The Daily Herald is reporting that the Volo Auto Museum’s director, Brian Grams, has been trying to contact Bubba Watson to make an offer on LEE1. Watson has stated he will paint over the confederate flag on the roof with an American flag. The museum, which already owns General Lee #8, has no interest in political debate over the flag, but does have a keen interest in preserving the car, flag and all, as a piece of television history. If successful in their bid to obtain LEE1, the museum plans to display it along side Lee #8, with a description of the significance of the two cars. Let’s hope they’re successful in their plans!
general lee
Bubba Watson To Paint An American Flag on His General Lee
Bubba Watson has announced on Twitter that he’ll be painting over the confederate flag on the roof of the General Lee with an American flag. Watson purchased LEE1 in 2012 for $110,000. He didn’t seem to have a problem with the flag back then.
The reaction from fans has been swift and mostly negative, with many remarking that it just isn’t the General Lee without the confederate flag and that he isn’t worthy to own the car if he doesn’t preserve it as the piece of television history that it is. Several also mentioned they would gladly take the General Lee off his hands as-is.
Dukes of Hazzard Shindig Success!
The Dukes of Hazzard Family Reunion in Livingston Parish, LA had 20,000 fans show up on Sept. 29, which exceeded the hoped-for attendance by promoters. The event offered free admission to the public, though nominal autograph fees were charged by Dukes of Hazzard cast members. You can read a local write-up about it in The Daily Reveille. By all accounts thus far from fans, promoters and cast members, the event was a great success, and there is already talk of another Hazzard Family Reunion for 2013.
Meanwhile, Dukes of Hazzard shindigs continue during 2012! Owners of General Lee replicas can join cast member Ben Jones, a/k/a “Cooter Davenport”, for the annual Hazzard Run on Oct. 13 & 14! Rick Hurst, “Deputy Cletus Hogg” will be joining the fun. If you’ve never seen this parade of General Lees roll into town, it’s a sight worth the trip! To register your General Lee for the Hazzard Run, or to obtain spectator info, visit Cooter’s Place.
Warner Bros. Says Rebel Flag Stays on General Lee
After being bombarded by emails, petitions and outcry from fans of “The Dukes of Hazzard”, along with being lambasted by cast member Ben Jones, Warner Bros. provided the following statement to NBC:
‘We were not, and are not, planning to change the design of the General Lee on merchandise. All reports to the contrary have been inaccurate.”
We’re not so sure they were inaccurate. We think WB stepped back after realizing that popular public sentiment stood against them. Whatever the case, the issue is at rest, and the General Lee will keep his full uniform. But the controversy surrounding pop-culture use of the rebel flag will be an ongoing battle.
We’re grateful that Warner Bros. is leaving the flag on the General Lee. We also acknowledge that there’s gonna be somebody out there who thinks the rebel flag shouldn’t be on a toy car.
Yet, if those objectors would simply watch a few episodes of the show, they’d realize there’s no hate in The Dukes of Hazzard. There never was. It promoted values like helping your neighbors, saying grace before a meal, speaking respectfully to your elders, doing your chores, being kind to animals, upholding justice and standing up against corruption.
Not much to protest, is there?
Thank you, Warner Bros., for hearing the fans.
Warner Bros. Forbids Flag on All General Lee Diecast Cars
Warner Bros. has reportedly banned the rebel flag from all Dukes of Hazzard “General Lee” diecast cars, effective Jan 1, 2013. For Dukes of Hazzard fans, this could be the night the lights went out in Georgia.
The change to General Lee product licensing has been in the diecast collector’s news for a couple of weeks. The news originally broke on Supercar Collectibles, then was picked up by Mopar Muscle Magazine, and most recently on HobbyTalk.com. As the reports began to snowball, we found ourselves compelled to pass along the info.
We hold out a small, slim hope that Warner Bros. will re-think this one and not go through with this politically paranoid decision. Otherwise, what’s next? The complete denial that “The Dukes of Hazzard” was ever on the air? Pull all the DVD sets off the market?
And what of the General Lee being consistently ranked as the number one (01) TV and movie car of all time? We’re just going to pretend now that the flag was never on it? Who ya kidding?
For crying out loud, the car is named “The General Lee”, after all. Is it really that shocking to have a rebel flag on it?
Where does it end?
We don’t know, and we’re afraid to find out. Hard to believe that something as innocent as a country stock car could be in so much trouble for a flashy paint job, after wearing it for over 30 years.
Any controversy surrounding the General Lee has been created by extreme stances of political correctness, and not due to any real problem. Warner Bros would be hard-pressed to find somebody who has been personally devastated by the General Lee. Except, maybe, for Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane.
Thanks to fan Jason Burnett for the heads up on this story.
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