For Christmas this year, Emily got me the entire DVD collection of the Dukes of Hazzard. As a kid of the 70s and 80s, I was fortunate to enjoy some of the greatest television shows ever made – M*A*S*H, The Dukes of Hazzard, Knight Rider, Air Wolf, Cheers, and the Smurfs. I am delighted to watch the Dukes of Hazzrd with my kids as I am pretty sure that I was Isaac’s age when I was first really drawn to the Duke boys.
So, we got down to business watching the series from episode 1 (which, by the way, explains a lot of stuff about the series). The kids and I giggled and cackled and have been singing the DoH song at the top of our lungs. It has been a great trip down memory lane. I distinctly remember playing the Dukes in second grade. Mrs. Kuhn’s desk made for a great General Lee and her yard stick was a perfect bow for me to shoot my dynamite arrows. It was an awesome time to be a kid. I guess it is posible that any time you are a kid, it’s an awesome time…but seriously, I had the Dukes of Hazzard to grow up on! My best pal at the time acquired a generic tv guide that had Daisy Duke on the cover. You know Daisy, the prettiest woman ever (aside from my lovely wife)! Anyhow, we knew we had something special but we also had enough information about the birds and the bees to know we couldn’t just parade around with the thing either. Brainstorm…we found an old plastic lunch box my uncle gave me and gently laid Daisy into the box and set to work digging. She remains buried somewhere in my parents’ yard to this day. Anyhow, Isaac started talking about shooting a yard stick bow and arrow and I knew we’d started a proper education for our kids. Here are some things I learned:
– The good guys win…sometimes it’s hard to know who the good guys are at first, and they don’t always wear a white hat (or drive a Cadillac with horns). They almost always have a dynamite tipped arrow and a bow on hand though.
-A lady is to be respected and treated right. The extent of her lady-likeness is inversely proportional to the length of her shorts.
-A properly waxed hood is important for proper aerodynamics and fuel efficiency and is properly buffed with one size too small Wranglers.
-I married WV’s finest Duke girl. She was cute then and is even cuter now!
So, I learned some lessons, but I am left with several questions, namely about how the human species propagated itself through the 1970s. I think I first mentioned this question after seeing Soylent Green. Hair styles and clothes, and goofy come-on lines should have excluded most people from spreading their DNA. Even if folks somehow got around that problem, I cannot imagine how the men had sufficient “swimmers” to make the trip. I saw way too much of Bo Duke, if you know what I mean. The Duke boys wore jeans that were at least two sizes too small. Well, I don’t want to say too much more to embarrass myself so I’ll leave the rest to you. “I may be crazy, but I ain’t stupid, this is crazy Warren, over and out!”
Dear Warren;
As someone who propigated during the 70’s let me explain. I know this may be hard to accept, but not everyone watched DoH. After watching a few episodes myself I realized that the only thing the show had going for it was “Daisy” and that grew old fast. Not that I am “knocking” you for loving the show. Many were fans and fanatics. My son and nephew loved the Dukes reruns in the late 80’s and I am sure they still do today.
Not everyone emulated the TV shows and movies.
Not everyone did drugs or tried to live the “rock” style life. Thank goodness we are all diferent and enjoy different things and are not conformed to be the same.
Soylent Green was a movie that caused quite a contraversy at the time and was considered way ahead of its time and a wake up call to the future. The last time I watched it, years ago, I have to agree, it was a very hokey movie.
Some movies and tv shows are classic and stand the test of time.
I used to be a STAR TREK fan, now I sit and giggle at the old shows and can’t understand how I used to watch it. But I am still a fan of MASH. It is amazing how much the entertainment industry triggers our minds to things we enjoyed in our youth and it is fun to travel back to simpler times and relive them. Enjoy your DoH and I an glad your children share it as much as you do. Get your kids some toy bows and arrows and join them in the fun. Make a GENERAL LEE for them to play with. And tell your wife to put on some “Daisy Dukes” and join in the fun.
I used to watch DoH at my grandparents house all the time. Loved it! You missed a couple on that list of yours. How ’bout the A-Team and Alf?! Classics! 😉
And as always warren, thanks for the laughs!
A-Team…how could I forget the A-Team?! Thanks for reminding me!
Ohhh I love M*A*S*H, Star Trek was introduced to me by hubby. I wasn’t allowed TV as a kid execept the Little House series and the Donny and Marie shoe…now that is a blast from the past. I am now reading Little House to Sweet Girl and Donny and Marie will never die…I swear I see them all the time on TV!
I really is amazing we all survived with our intellect intact…well we did at least somewhat! Kim
My brother and I were huge fans of the Dukes. I somehow felt like I really knew them-especially Uncle Jesse. Your commenters have mentioned some great shows from that era. I loved loved Alf-and I still have my Donne & Marie Barbie dolls 🙂 And my brother sitll has MR. T with all his chains!
M*A*S*H is still my all time favorite show. I got the entire dvd collection of it and have watched it a lot. I just love the humor and the simple way the film and deal with such complex topics. It’s funny how hokey it all really is, but I still love it, just like I did back then!
Grey wolf – my dad made me a bow and arrow out of tree clippings and my bro and I marched all around playing the Dukes with that. It was awesome! We were looking back at some of our old school photos at Christmas and we had quite a chuckle at how thin everyone was and what funny clothes they wore. Of course, looking back at pics from 10 years ago cracks me up too. It’s funny how fashion works!
I totally was a DofH fan, too! Though in any situation I always went for the less-popular guy, which at my young age I deduced was Luke. I felt like Bo was getting too much attention. MASH was also another favorite. My sister claims I used to kiss the screen when Alan Alda came on. Ah, young love!
Lynnie – I still kiss the screen when Alan Alda comes on…I just can’t help myself!