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Friday, March 16, 2007

Boss Hogg's Revenge: Cincinnati Pops Boots The Dukes As Redneck Culture

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- A former southern congressman who came to prominence playing a mechanic named "Cooter" on the old nework TV show The Dukes of Hazzard says political correctness has cost the sitcom's two male leads a gig with the Cincinnati Pops orchestra. Ben Jones said John Schneider, who played Bo Duke, and Tom Wopat, his onscreen cousin Luke, were dumped over complaints the show about a rural southern community had "racial overtones," a charge that Jones said is ludicrous.

Jones is from North Carolina and served as a Democrat in the House. A brief online bio about his political career shows he served two terms from Georgia.
Schneider has a movie coming out next month and has been in Alabama raising money for victims of the tornado that wrecked Enterprise and destroyed the town's high school earlier this month. The 1980s TV show is something of a cult classic in the South, and has been on CMT in reruns, though no longer seems to be available on the cable network. In June, there is a big celebration called DukesFest held at the Bristol Speedway.

Jones claims the Cincinnati NAACP chapter played some role in the decision, but evidence of that was not immediately available. There is nothing about the dust up or the Dukes on the Pops' schedule and official site. But Jones' statement is on his Web site, Cooter's Place, HERE.

"I wish I was making this up. But, unfortunately it is true. It is bizarre. One reason our show is loved by folks of all colors all over the world is that racism is non-existent in Hazzard County. It is an innocent show where the good guys always win and nobody gets hurt, and brotherhood is a natural thing there. What could these politically correct vigilantes be thinking?"

The American-built car the Dukes drove, the Gen. Lee, apparently had a Confederate flag visible in some episodes of the Warner Bros. series. And the horn played Dixie when honked. Many view the stars and bars as a racist symbol of southern slavery and segregation. Dixie was a southern anthem. The Warner's Web site about the show and a couple of movies is HERE, but this click takes you to an episode about the Gen. Lee.

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  1. ABOUT JOHN SCHNEIDER

    John Schneider, the only real Bo Duke, has launched his family comedy film JOHN SCHNEIDER’S COLLIER & CO. – HOT PURSUIT! in limited release in theaters throughout the South.

    COLLIER & CO. has been selling out in theaters. The movie has been drawing an amazing cross-generational audience, bringing in kids and grandparents, including those who say they hadn’t gone to a movie theater in decades but needed to see John Schneider in his movie.

    These are exciting days for Schneider. He roared to stardom as Bo Duke on TV’s hit show THE DUKES OF HAZZARD, jumping creeks in the famous ‘69 Dodge Charger, “The General Lee.” The popular and evergreen ‘80s series continues to air in multiple reruns on cable and recently spawned a couple new movies.

    After many starring roles in TV shows including “Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman,” “Diagnosis Murder,” and “Veronica's Closet,” Schneider burst back into popular stardom as Jonathan Kent, Superboy’s father, on the hit series “Smallville.”

    Schneider is drawing new fans as he now moves into feature films.

    Schneider’s most important project, however, is the newly-released family comedy “John Schneider’s Collier & Co. – Hot Pursuit!”

    “This is my baby,” Schneider says of the PG-rated film that he wrote back when good guys were fun and bad guys weren’t so evil. “Collier & Co. is the most original and exciting car chase movie since Smokey and the Bandit.”

    Schneider produced, directed, and stars in COLLIER & CO. and financed it out of his own pocket. His ‘69 orange Dodge Charger, now known as “Traveller,” is roaring through the film, jumping creeks and causing mayhem.

    “John Schneider’s Collier & Co. – Hot Pursuit!” tells the story of J.R. Collier, a man who used to be the greatest race car driver in the country, but who now struggles to keep his family together as his wife demands a divorce because, as she says, “A family needs security.” And good ol’ boy Collier knows nothing about security. He cooks up a scheme to win exotic cars by street racing unsuspecting rich boys, and then sell them to highest bidders. But one car contains something the bad guys want back, and want back real bad. So, the chase is on… with Traveller, his powerful ‘69 orange Dodge Charger leaping through the air, with helicopters chasing him down, with exotic cars racing down lonely narrow roads. In the end, Collier wins… the cars, the money, and, most importantly, his family.

    Schneider is currently in production on the Morgan Creek production “Sydney White,” a modern retelling of Snow White set against students in their freshman year of college in the Greek system. Schneider stars alongside Amanda Bynes in this hotly-anticipated picture due in theaters in ‘08.

    He will be starring in the upcoming production of Jack London’s “Call of the Wild” as John Thornton, starring alongside Christopher Lloyd.

    Schneider stars alongside Cloris Leachman in the horror movie “Lake Placid 2,” the SciFi Channel’s sequel to the ‘99 horror flick “Lake Placid.”

    He also stars in the current film “Hidden Secrets,” a comedy that asks, “How well do you know your friends?”

