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Dukes of Hazzard reruns dropped amid Confederate flag controversy

Those Duke boys are in a mess of trouble again, as TV Land announced Wednesday that it will be dropping the classic 1980s action-comedy the Dukes of Hazzard from its roster. But it may not be Bo and Luke's fault this time. Rather, it appears to be the changing political landscape. Entertainment Weekly reached out to TV Land, which is devoted to airing episodes of classic TV series, but it had no further comment. While the network didn't say why the episodes were removed, EW speculates that the cancellation is part of the reaction to the racially motivated murder of nine people in a historic black church in Charleston, SC, last month. The shooter was often photographed carrying a Confederate flag and other trappings of white supremacy. Since the tragedy, Confederate flags are being dropped from state houses, license plates, and toys. Last month, Warner Bros. said it would stop producing toys featuring the rebel flag, including a die cast miniature version of the Dukes of Hazzard's trademark ride, The General Lee, which was a bright orange 1969 Dodge Charger with a Confederate flag plastered to the roof. The same week as the shooting, the Supreme Court decided that states can reject license plates featuring the stars and bars as part of the states' right to free speech. Nine states currently use the flag in license plates, and the ruling will allow Texas, North Carolina, and Tennessee to remove the motif from their state's plates. Georgia is also considering redesigning its plates in the wake of the shooting. For our younger readers, the Dukes Of Hazzard was a television show that aired from 1979 to 1985 on CBS. It feature the antics of the Duke boys in a fictional place called Hazzard County, GA. Related Video:

The Dodge Demon is leaked in Fast 8 video with Vin Diesel

It's only week two of the twelve-part Dodge Demon teaser roll out, and it already appears the metaphorical Hellcat is out of the bag. A YouTube video featuring Vin Diesel discussing The Fate of the Furious ( Fast 8) has what are almost certainly two Dodge Challenger Demons parked right in the background. So much for three months worth of build up and mystique. The two cars in the video appear to have the new logo affixed to the fender, right where the current Hellcat logo resides. In addition, the wheels and the massive hood scoop both appear to be the same relative shape as the ones briefly flashed in the latest teaser video. While we can't be 100 percent certain this is really a Demon, all the evidence points to yes. Even if this spoiled Dodge's plans, actually seeing the car here makes us even more excited for the full reveal. We still don't know all the final specs, save that it'll be 200 lbs lighter, so there is still some mystery to be had. The Challenger and Charger Hellcat twins, some of the most brazen and brutish machines currently on the road, were already cranked up to 11. The Demon, with its wide fender flares and comically large hood scoop looks makes the standard car look tame by comparison. We can't wait. Related Video: News Source: YouTube Design/Style Dodge Coupe Performance dodge demon Vin Diesel dodge hellcat dodge challenger hellcat

Aficionauto drives Vin Diesel's fast and furious 1970 Dodge Charger

The Aficionauto host Christopher Rutkowski has a real passion for original and replica cars from movies and television, whether they are from James Bond, Jurassic Park, or incredibly obscure Japanese shows. However, he might have outdone himself this time because he hopped into one of the biggest automotive stars of contemporary cinema. This 1970 Dodge Charger appeared in Fast & Furious and came back in Fast Five, where Paul Walker actually drove it. The menacing, black muscle car will make its return to the franchise in the seventh film, too.
The Fast and Furious Charger is a real beast no matter how you look at it. The interior is nothing more than two seats and a roll cage, and as the video shows, this thing vibrates constantly like a coiled mass of muscle ready to strike. The camera can barely stay in place most of the time. Also, Dom's Dodge is more than happy to do a smoky burnout and leave the driver partially deaf afterward from its wonderful, ear-splitting engine roar.
The Aficionauto also interviews the man who controls the keys to this beast. Bob Hartwig was once an F-15 pilot, but he also loved Hollywood vehicles. Now, he's a partner at Picture Car Warehouse, a company with about 850 cars that supplies vehicles to film studios. This Charger definitely seems to be Hartwig's favorite in the collection, as it should be.