-oriented...that wouldn't be happening today. I'm sure when the movie comes out to video, I'll rent it sooner or later. But I can tell you one thing for sure...regarding the "Boots are Made for Walkin'" video...my six year old son will not see the new Daisy Duke covered in bubbles and rolling around on the General Lee in a bikini anytime soon.