By Jennifer Latzke

Recently, the CMT cable network brought the Dukes of Hazzard back to Must-See TV. And, I just have one thing to say in response.

"YEEEEEE-HAAAA!"

Our household, like most of our friends' and neighbors' in the late 1970s and early 1980s was a Dukes household. With three kids under the ages of 12, it was no wonder we spent one night a week gathered in our living room as a family enjoying the escapades of those Georgia rednecks. Frankly, Mom and Dad had no choice--we outnumbered them as far as the choice of what to watch on TV. Even if our country antenna could have picked up another channel besides CBS, we would have insisted on watching the Dukes.

Each of us had our favorite Duke. My older sister Joni had a giant crush on Bo, with a scrapbook of photo clippings to prove her dedication. My older brother James, like most young guys his age, would have gladly traded places with Ennis just for a kiss on the cheek from Daisy. And me? I knew, even at the tender age of five, that someday I'd marry Luke Duke.

Actually, I still believe it.

I think you can tell a lot about people's values just by asking them if they too were Dukes of Hazzard fans. Here's a few ways of identifying them:

--He installed an after-market horn on his vehicle that plays "Dixie."

--He welded the doors shut on his Buick LeSabre so he would have an excuse to climb through the windows.

--He or she has an intense urge to jump obstacles with vehicles, outrun the police and scream "Yeeeeee-haaaa" at the top of his or her lungs.

--You've ever mulled naming your first child Beuregard, Luke, Daisy or Cooter, only to be vetoed by your wife who wanted the name Jessie.

--He didn't think it was odd at all that Daisy would feed chickens, slop hogs, or clean house in shorty-shorts/Daisy Dukes, nylons and high heels.

--She's ever dated a guy because he reminded her of Bo or Luke Duke.

--You've given your own children advice you learned from Uncle Jessie's serious talks.

--You played Waylon Jennings' "Just the Good Old Boys" at your wedding reception or as the processional from the church.

--You've successfully completed a hood slide without falling on your face.

--You've painted a Confederate flag on a dirt track race car, demolition derby heap, or 10-speed bicycle.

--He thinks wearing an all-white suit and driving a Cadillac with steer horns mounted on the hood is classy no matter the season.

--You think you should have a voice-over Balladeer following you around to tell your life story.

--You still refer to your childhood friends by their pretend CB handles and you occasionally finish sentences with "Copy that," "Roger" or "That's a big 10-4 good buddy."

I sometimes wonder how a wholesome family show, in which no one cursed or was seriously injured ever became such a ratings powerhouse. It was just an hour of the well-defined good guys versus the bad guys--something unheard of in today's smarmy reality TV craze.

If you looked under the surface of fast cars, pretty women and redneck phrases, though, you'd find lasting lessons--family is everything, good always wins in the end, and when in trouble, ask Cooter for a tow.

Jennifer Latzke is an associate editor and can be reached at 620-227-1807, or by e-mail at jlatzke@hpj.com.

Date: 4/19/05