Chrysler Shuns Marketing Deal With Dukes of Hazzard Movie
InsideLine/Edmunds Friday, June 17, 2005
Chelsea, Mich. - The Chrysler Group will not tie in any marketing of its 2006 Dodge Charger with the upcoming movie, The Dukes of Hazzard, because it is afraid the display of the Confederate flag on the movie's vintage Charger will offend some viewers.
The movie, scheduled to open August 5, is based on the TV series that ran from 1979 to 1985 and featured "good old boy" cousins eluding authorities in The General Lee, a
1969 orange Dodge Charger with a Confederate flag on the roof. The movie stars Jessica Simpson, Burt Reynolds and Willie Nelson.
"They gave us the treatment for the movie and talked about a marketing deal, but we said we can't participate if you keep the Confederate flag," Jason Vines, Chrysler Group vice president of communications, told Inside Line. "It's offensive to a lot of people. But they [Warner Bros.] said 'no.' We still get a mention of the Charger in the movie, but we couldn't do anything beyond that."
The Confederate battle flag, also called the Southern Cross, has been at the center of controversy for years. It has been described as a proud emblem of Southern heritage and as a shameful reminder of slavery and segregation. The Southern Poverty Law Center says more than 500 extremist groups use the Southern Cross as one of their symbols.
What this means to you: The General Lee rides again, but Chrysler doesn't want anything to do with it.