'Cooter' urges fans to skip 'Dukes' movie

Associated Press
July 14, 2005

ATLANTA -— If a former star of TV's "Dukes of Hazzard'' has his way, fans of the show will skip the movie version.

Ben Jones, a former Georgia congressman who played the mechanic Cooter on the series, says profanity and sexual content in the film essentially trash what was a family-friendly show. He read a script of the movie, which comes out next month, and likens it to taking "I Love Lucy'' and turning Lucy into a "crackhead.''

Jones called the film a sleazy insult in an open letter posted on his Web site. He's urged fans to "hold their noses'' and stay away unless the studio cleans up the movie before its release. A spokesman for Warner Brothers did not return phone calls seeking comment.