    “These are exciting days,” says Schneider. “I’m proud of these projects, especially of my film COLLIER & CO.”

    John Schneider has appeared in:


    MOVIES
    Call of the Wild – John Thornton ‘08
    Derby – lead character ‘08
    The Ogre – lead character ‘08
    Blood Pressure – Walter ‘08
    Sydney White – Paul White ‘07
    Beautiful Loser – Andre ‘07
    Collier & Co.—Hot Pursuit! - J.R. Collier ‘07
    Hidden Secrets - Gary Zimmerman ‘07
    Snow Day - Chad Symmonz ‘00
    The Little CHP - Jack Sr. ‘95
    Exit to Eden - Prof. Collins ‘94
    Come the Morning - Actor ‘93
    Ministry of Vengeance - David Miller ‘89
    Speed Zone! - Donato ‘89
    The Curse - Carl Willis ‘87
    Cocaine Wars - DEA Agent Cliff Adams ‘85
    Eddie Macon's Run - Eddie Macon ‘83

    TELEVISION
    Shorty McShorts' Shorts - Hunky-O ‘06
    The Phabulizers - Hunky-O ‘06
    Smallville - Jonathan Kent ‘01-’06
    King of the Hill - The Ace ‘06
    Felicity: An American Girl Adventure - Mr. Merriman ‘05
    Living with Fran - Tom Martin ‘05
    The Nick at Nite Holiday Special - Ski Instructor ‘03
    The Mummy: Secrets of the Medjai - Rick O'Connell ‘03
    Just Another Piece of Jewelry - Rick O'Connell ‘03
    Mary Christmas - Joel Wallace ‘02
    Lightning: Fire from the Sky - Tom Dobbs ‘01
    Touched by an Angel - Joshua Winslow/Satan ‘95-’01
    Shallow Water: Part 2 - Joshua Winslow ‘01
    Twice in a Lifetime - Captain Luke Sellars ‘01
    Relic Hunter - Dallas Carter ‘00-’01
    M.I.A. - Dallas Carter ‘01
    Veronica's Closet - Tom ‘99-’00
    The Dukes of Hazzard: Hazzard in Hollywood - Bo Duke ‘00
    Diagnosis Murder - Brett Hayward/Michael Dern ‘96-’00
    Out of the Past - Brett Hayward ‘00
    The Churchill Files - Sam Churchill ‘99
    Michael Landon, the Father I Knew - Michael Landon ‘99
    Walker, Texas Ranger - Jacob Crossland ‘99
    Jacob's Ladder - Jacob Crossland ‘99
    JAG - Sgt. Clyde Morrison ‘98
    Mr. Rabb Goes to Washington - Sgt. Clyde Morrison ‘98
    Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman Daniel Simon/Red McCall ‘93-’98
    Birdman - Daniel Simon ‘‘98
    A Cowboy's Lullaby - Red McCall ‘93
    True Women - Sam Houston ‘97
    The Dukes of Hazzard: Reunion! - Bo Duke ‘97
    Kung Fu: The Legend Continues - Latrodect ‘96
    Black Widow - Latrodect ‘96
    Night of the Twisters - Jack Hatch ‘96
    The Legend of the Ruby Silver - Tommy Towne ‘96
    Heaven Help Us - Doug Monroe ‘94
    Christy - Theodore Harland ‘94
    Bandit: Bandit Bandit - Sheriff Enright ‘94
    Burke's Law - Brett Scanlon ‘94
    Second Chances - Richard McGill ‘94
    Texas - Davy Crockett ‘94
    Desperate Journey: The Allison Wilcox Story - Eddie ‘93
    Sisters - McGrady/McGreevy/McGruder ‘93
    Loving - Larry Lamont ‘92
    Highway Heartbreaker Mickey ‘92
    Grand Slam - Dennis 'Hardball' Bakelenekoff ‘90
    Guns of Paradise - Actor ‘89
    A Gathering of Guns - Actor ‘89
    Wild Jack - Jack McCall ‘89
    Outback Bound - Jim Tully ‘88
    Christmas Comes to Willow Creek - Ray ‘87
    Stagecoach - Buck ‘86
    The Dukes of Hazzard - Bo Duke ‘79-’85
    Gus Brown and Midnight Brewster - Gus Brown ‘85
    Happy Endings - Nick Callohan ‘83
    The Raccoons and the Lost Star - Dan the Forest Ranger ‘83
    Dream House - Charley Cross ‘81
    The Midnight Special - Host ‘81
    John Schneider Back Home – Himself ‘80



    Contact:
    Michael R. Barnard
    (818) 954-6445

    JOHN SCHNEIDER’S COLLIER & CO. – HOT PURSUIT!
    Official website: http://www.collierandcomovie.com
    Media resources website: http://www.collierandco-themovie.com

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