# Dukes of Hazzard question **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 7, 2005, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dukes-of-hazzard-question/302810 "2005-05-07T13:55:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Carm6773](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/2bfe46/32.png) [@Carm6773](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carm6773)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2005, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dukes-of-hazzard-question/302810/1 "2005-05-07T13:55:45Z")
First of all, I just want to say that I am so grateful to CMT for resurrecting **Dukes**. It really brings back childhood memories. I’m not sure if I’m going to see the movie or not. OK, now my question. Uncle Jesse always goes on and on about the importance of family. Bo, Daisy, and Luke are all cousins to each other and they all call Uncle Jesse “Uncle” (not Dad or Pop). Doesn’t that mean that Uncle Jesse has (at least) 3 brothers (since all the cousins have the last name Duke, then their fathers had to be Dukes) out there somewhere? I also think there is a sister, because I remember them mentioning an “Aunt Katie.” If family is so important to the Dukes, then how come we never hear about/see these relatives? ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2005, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dukes-of-hazzard-question/302810/2 "2005-05-07T14:08:24Z")
They all died in freak car-jumping accidents. ---
**Author:** ![sleeepy2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9a140/32.png) [@sleeepy2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sleeepy2)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2005, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dukes-of-hazzard-question/302810/3 "2005-05-07T14:35:31Z")
Don’t forget Coy and Vance Duke, the “replacement” Dukes. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2005, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dukes-of-hazzard-question/302810/4 "2005-05-07T15:26:26Z")
Bo and Luke aren’t brothers? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2005, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dukes-of-hazzard-question/302810/5 "2005-05-07T15:31:50Z")
The Dukes of Hazzard was originally intended as a grimly realistic portrayal of the life of a poor rural Southern family. In the never seen pilot episode, they showed the family gathering together; the six brothers - Tom, Dick, Harry, Bert, Ernie, and Jesse - had brought their wives and children. In a Faulkneresque moment, Grandpa and Granny Duke told them all that they were losing the family farm. Then, in a Tarantinoesque moment they pulled out machine guns and started shooting everyone. The only survivors were the children (along with the youngest brother Jesse) who were all sitting out at the kid’s table on the back porch. Gathering together the remnants of his shattered family, young Jesse vowed to raise his niece and nephews to adulthood. The pilot didn’t test well in focus groups so the producers decided to go in a new direction. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2005, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dukes-of-hazzard-question/302810/6 "2005-05-07T16:09:59Z")
I wanna know how Uncle Jesse gets his fat ass into the General Lee through the window into the back seat and around the roll cage. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2005, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dukes-of-hazzard-question/302810/7 "2005-05-07T16:40:20Z")
It involves a witch’s brew of moonshine and lard. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2005, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dukes-of-hazzard-question/302810/8 "2005-05-07T16:48:34Z")
It’s like in **Tobacco Road** - everybody else got run over, burned alive, starved to death, or ran off to the cotton mills. The population of “family” finally got winnowed down to where everybody had enough to eat, and then it hit an equilibrium. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2005, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dukes-of-hazzard-question/302810/9 "2005-05-07T18:20:17Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > I wanna know how Uncle Jesse gets his fat ass into the General Lee through the window into the back seat and around the roll cage. They actually show that every now and again - the boys lift him up and shove him through the window. And, yes, I’m horribly ashamed now. ---
**Author:** ![brianjedi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@brianjedi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brianjedi)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2005, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dukes-of-hazzard-question/302810/10 "2005-05-07T20:11:01Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > I wanna know how Uncle Jesse gets his fat ass into the General Lee through the window into the back seat and around the roll cage. They open the door. [aside]The General Lees never had their doors welded shut, because it was too expensive and time-consuming. The ones used for close-ups had completely working doors, and the jump cars either had their doors bolted or chained shut.[/aside] ---
**Author:** ![mrunlucky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7993a0/32.png) [@mrunlucky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mrunlucky)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2005, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dukes-of-hazzard-question/302810/11 "2005-05-07T20:28:05Z")
I found a site called [Flog](http://flog.phooeyhoo.com/archives/2004/03/the_minimum_num.html) that has an equation on this matter. Apparently there is a minimum of at least 16 Dukes. The upcoming release of the third season of Dukes on DVD is supposed to have a segment called “Dukes Family Tree” by series creator Gy Waldron. I suspect that might clear up some things. ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2005, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dukes-of-hazzard-question/302810/12 "2005-05-07T22:21:39Z")
All the rest of the Dukes’ relatives were in the County Poorhouse/work camp which was really Boss Hoggs Plantation. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2005, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dukes-of-hazzard-question/302810/13 "2005-05-07T22:49:07Z")
> [@brianjedi](#): > > They open the door. > > [aside]The General Lees never had their doors welded shut, because it was too expensive and time-consuming. The ones used for close-ups had completely working doors, and the jump cars either had their doors bolted or chained shut.[/aside] But they were _supposed_ to be welded shut. There were a couple of times where the car is in a long shot and you see one of the actors open the door to get out. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2005, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dukes-of-hazzard-question/302810/14 "2005-05-08T01:55:04Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > you see one of the actors open the door to get out. All I remember is that I _really_ enjoyed watching Daisy get in and out. ---
**Author:** ![brianjedi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@brianjedi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brianjedi)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2005, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dukes-of-hazzard-question/302810/15 "2005-05-08T05:18:13Z")
> [@Mr. Blue Sky](#): > > But they were _supposed_ to be welded shut. There were a couple of times where the car is in a long shot and you see one of the actors open the door to get out. I know. Hell, a couple of times you hear the door slam when John Schneider gets out!