Rolling Stone writer says Law & Order should be cancelled because of its positive portrayal of cops as Amazon considers removing the Dukes of Hazzard because of its use of Confederate flags
- Rolling Stone writer EJ Dickson writes that the last remaining Law & Order program should be cancelled because of Olivia Benson’s model police character
- Mariska Hargitay, 52, has played the part of Captain Benson on Special Victims Unit for 21 seasons on the NBC network
- Meanwhile, Amazon’s Prime video streaming service is considering dropping the Dukes of Hazzard over its use of Confederate flags on the program
- The show, a hit in the 1970s and 1980s, prominently features one of the flags on the roof of its iconic General Lee car
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and the Dukes of Hazzard, two hugely popular American TV programs, are the latest to be drawn into controversy as result of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Rolling Stone writer EJ Dickson writes in a story published by the magazine Friday that the last version of Law & Order should be cancelled because of Olivia Benson’s ‘quintessential Good Cop’ character.
Mariska Hargitay, 52, has starred in the role of Captain Benson on Special Victims Unit for 21 seasons on NBC.
The movement also had Amazon Prime considering dropping the Dukes of Hazzard over the show’s use of Confederate flags.
The hit action and comedy show from the 1970s and 1980s about cousins Bo and Luke Duke living in rural Georgia prominently displays the flag on the roof of the program’s iconic General Lee car.
Rolling Stone writer EJ Dickson writes in a story published by the magazine Friday that the last version of Law and Order should be cancelled because of Olivia Benson’s ‘quintessential Good Cop’ character.Mariska Hargitay, 52, stars in the role of Captain Benson on Special Victims Unit
The movement also had Amazon Prime considering dropping the Dukes of Hazzard, over the show’s use of Confederate flags
The show’s iconic General Lee car (pictured at a collectors auction in Scottsdale, Arizona, has the Confederate flag on its roof
Bloomberg reports that the show is now in jeopardy at Amazon, which wants to avoid running into problems with the Black Lives Movement.
A person familiar with the matter tells Bloomberg that Amazon is considering dropping the program as it looks for potentially offensive content. There show broadcast 147 episodes over four seasons.
A spokesperson for Amazon did not immediately respond when DailyMail.com reached out.
Both shows have come under scrutiny as the Black Lives Matter movement has set off protests across the country calling for police reform after the cop-related slaying of George Floyd on Memorial Day.
The movement’s call for an end to systematic racism has lead to the cancellation of Cops and LivePD, two popular police programs, and impacted once classic films like Gone With The Wind, for their portrayal of African Americans. HBO Max chose not to include the film within its offerings after Floyd’s passing.
Dickson writes in the article ‘Olivia Benson: The Law and Order: SVU Protagonist Should Be Canceled’ that Benson is ‘the embodiment of all of the qualities we wish law enforcement figures would have: she’s tough but fair, vulnerable yet steely-eyed, displaying constant compassion for survivors and providing no quarter to abusers.’
Mariska Hargitay (center) is pictured with the cast of Special Victims Unit from season 3
Rolling Stone writer EJ Dickson (pictured) insists that Law & Order’s Capt. Benson is not the type of cop who will change
‘She always fights for and believes victims, a marked contrast to real-life law enforcement officials, whose record on convicting sexual offenders is abysmal,’ the writer claimed.
Dickson insists that Benson is not the type of cop who will change.
‘Not fundamentally, because nobody wants Olivia Benson to change. We’re probably not going to see her making an effort to hire more police officers of color. We’re probably not going to see George Floyd incorporated into plotlines in anything but a cursory, ripped-from-the-headlines way.’
Her remarks won little favor from fans of the police drama.
‘Law and order SVU canceled because Olivia Benson’s character portrays a ‘hero’! This is ridiculous! Why is the left winning?’ wrote Twitter user who identifies as ‘No One.’
‘This guy has never watched a single episode,’ tweeted Jefferson Starshein who posts on the online platform under the handle @Doubleh55.
A Twitter user who identifies as AdebisiK2-Total Life Changes fired back, ‘Don’t touch Law & Order’ in a tweet under the handle @AdebisiK2.