Dukes of Hazzard Hero

[Chris Goodwin]

Was just surfing around, and had a sudden yen to see the General Lee written up in Hero.

 

20" Leaping, One Charge, Incantations ("Yee hah!").

 

Physical Limitation: Doors Welded Shut (Inf., Slight)

 

Dist. Features: Paint job, horn (Conc.)

[Karmakaze]

Re: Dukes of Hazzard Hero

 

How about Duplication? I think they went through several of them in the show...

[Intrope]

Re: Dukes of Hazzard Hero

 

How about Duplication? I think they went through several of them in the show...

IIRC, every single jump destroyed one of the cars. Of course, most of the jump footage was recycled, so I don't know how many cars were actually destroyed.

 

And I think I'd make the Dukes Followers of the General Lee. I mean, whose the hero of this show, really?

 

(and I think Flash was probably built on more points than Roscoe)

[Michael Hopcroft]

Re: Dukes of Hazzard Hero

 

IIRC, there were a lot of complaints about the recent Dukes of Hazzard movie, unviersally agreed to be an utter fiasco. But i was surprised that the most important complaint of all was never addressed -- they got the main characters completely wrong.

 

I remember having to watch that show. the Duke Boys were not ignorant hicks as protrayed by Johnny Knoxville and the other guy. In the actual show, they were actually clever, resourceful, and well-spoken. They could have gone to a college and fit in, except that there wasn't one on Hazzard County and one of the ongoing plot hooks was that if they were ever caught outside the county lines they'd both go straight to prison without even a trial. They must have been under a rather bizarre sort of probation, and their crime and whether they actually committed it was never specified. It might have had something to do with bootlegging -- their family was hevaily involved in the moonshine trade and they certainly had the skills of effective rumrunners.

 

Both of the Duke boys would have stratopsheric Combat Driving skill, Skill Levels for hand-to-hand combat (they were unscientific but effective bare-knuckle brawlers), some good Range Skill Levels speciifcally for archery (apparently another condition of their probation would have been that they couldn't carry guns, so they used longbows with explosive-tipped arrows instead, usually against vehicles or buildings), and very good Skill levels in Conversation, Deduction, Seduction and several other social skills.

 

Here's a point to remember when designing any sort of campaign: "rural" and "ignorant" do not go together hand-in-glove in every case. A "hillbilly" or member of a similar culture who may not have a lot of formal education can still be intelligent, cunning, extremely resourceful, a gifted improviser, and have an extremely strong sense of personal ethics and loyalty.

[keithcurtis]

Re: Dukes of Hazzard Hero

 

Here's a point to remember when designing any sort of campaign: "rural" and "ignorant" do not go together hand-in-glove in every case. A "hillbilly" or member of a similar culture who may not have a lot of formal education can still be intelligent' date=' cunning, extremely resourceful, a gifted improviser, and have an extremely strong sense of personal ethics and loyalty.[/quote']

 

Amen.

One thing that always gets to me is when any sort of blue collar type is portrayed in fiction as a complete ignoramus. This is most typicial when the writer is involved in academia. Apparently, people with a certain number of degrees under their belt are unable to undestand that someone who works at a gas station, or a restaurant or an auto shop might be well-read and well-spoken. They are likely just as knowledgeable about anything outside the expertise of the given academician. They don't all speak in monosyllabic grunts.

 

Keith "It's this sort of thinking that breeds wretched Oxfordians*" Curtis

 

*Anyone who feels a burning need to debate Oxfordian vs. Stratfordian, please create another thread.

[Badger]

Re: Dukes of Hazzard Hero

 

Yeah, being from a rural area that does get to me every once in a while. My dad for an example, who might be a borderline redneck;) , has read books about history for years and years. He is more than likely more knowledgeable about say the Civil War, and WWII (his favorite reads) than say your average academia of English (or other non-related history subject). Maybe, maybe not. I have seen "intelligent" hicks in that they knew a lot about a lot of stuff. And I have seen educated who take them away from their one expertise is barely able to survive.

 

Course I have seen a lot of cliched ignorant, dumb, only thinks of beer, NASCAR, and sex, rednecks too.

