I have gained a lot of respect for The Dixie Chicks, even if not country music (I was very open to it before, but with eyes open regarding its conservative proponents).

http://www.washtimes.com/national/20030316...16-24182798.htm

- - - - -

They are being lynched, so to speak, and it isn't even gonna be "high-tech".

Even Madonna, after hearing/seeing what's happened to them, has pulled back her promotion of the pieces (from her newest release) on Iraq and has edited (in two places) the video.

I think that Natalie Maines' standing up for her freedom of speech is EXACTLY what we stand for, have died for, and perpetually fight for.

I am behind her ALL THE WAY. Her apology showed that she was sensitive to the feelings of those who disagreed, with her - yet, in bold and admirable, she refused to be "forgiven".

Go, Natalie!!

[ April 25, 2003, 11:18 AM: Message edited by: bluebird48234 ]

Agreed! I even purchased one of their CDs
hmm, maybe thats who I will be for Halloween

I have a Dixi Chics CD, and it right in the garbage... Stupid fat girl should run on the tread mill as much as she runs her mouth...

Wow Phillyfan, so you hate fat people too?
Please why is she stupid? because she said what she believed? or because she said something you did not believe,, kinda like everybody driving slower than you is stupid, and those driving fast are idiots?

Why am I not surprised at your reaction, PhillyFan?

Their interview on PrimeTime last night (with Diane Sawyer) was amazing. They expressed themselves very well. Regarding her Bush-bashing, Natalie (who actually looked really good) said: It's ridiculous that these women, who sang the national anthem at last year's Super Bowl and who volunteered to go perform for the troops, are being trashed as unpatriotic and un-American. They've received threatening letters and phone calls and even death threats.

Martie said she couldn't believe people were bringing their kids to bulldoze someone's art because they didn't like what they said. That's REAL American.

I'm taking a POP shot at her... doent mean that you hate fat people. I'm encouraging her to work out more than just her mouth.

AWE, is she really sorry, or are they saving face cause they offended many many country fans who are typically pro-war? By appologizing we sell more records... she has the right to say what she wants, and her fans have the right to crush her so called ART... not buy her cd's ect...

When my next CD come out, dont buy it... When i finally get that radio gig i deserve, dont listen... when philly fan posters come out, dont buy one... it's simple.

Most importantly if she doent want me to call her fat, she should throw a salad into her diet.

Obviously, we have no way of knowing this. Was Trent Lott sincere when he apologized? God only knows. And actually, I really didn't think last night they were sucking up to their conservative fans. She did say that she misspoke, but it's pretty clear she's not sorry for not just falling into line and blindly supporting the President. And good for her.

Phillyfan, Your getting a radio show? I was not aware that Rush was leaving the biz!
I am sorry but I see the whole bulldozing thing as a bit to the book burning of the Nazi germany era. It kinda smacks of being insecure about your positons ( not yours personaly)
And BTW some other CW stars have been standing up for her.

I think Bruce Springsteen said it pretty well:

That is nothing like book burning... they dont like HER.... has nothing to do with her music. They are saying... we dont support you, we dont want your music honey....

If it's book burning as you suggest, they would burn ALL country music. Or burn all music with lyrics that said "anti-war"....

I'm gonna start out slow and go local first. Maybe in 6 months i'll be on the airwaves in SDCA.


MY GOD, you guys just love that bruce guy dont ya? double quotes.... Didnt someone post somewhere what a liberal hack he was yesterday? I'd say his career was gonna go downhill now, but well he took care of that years ago i think....

"i walked the avenue till my........ ohhh ohhh ohhh the streets of philadelphia".... Insert singing.

I had a sort of rolling-my-eyes appreciation for the Chicks before their last CD, "Home", came out last year. My parents both liked them a lot, so I guess I thought they couldn't be THAT cool. I kept borrowing this last CD from my mom, because I was very impressed with their version of "Landslide" from the first time I heard it. I always loved that Fleetwood Mac song, and their voices sound great together.

