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.

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/News/articleId=106116