Who Hijacked Our Country

Saturday, June 03, 2006

Dixie Chicks

Some rightwing bloggers have been gloating that the Dixie Chicks’ newest CD has been a total flop. Their lead singer said something snide about Der Fuhrer three years ago and the group must pay and pay and pay. Forever. Patriotic Americans will never forgive them. Etc.

Well… Explain this, Rednecks! That’s right — the Dixie Chicks’ new CD has debuted at Number One. They dissed the Boy King and their careers are sailing higher than ever.

It’s hard to tell whether the public was ever pissed at the Dixie Chicks or not. They didn’t get much airplay after their 2003 remarks, but that was mostly because a few CEOs (who own most of the country stations) threw a tantrum and banned them.

It doesn’t matter to me personally since I can’t stand country music anyway. Well, actually I did like a few things by Johnny Paycheck and Hank Williams Jr. And Junior Brown is a kickass guitar player — imagine Chet Atkins, Jimi Hendrix and Joe Pass all playing at the same time. But I digress…

The Far Right keeps dwelling on what they wish were true, instead of actual facts. And the above is a perfect example.

10 Comments:

Blogger Jim Marquis said...

I'm not a huge country fan but I do buy stuff by the Chicks and Dwight Yoakam. I really admire these gals...they totally put their careers on the line for a principle.

June 4, 2006 at 10:27 AM  
Blogger Tom Harper said...

J. Marquis: I think "Earl Has To Die" (or whatever the title is) was the only Dixie Chicks song I've heard; it was pretty good. Yeah, that took balls (er, figuratively) for them to say that in 2003 when Bush was popular and everyone was rallying around the Iraqi invasion.

June 4, 2006 at 12:19 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

The Only people that hated them were the corporation.

A friend of mine from Lubbock Texas went to school with the father of one of the Dixie Chicks, he supported them and so did the rest of the city


Erik

June 4, 2006 at 12:53 PM  
Blogger Tom Harper said...

Erik: Yeah, that was pretty much my impression. Clear Channel employees probably had to make all the right noises about hating the Dixie Chicks, if they didn't want to be out job-hunting.

June 4, 2006 at 4:23 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

The only Dixie Chicks song in my collection is "White Trash Wedding". And the only reason I have that is because it was played at some friends' wedding (appropos to the situation, as they readily admit).

I recall coming across the blog of some twit, shortly after the original brou-haha over Natalie's comments. This blogger was incensed, and declared she had instantly deleted all Chicks songs off her hard drive as a sign of protest. I commented on her blog, asking her how she figured that deleting a bunch of songs she likely didn't even pay for represented protest. I think she promptly deleted that comment, of course...

As I said during the original controversey: The whole thing is a study in cynicism. In my mind, pop music isn't much of a platform from which to lob social/political critique. But that's just me.

June 4, 2006 at 7:13 PM  
Blogger Tom Harper said...

CT: Yup, that's a hell of a protest -- for her to delete a bunch of songs she'd already downloaded for free. That's tellin' 'em.

I think it's fine that musicians (and other celebrities) speak their minds, but I don't think I've ever changed my opinion because "So and So said..."

But Toby Keith, the Dixie Chicks, Clint Eastwood, Martin Sheen -- it's entertaining to hear them all ranting and venting.

June 4, 2006 at 7:46 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I dont respect her and Ill tell you why.

She said what she said about Bush in a foreign country where it would be accepted. Notice it wasnt in Alabama or Texas. Then she came back there was a shitstorm and she retracted.

Now that the climate is really open season on Bush shes got balls again and now shes not sorry. You cant retract a retraction of an apology.

So while I have no problem with what she said although I find her lack of spine, personality, and music completely repugnant. I find odd the timing of her newest statement just when a new sout.

I also find it amusing that in a recent interview she said she didnt care about country music fans because she didnt really want to be country?

What the?
Is she insane?
Quit playing fiddle and calling hogs then chick!
Oh and murdering Fleetwood Mac songs!

June 4, 2006 at 11:54 PM  
Blogger Tom Harper said...

James: The Dixie Chicks did a Fleetwood Mac song? Like I said in the post, I'm not familiar with their music and I'm not a country fan.

I'm just glad their newest album is a hit, just to spite that Clear Channel CEO who banned them from all his stations, and to spite various rightwing bloggers who were saying the new album was a flop.

June 5, 2006 at 12:39 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Yes Landslide was a Fleetwood Mac song.

I support their free speech and all that, I just think in this case they are more about self promotion. I always enjoy seegin freedom bashers get theirs so Im with you on that.

June 5, 2006 at 4:56 PM  
Blogger Tom Harper said...

James: Like I said in the post, I'm not familiar with the Dixie Chicks' songs. I know Landslide by Fleetwood Mac -- I didn't know the Dixie Chicks did a cover version of it. (I don't listen to the radio much; I just like what I like.)

For that matter, I'm old enough to remember when Fleetwood Mac was a blues group. They did a version of Black Magic Woman that was much bluesier and earthier than Santana's version. And their song "Oh Well" was a minor hit around 1970.

June 5, 2006 at 10:34 PM  

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