Pondering The Dukes of Hazzard Reunion

by David Muggleston

I don't know what it is about The Dukes of Hazzard that makes me watch it as often as I can. I guess it's a combination of big old cars doing stupid shit and the "good guys always win in the end" mentality that draws me in to this mindless drivel. And unlike ninety-nine percent of male America, I've never had a crush on Daisy Duke. In fact, I don't really relate to any of the characters — they're all terrible actors. My favorite would probably be Flash, the bassett hound. But somehow the innocent do-gooder faith of the show, combined with cars getting sideways, has made this one of my all-time favorite shows.

My roommate was nice enough to tape the reunion show. I didn't even know it was going to be on until I came home from some weekend trip and she told me about the tape. I watched it and quite frankly, I found it to be one of the saddest things I've ever seen in my life. All of the actors were old (and of course they aren't any better at acting), the story was depressing, and the paths all of the characters had taken in life were successful yet lonely. Not to mention that Boss Hogg was dead.

I really think that if you have a show that has that much kitsch value, you should make a joke out of the reunion, have a funny show that will poke fun at what was pretty much a pathetic collection of talentless people. But these stiffs apparently wanted to do a serious "episode" of the show to show how "talented" they are and it was really an enormous downer, I don't think any of the characters smiled or laughed through the entire two hours, it was so fucking depressing that I almost cried.

I'd like to hear what other fans of the show have to say about this reunion.

Uploaded May 1997