When I heard what Natalie had said, I personally wasn't offended in the least, since I never bought into the whole sham of a justification for war as presented by Bush. Just my personal opinion, mind you, and everyone is entitled to their own. It didn't surprise me in the least that there was a severe backlash for the Chicks right afterward, especially since the majority of country music fans seem to have little tolerance for anything but a "we're #1" form of patriotism. The not-so-subtle message being sent is that if you're opposed to the war and you actually admit it, then you can fully expect a backlash to the extreme. Just ask Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins. It seems like every TV/radio station is in a contest with each other to pander to the pro-war masses, and it's made me tune out the majority of the news for the first time in my adult life.

But back to the 'freedom of speech' issue: I fully support Natalie's right to say what she said. I guess it proves I'm a hypocrite that I get all pissed off every time I hear something about Charlton Heston and the NRA, because I suppose he has the same right to free speech as Natalie. It just depends on whether or not you agree with what the person in question is saying. Don't know if I had a point, just thought I'd add my two cents.

Ms. Natalie enjoyed her right as an American to say what she felt.........and fans, including country music stations have a right to not listen to/play their music! How American is all this?!?! :cool:

way to go dixie chicks!

ninebark yes everybody has the right to not buy etc, but when some speaks their ming and they called traitors have death threats etc then we have moved from "rights" to being something else completely... or is it now your either with us or against us here as well?

Right. If you have said (to yourself):

"OK, ninebark, this is the LAST STRAW - no more Dixie Chicks for me."

...and threw your CD in the garbage with the old leftovers from last week's Chicken Kiev and Chinese broccoli with mushrooms, good for you.

But:

*Parents (of ALL people) are dressing their kids and SENDING them to public "crushings" of Dixie Chicks CDs when they, AS A FAMILY, were former Dixie Chicks fans.

*The Dixie Chicks have received (just like Jackie Robinson did is his day when he was pioneering the integration of the American MLB experience) BELIEVABLE death threats and have become the object of anger on radio/media shows all overthe nation.

*As the Dixie Chicks are women with families, they now have to be concerned with metal detectors at their concerts when, in all these years with COUNTRY-MUSIC FANS (!), they have not had to employ any surveillance of any kind. Go figure.

THAT MEANS, BY THE WAY: all future concerts are possible preludes to murder (JUST FOR SPEAKING ONE'S MIND).

Makes you stomp your feet to the beat, huh? eek!

*They, as an ACCLAIMED, professional musical group, have been banned, protested, ridiculed, and defamed JUST BY EXERCISING THE AMERICAN RIGHTS THAT THEIR ANCESTORS FOUGHT AND DIED FOR AND THAT WE, AS A NATION, SAY WE REPRESENT.

- - - - -

Gentlemen and ladies, this is the America we are navigating in this new millenium STILL, and this is the America with which we will be associated ALL AROUND THE WORLD for the rest of our lives.

In my opinion, it's about time we start living like it and realize that, like the Dixie Chicks might feel: If you can't be ashamed of the person (read: White, heterosexual man until further notice) who runs your nation when he is not even being accountable enough to satisfy your questions as an American citizen and voter, then:

WHAT KIND OF NATION ARE WE PUTTING UP WITH? (Don't rush - stop, take a little time out and really think about this one, because LOTS of people are doing the same.....)

Please remember that scholars and students all over the globe are documenting the history of these years, and chronicling our reactions, our opinions, and our public actions.

[ April 26, 2003, 12:47 PM: Message edited by: bluebird48234 ]

Hey, how about that little girl shut her fat mouth and just sing.... people pay money to hear their music and not their ramblings, especially on political matters. If you depend on the public to support you, it's best not to say dumb dumb things that offend the people who listen to your music.

If she is sooo pissed off at the war and wants to take a stand... then expects you to give her money? get a clue hun....

The great state of South Carolina ranks among the bottom 10 in numerous categories.Among them: crime rate,unemployment, layoffs,high school graduation
rates,infant mortality rates, etc...I'd say it's pretty logical to assume that folks representing the people of that state have a pretty full plate and plenty of issues that need to be urgently addressed.So what issue are they focussed on? :confused:

www.lpitr.state.sc.us/sess115_2003-2004/bills/3818.htm


Ever wonder how Brother Strom has been in control for 100 yrs?

