Monday, March 26, 2007

 

Cincinnati Pops Orchestra Deems Dukes of Hazard Too Racist

The Cincinnati Pops Orchestra canceled appearances by John Schneider and Tom Wopat in a "Dukes of Hazard" themed show because they decided it was too racist.
The Dukes of Hazzard are getting driven out of town over the Confederate imagery in their good ol' TV show.

The stars of the series, John Schneider and Tom Wopat, have segued into musical careers since the show ended production in 1985. Schneider says the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra canceled a planned "Dukes"-themed appearance after contracts were signed because some in the community found the show racist and offensive.

"It's a huge shock to me that in this day and age people could be so narrow-minded, especially professional people," Schneider said Friday. Although he didn't want to start a feud over the decision, "I would like for people to examine their motives, however, and their knee-jerk reactions to someone else's prejudice and bigotry."

The orchestra said in a statement that it has had a long artistic relationship with Schneider and Wopat, but "we decided that some of the messages conveyed in the program are not consistent with the efforts of the Pops to reach out to all members of our community."
I agree with Mr. Schneider.

Is this, "he didn't want to start a feud", the writers feeble attempt at humor?

Obviously, the Cincinnati Pops had no problem with the show portraying and perpetuating Appalachian Southerners as dumb, inbred, rednecks that barely speak English. And, Cincinnati pretends to be SO enlightened by having a law that forbids discrimination based on "Appalachian regional origin."

Of course, some anonymous idiot raised a stink and then the Cincinnati Pops contacted the NAACP. What do you expect the NAACP to say? I'm of "Appalachian regional origin" and I can take a joke. How about the rest of you hyper-sensitive Princess and the Pea types?

Comments:
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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