| They have both used the scenic backdrop of Newton County, Georgia, in their productions.
I work in Covington, Georgia, in that there Newton County where The Dukes of Hazzard was filmed. Slightly amusing, sure, but do we have to have an annual General Lee show, where approximately 20 General Lee cars show up in Covington Square, and must they continue the Bubba Lovers Club? Apparently, the dukes still have a number of die-hard fans.
But that's not the only "claim to fame" for Newton County. Also filmed here, among others: "In the Heat of the Night," "Remember the Titans," "My Cousin Vinny," and my personal favorites- music videos by Jermaine Dupri, Little Bow Wow and Mystikal. Shake that ass!
For some reason, Newton County is one of the most popular spots in Georgia to film movies, television shows and music videos. Several times a year, Covington will be inundated by "important" trailors, snobby set workers and perhaps, for a minute or two, a celebrity. Many townspeople become quite annoyed when these out-of-towners just waltz in, uninvited, and take over areas of the city for several days or more. And who can blame them for being upset?
I, however, particularly enjoyed watching the filming of a music video for Jermaine Dupri and his protégé, Little Bow Wow a few years ago. A bling-blinging Dupree trots over to his $500,000 Bentley, which sat on the front lawn of a historic home, while Bow Wow stands on the porch strutting around, mumbling "Yeah!" Who knew the first minute of a video took over three hours to film?
Not long after that video was filmed, a house just off of the Covington Square was chosen for Mystikal's "Shake Your Ass" video. (Later, a friend said the lyrics sounded more like "Take a bath! Wash yourself!") A fellow reporter and I, on request, drove over there to check it out. We managed to get to the house just as they finished shooting for the day, although about 15 scantily clad, baby-got-back ladies were still hanging around. My fellow reporter and I flossed our wheels back over to the office.
I suppose I find all of this so amusing because, other than the occasional filming, the county holds little else of interest- unless you enjoy small town living. Not that there's anything wrong with that. I can't help but laugh, however, when seeing that Mystikal video where they basically turned the house into a sort of brothel masquerade party, and knowing that it is shot in a dry county where a church sits on every block.
Watch yourself!
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