Now PF-a sincere question for you, because I'd really like to understand.Exactly what about Natalie's statement do you find so offensive? I mean I used to listen to Rush insult Clinton on a daily basis,and use much more derogatory language.There was a group of concerned "citizens of Arkansas", who went around tossng out spurious terms like murderer and treason, and Rush hailed them as heroes.Would you have supported a ClearChannel organized boycott of him as well? I certainly wouldn't have. Admittedly,Rush is an idiot and some of the innaccuracies he gets away with during his daily tirade make my skin crawl. However, the type of boycott that you seem to be endorsing strikes me as blatantly and embarrassingly anti-Bill of Rights.

And speaking of embarrassing,did you actually listen to the tapes they played of "citizens" calling in to denounce the Chicks? One woman,(no doubt from South Carolina :cool: ) lol,said they should strap Natalie to a bomb and send her over to EYE-RACK. Now how could you possibly believe anyone with that level of intelligence would be capable of acting on her own? Coincidence that this "boycott" is organized by stations owned by ClearChannel? Based in Texas,heavy ties to Bush and the Administration,and most frighteningly-able to create a virtual broadcasting monopoly due to deregulation of industry pushed thru by-you guessed it-current administration? Imo,that sort of censorship should be alarming to anyone who considers themself an American- GOP,Democrat,Libertarian,
whatever.Or maybe you like all the pre-programmed schlock that radio is currently trying to shove down our throats? eek!

Conor thanks for the link to The Boss,you beat me to posting it.I don't honestly kow how any responsible person could disagree with the well- reasoned response he issued :confused: Again PF,what exactly do you disagree with? Since you made the snide remark about Springsteen, I hesitate to ask what kind of music you listen to.I'm enough of a music snob to put very little value on the music tastes of anyone who fails to appreciate the genius of Springsteen.Not sure what you base the opinion that his career is over on,probably the same well reasoned,analytical approach you take to all your posting. If selling out 10 consecutive shows at Giants Stadium is over the hill,I think he'll take it.With the 5 shows in Philly and Boston already announced, he'll come close to playing for a million people in the Northeast alone. You may consider that "washed up",but he is breaking ticket sales records that he set, and that have lasted since 84-85 and the (BITUSA) stadium tour.If you are too young to recall those days, then I'll cut you some slack.Not your fault you had to grow up with the handicap of what passes for music amidst the mtv generation. :cool:

[ April 26, 2003, 05:13 PM: Message edited by: Tim ]

I'm planning to buy (my first) Chicks CD "Home" because #1) I really like their version of the song "Landslide" and saw them perform it with Stevie Nicks on a Diva's show recently. And #2) to piss off the haters.

I just happen to totally agree with Natalie about being ashamed that dubya is from Texas. Everytime he opens his mouth I cringe at what might come out.

Sorry Tim,
The ClearChannel stations locally are playing the Chicks, it's the other stations that are owned by Cumulus, that are "boycotting" these girls! If your're buying the "chicks" hope you're a country music fan--cause' these good at playin' that! Don't know bout you folks down in sout caorlena or texxass but up here country music's big anf the "chicks"? they don't get it"

Excerpt from above legislative document:

TO REQUEST THAT THE DIXIE CHICKS APOLOGIZE TO THE MILITARY FAMILIES IN THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA AND THE UNITED STATES FOR THE UNPATRIOTIC AND UNNECESSARY COMMENTS MADE BY THEIR LEAD SINGER BEFORE THEY BEGIN THEIR UNITED STATES TOUR ON MAY 1, 2003, IN GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA, AND TO REQUEST THAT THEY PERFORM A FREE CONCERT FOR TROOPS AND MILITARY FAMILIES IN SOUTH CAROLINA AS AN EXPRESSION OF THEIR SINCERITY.

- - - - -

This is:

1/ TOO funny

2/ Southern extortion at its best

3/ Misogyny exemplified to the nth degree

4/ A nauseating state of affairs

[ April 28, 2003, 06:22 AM: Message edited by: bluebird48234 ]

Couldnt agree more!!

"You're free. And freedom is beautiful. And, you know, it'll take time to restore chaos and order—order out of chaos. But we will."—Washington, D.C., April 13, 2003 Chimp

Hey Tim,

Number one you label clear channel wrong, why dont you go ahead and look up who the sponser of their current tour is..... get back to me on that one....