 

 

Though on one note, back in the late 80s, there was one person in the area who had a car who had a horn with the exact sound. Pretty interesting waking up in the middle of the night hearing....BA DA DADA DUDADA DADA:nonp:

[McCoy]

Re: Dukes of Hazzard Hero

 

They could have gone to a college and fit in' date=' except that there wasn't one on Hazzard County and one of the ongoing plot hooks was that if they were ever caught outside the county lines they'd both go straight to prison without even a trial. They must have been under a rather bizarre sort of probation, and their crime and whether they actually committed it was never specified. It might have had something to do with bootlegging -- their family was hevaily involved in the moonshine trade and they certainly had the skills of effective rumrunners. [/quote']

Yes, the BTAF, the Feds, not the Hazard County Sherrif, caught them running shine. Jessie is the one they were really after, and he agreed to a plea bargain, no jail time, probation, no moonshining, no leaving the county (the boys were caught as they crossed the county line) and no firearms. The narriation several times made reference to Jessie's deal with the feds.

[Michael Hopcroft]

Re: Dukes of Hazzard Hero

 

Yes' date=' the BTAF, the Feds, not the Hazard County Sherrif, caught them running shine. Jessie is the one they were really after, and he agreed to a plea bargain, no jail time, probation, no moonshining, no leaving the county (the boys were caught as they crossed the county line) and no firearms. The narriation several times made reference to Jessie's deal with the feds.[/quote']

Rep to you! Thanks for filling in those details -- I always wondered about that.

 

And you know, that causes a lot of things to make a bit more sense. "Boss" Hogg, the Big Fish in the Little Pond who controlled not only the law in Hazzard County but much of the illegal activites as well, had a long-standing grudge against the Duke family. Part of it may have been Jessie's consistent refusal to pay his "tribute", and part of it was that Jessie made 'shine of much higher quality and potency (and when it comes to moonshine whiskey, quality and potency are one and the same) than what Hogg's stills were producing. Perhaps the Feds offered the deal because they realized that, once they could arrange to prevent the Dukes themselves from doing any serious lawbreaking, they would be able to provide a needed check on a man they otherwise couldn't touch.

[Michael Hopcroft]

Re: Dukes of Hazzard Hero

 

Amen.

One thing that always gets to me is when any sort of blue collar type is portrayed in fiction as a complete ignoramus. This is most typicial when the writer is involved in academia. Apparently, people with a certain number of degrees under their belt are unable to undestand that someone who works at a gas station, or a restaurant or an auto shop might be well-read and well-spoken. They are likely just as knowledgeable about anything outside the expertise of the given academician. They don't all speak in monosyllabic grunts

My father was a blue-collar type -- fisherman's son, ex-Navy SeaBee, and skilled mechanic. But he also kept an extensive library, read Tolstoi to my sister at bedtime, and collected recordings of Vladamir Horowitz (the legendary pianist). He had a keen love of comedy and satire, keeping extensive collections of The Smothers Brothers, Shelley Berman and Bill Cosby. Because my mother was an actress he became quite knowledgable about theatre, and also had a great interest in history. The only thing he lacked intellectually was a degree.

[Karmakaze]

Re: Dukes of Hazzard Hero

 

I avoided the Dukes movie just because it was self-evidently going to be about stupid people. I note though, that a lot of modern movie 'remakes' do that. There's a 'remake' of Guess Who is Coming to Dinner with, heaven help us, bernie mac... I'm so sure that the Dukes movie was stupid because culture says hicks=stupid, but because culture says stupid=entertainingh.

[Duke Bushido]

Re: Dukes of Hazzard Hero

 

they got the main characters completely wrong.

 

Indeed! In addition to the points you make-- all very valid and appreciated, the main characters were poor, but were clean-cut and up-standing. The movie portrayed them as -- well, white trash, plain and simple. Dirty, unkempt white trash with more teeth than IQ.

 

They must have been under a rather bizarre sort of probation,

 

Actually, being confined to the boundaries of a geographic region is not an uncommon stipulation for probation. Though this option has dwindled a great deal in recent years, it still exists. Usually, if one notifies one's PO in advance, permission for short-term travel and interim probationary contacts can be made.

 

and their crime and whether they actually committed it was never specified.

 

Actually, they were convicted of running shine; family influence got their sentences commuted to probation within the confines of the fictitious Hazard County Ga.

 

 

some good Range Skill Levels speciifcally for archery (apparently another condition of their probation would have been that they couldn't carry guns, so they used longbows

 

This one sort of rankled me a bit; Bows are well covered legally as 'fire-arms' and as such would have also been off-limits for them to use. Granted, there is no registration for such a weapon, so it would have been perfectly easy for them to procure them, but actually getting caught using them-- particularly in the fashion they did!-- would have violated their parole.

