GotZoom

Chrysler Shuns Marketing Deal With Dukes of Hazzard Movie

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.

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do...ticleId=106116

ZoomZoomH

iTrader: (1)

makes sense to me...

Rhawb

In all honesty, the Confederate flag represents rednecks to me more than it does slavery anymore. The type of people I usually see running around with those are usually gun-toting hicks in the backwoods around here (there are normal folks with it, but it's rare), so that's what I tend to associate rather than oppression and slavery.

fluque

So they are saying that Confederate flag is not politically correct......
That's a little far fetched

guy321

This has been an issue for a while.. THere was a youth football team called the rebels and aclu or some such protested thier use of the rebel flag on the helmets.

Although, Down in Rhawbs neck of the woods (bradenton) i've seen the flag on trees next to white hoods, etc..

Anyway, i say **** politically correct. The "General Lee" is part of Chryslers heritige, like it or not.

and what's wrong with gun toting and hanging around in the back woods???? have you ever tried it, it's a good time, bonfires beers and babes.

Rhawb

Hey, nothing wrong with it, I'm mostly taking beef with the "greasy" part that's usually associated with them

Ike

I wouldn't want any product of mine associated with the confederate flag either and I'm hardly one to worry about being PC.

DreRX8

Ku Klux Klan and racism rhymes with the confederate flag to me. I'm still gonna check out the Duke of Hazzard because I use to watch it when I was little--but I think Chrysler is spot on for not wanting to be affiliated with it in such a manner. F--K the confederate flag.

therm8

Yep, people would just be waiting to jump on the boycott Chrysler bandwagon over something as silly as this. Smart move on Chrysler's part.

DreRX8

^I agree--while I find the confederate flag offensive--I am not so offended to the point of boycotting--but there will be many groups waiting to jump on a controversy such as this.

guy321

Then you should be offended by the Union flag also...

"Up until sometime in the 1960's the Union Flag alone was the dominant flag (see multiple photos below) used by the Ku Klux Klan (the group these Confederate flag opponents seem to base all their views by). But you'll notice below, that even in later pictures, and even to this day, the KKK still carry the Union flag, in addition to the Confederate Battle Flag. I was told via email to a KKK web contact that the group began flying the Confederate Flag during the civil rights movement, as they felt they had been betrayed by the USA Government, and that some groups still fly the Union flag, but sometimes upside down in protest. "


http://www.pointsouth.com/csanet/kkk.htm

DreRX8

^interesting--as the propaganda of those idiots I always see has the confederate flag. Learn something new everyday. F--K the Union flag too I guess.

guy321

lol, well you can't control what they use for thier symbology.. they also do things in the name of God and Christianity.. so you can't hate everything.. Lets just remember that there is typically more to things that what the general population is aware of..

TODreamer

smart move

guy321

The General Lee without the flag would be idiotic.. i mean what next, will they re-do star wars where greedo shoots first or something :o

TODreamer

They never said the flag wouldnt be on it.. its just that Chrysler wont link any advertising of the 06 chanrger to the movie

guy321

I know that is the outcome, but Chrysler said they WOULD advertise IF the studio removed the flag, and the Warner Bros refused.

It seems hypocritical to me for people to disdain the Confederate flag because hate groups use the symbology, when they also claim to do things in the name of Christianity, yet no one boycots the christians.

TODreamer

and rightly so!

they asked... WB said no and Chrysler said "see ya". whats the problem with that?

Chrysler doesnt "need" the not very highly anticipated Dukes of Hazard movie to sell their charger at all..... from a business stand point linking with that movie would just do Chrysler more harm than good.

DreRX8

A valid point. I suppose that is why I am not outraged that the General Lee has the confederate flag on it--all I know is the type of people I see proudly displaying the flag. So how bout this--F--K those people.

Ike

Lets not forget the flag is a Confederate Battle flag, it's not just that it's used by hate groups. It represents people that were fighting for a way of life and ideals that I completely disagree with. I see nothing positive about the flag and see it more as a shameful reminder of how backwards this country was and still is in many cases. I have no problem with it being on the General Lee in the new movie, but at the same time I think Chrysler is totally justified for not wanting to asssociate themselves with the marketing of the movie and their new Charger.

guy321

Nothing is wrong with it. It's thier decision.. and they are actually trying to target more "upscale" clientel than "rednecks" anyway.. those people will just continue buying ford F 150's and Silverados I just think it is a shame to RE-DO somethign in the name of political correctness as was done with Star Wars and greedo..

guy321

You may not agree with the politics of the time, and the image of current day rednecks displaying the flag. However, I propse that the Beauregard , as as Ike pointed out there were more than one Confederate flag, means more to native southerners than a symbol of slavery and hate.

It is also a symbol of a romantic southern ideology. Plantation homes, oak trees covering dramatically sweeping hills, southen belles sipping lemonade under a parosol.

BTW, Wisconsin is full of names that were words of the indigenous indian tribes.. Hmm, where are those indians today??

So, confederate flag = symbol of slave loving southerners.. but union flag != coralled all the native indians and took thier lands, killed all the buffalo to starve them out and ruin thier way of life (in the plains).

GotZoom

What if the KKK chose the U.S. Flag to wave all the time instead of the Confederate Flag?

Or the Swiss Flag? Or Brazilian Flag? Or the Texas Flag? Or .....

guy321

Look at one of my previous posts.. the KKK DOES wave the US flag and did so PRIMARILY until the 60's when they switched to the Confed flag, but they still do use the US flag also.

Atleast I got one supporter (i think) heh

GotZoom

INSTEAD OF...not addition to or used to then switched. The point I'm trying to make, apparently not clear enough - if the KKK never used the Confederate Flag - if their ONLY (current or past) symbol was the U.S. Flag....

Would the NAACP be protesting as hard against the U.S. Flag as they do against the Confederate Flag?