I have a question for the little fat girl. If you are sooo soooo ashamed of bushy, tell me WHY DO YOU SPOUT OFF IN BRITIAN AND NOT THE US? She can be a big woman over there, then appologize over here. uh huh.... if you dont like, dont appologize now. Stand by your beliefs...

Rush V Dixi Chics. When Rush puts out his next album, how about you not buy it. Dont buy his next book. It's quite simple.

I maintain that all of these enterainers need to understand that not all of their fans are pinko commies like most of them are... At a time when 75%+ supported action in Iraq, and yes Bushy too... no one really wants to hear the fat girl yapping.

it's easy math.... if philly fan wants to sell records, do i want to offend people? That is the chance you take when you open your mouth and you are a public figure.

in the new interview with Entertainment Weekly, she said that the majority of the last audience they had in England were Americans.

She said it in front of her countrymen.

Do you think that the death threats are going a bit far?

That does not cut it... she was in britian spoutin off, yet wont do it here, she crys on tv here...

Tell me, how many death threats do you think Rush gets? I guess thats ok, he could care less. how many has madonna gotten in her lifetime? next question please.

Because you probably didn't see their interview with Diane Sawyer:

*Ms. Maines apologized for, if anything, her "choice of words" - but she did not apologize for the urge to speak her mind and the fact that she did.

- - - - -

It DOESN't matter that she was on European soil when she first spoke. She is still of the same mind, and has made that clear.

She has not wavered in the least.

- - - - -

PhillyFan:

It comes off as disingenuous at best, and stupid at worst when you use derogatory phrases like "little fat girl" when describing a woman who has made more money, and touched more people than (I'm guessing here...correct me if I'm wrong) than you've ever dreamed of influencing.

Have you ever even written an open letter that has been circulated in your state of Arizona?

Her voice has proved SO POWERFUL that, at this point in 2003, legislators are spending U.S. tax monies to speak for/against her.

What have you done in the last few years to merit such accolades?

When you have a strong, deep, and heartfelt opinion - great.

But calling names (without grounds, no less!) when you don't have arguments wears thin REALLY fast.

[ April 28, 2003, 11:50 AM: Message edited by: bluebird48234 ]

Phillyfan,
1) Agreed, why the fat comments?
2) It was on the eve of the war, and she happened to be in oversea when she spoke out. I have no doubt that she would have said the same if she happened to be here when it war started.
3) I agree if you do not like some then do not buy the product, but I think when a decree is passed it is going way too far.This show's how this Your either with us or against is gotten way out of hand.
BTW My favorite Rush quote is " There are more trees no in America, then when the pilgrams landed

I need to ask, what perscription do you use? or are they illegal ones? I read this, scratched my head... read it again... got some coffee, read it again.

So let me get this straight, the dixi chics singin bout good ole earl being dead touches someone's life? It's MUSIC. The FAT girl can sing, i dont care about anything else. I dont care that her favorite color is purple... what her house looks like, and furthermore... her stupid political beliefs. Especially if 75% of america dont think that way.

Now this money thing... birdie... making money makes you smart? the FAT girl was simply born with a better voice than me, not much tho. Some of the hollywood dumb dumbs were born with better acting ability... GQ models were born better looking, not much tho... How that makes them smarter than any of us... please explain? If anything money has sheltered them from the real world. Limo Liberal, ever hear of it?

I touch peoples everyday, and not just the touch they all want. Heck, i gotta teach you about life everday. I'd write an open letter for everyone to see here where i live... but as everyone knows, i dont check my spelling and god knows i dont capitalize or punctuate.

"pinko commies"? Geez, you must be even older than me! Is that really you McCarthy?

BTW, Natalie may be a "limo liberal", but she wasn't born to it. I watched those girls perform on street corners and resturants here in Dallas before anyone ever heard of them in the 80's (in fact I work with a musician who played with them in the early years) and I'm pretty sure they didn't start out as rich girls, unlike the majority of your GOP brethren in power.