 

Here's a point to remember when designing any sort of campaign: "rural" and "ignorant" do not go together hand-in-glove in every case. A "hillbilly" or member of a similar culture who may not have a lot of formal education can still be intelligent, cunning, extremely resourceful, a gifted improviser, and have an extremely strong sense of personal ethics and loyalty.

 

And on behalf of hillbillies, hayseeds, and hicks everywhere, I thank you, Sir!

[Enforcer84]

Re: Dukes of Hazzard Hero

 

Amen.

One thing that always gets to me is when any sort of blue collar type is portrayed in fiction as a complete ignoramus. This is most typicial when the writer is involved in academia. Apparently, people with a certain number of degrees under their belt are unable to undestand that someone who works at a gas station, or a restaurant or an auto shop might be well-read and well-spoken. They are likely just as knowledgeable about anything outside the expertise of the given academician. They don't all speak in monosyllabic grunts.

 

Keith "It's this sort of thinking that breeds wretched Oxfordians*" Curtis

 

*Anyone who feels a burning need to debate Oxfordian vs. Stratfordian, please create another thread.

Perhaps they do so because they are so angry at having to work those jobs after getting a "Basically useless" English Lit degree?

[Enforcer84]

Re: Dukes of Hazzard Hero

 

Yes' date=' the BTAF, the Feds, not the Hazard County Sherrif, caught them running shine. Jessie is the one they were really after, and he agreed to a plea bargain, no jail time, probation, no moonshining, no leaving the county (the boys were caught as they crossed the county line) and no firearms. The narriation several times made reference to Jessie's deal with the feds.[/quote']

That explains the bow and arrow.

[Chris Goodwin]

Re: Dukes of Hazzard Hero

 

And you know' date=' that causes a lot of things to make a bit more sense. "Boss" Hogg, the Big Fish in the Little Pond who controlled not only the law in Hazzard County but much of the illegal activites as well, had a long-standing grudge against the Duke family. Part of it may have been Jessie's consistent refusal to pay his "tribute", and part of it was that Jessie made 'shine of much higher quality and potency (and when it comes to moonshine whiskey, quality and potency are one and the same) than what Hogg's stills were producing. [/quote']

 

I seem to recall that Jesse and ole' J.D. were in business together in the old days. I don't remember all of the details, as it's been years and years since I've watched more than a few minutes of the show.

[Duke Bushido]

Re: Dukes of Hazzard Hero

 

Jesse and JD were partners in shine; Jesse made it and JD sold it. That's where JD got his money, and how he started his little 'empire.' Jesse got short-sticked, which was the beginning of bad blood, and when he began to shine on his own, using his nephews to run it.

 

The boys were caught, etc--

Jesse decided, for the sake of the boys, to 'go straight' and keep the boys straight.

 

JD has it in for the boys simply because he fears Jesse and what Jesse knows about him, in spite of the fact that Jesse's personality keeps him from 'ratting' on JD. The boys have it in for JD because JD has it in for Jesse. JD goes after the boys to get at Jesse and perhaps gain leverage over him.

 

 

And that's pretty much the whole plot.

[Peregrine]

Re: Dukes of Hazzard Hero

 

Jesse and JD were partners in shine; Jesse made it and JD sold it. That's where JD got his money, and how he started his little 'empire.' Jesse got short-sticked, which was the beginning of bad blood, and when he began to shine on his own, using his nephews to run it.

 

The boys were caught, etc--

Jesse decided, for the sake of the boys, to 'go straight' and keep the boys straight.

 

JD has it in for the boys simply because he fears Jesse and what Jesse knows about him, in spite of the fact that Jesse's personality keeps him from 'ratting' on JD. The boys have it in for JD because JD has it in for Jesse. JD goes after the boys to get at Jesse and perhaps gain leverage over him.

 

 

And that's pretty much the whole plot.

 

You need more?

[Enforcer84]

Re: Dukes of Hazzard Hero

 

Who knew it was so nuanced! Wait...

[Duke Bushido]

Re: Dukes of Hazzard Hero

 

Not nuanced;

 

my kid sister had one of those little crushes on one of the actors back then. I've been subjected to every episode, and cursed with a sickeningly retentive memory.....