I love it when people use the "Limo Liberal" term...because it seems to infer that rich folk should ALL be cold-hearted conservatives. Or is the real meaning that conservatives don't ride in (the horror) limo's?

ewwwwwwwwww another cowboy fan... HOW BOUT DEM COWBOYS! I just thought of a few more words than pinko commie...

actually, the term "Limo liberal" and the like refers to the fact that too many people (not gonna name anyone in particular) give lip service to liberal principles and nothing else.

There are many people who denounce the inequalities of a society where people are poor and go without many essentials of life and how they think its terrible that there is such a great divide between the poor and the wealthy in our country. And then ... right after making such a speech, they go back to their gated mansion in Malibu where they wonder why the maid service is not as good as it used to be.

Too many of these "limo liberals" talk about the terrible conditions suffered by peasants who make $5/month working all day. Of course, they don't address the fact that their salary from just one movie would feed an entire village for a year.

What's my point? well... I'm certainly not begrudging their income. They earned it. They should enjoy it.

What I am saying is too many people ONLY TALK about helping the less fortunate. Yet the help is always expected to be done by someone else (not them) and that they are themselves taking advantage of the system they criticize so often.

Paul Newman is an example of someone who really does practice what he preaches. His work goes beyond photo-ops at celebrity dinners and flip remarks on Entertainment Tonight. His many industries have generated millions for charity.

When the eaglettes have as much hardware in their trophy case as "America's Team", we'll talk! wink I cannot help it, I was born a Cowboy fan..it's not like I CHOSE to be one.

While we're off topic I have a question about the Eagles new digs. Will it have lockups like the Vet? I just love symbolism. :cool:

Did you say lockups in the trophy case? nate newton? the hookers with Irvin? Or the knife with irvin? Does aikman even remember the 90's?

ummmmm, maybe they can break in the stadium and have irvin tell us if the ground is harder there or da vet? He's the expert on that...

I'm actually surprised, you and Razor are the only cowgirl fans i've met that can both read and write the english language.

I thought the term "limousine liberal" was originated in reference to Mayor John Lindsay of NYC during the 1960s. (This was before I was born, so someone please correct me if I'm mistaken on this.) More than the mere hypocrisy of well-off people preaching compassion for the less fortunate & not practicing what they preach, I thought it referred in a general sense to patronizing politicians from the leisure class proposing & enacting legislation supposedly in behalf of the working class & poor people, without having the slightest idea what it is to walk in their shoes & without concern for whether they really want such legislation. Such backlash isn't restricted to American politics either--I recall seeing in the British press the term "champagne socialists" in reference to attempts to force shop-owners to use metric measurements, & in the French press the term "caviar left", used to great effect by Jean-Marie Le Pen in the presidential elections last year.

Back to the Dixie Chicks, their concert tour is set to begin here in S.C., in Greenville, on May 1. Right-wing radio personality Mike Gallagher (sp?) has scheduled a counter-concert with Marshall Tucker Band & other performers, with proceeds going to families of military personnel. Anyone with a Dixie Chicks ticket gets in free. My feeling is that if this were in any other genre of popular music, it would have blown over long ago (witness Eddie Vedder & Pearl Jam), but in the case of hit country, it very well might be a career-ender for them. We'll see.

Screw Natalie and the Dixie Chicks. I hope they all rot in hell with Susan Surandon, Martin Sheen, amd Michael Moore.

How many Super Bowls have your eagles won?

ah, must be nice to live in the past... cowboys good, ray-gan... bush 1... greeat huh?

I think the thing people need to remember is when asked about this, President Bush said it did not bother him what Natalie Maines said. If it did not bother him, why should it bother anyone else? This whole thing has been blown totally out of proportion. I am glad they are on the cover of Entertainment Weekly that is terrific because it totally symbolizes what they have been through.

I do not listen to country music that much but I like their music and that is what counts in the long run. Those who have made death threats against them and these talk show hosts that have behaved like a bunch of whiny busy-bodies should be ashamed of themselves.

you know what i hate, is the fat girl eating all the pork chops when there are starving kids! heh heh...

PhillyFan Logic:

woman = fat = stoopid

his logic sucks ass!

Translation: zero.

You are the expert in living in the past so Ill go with you on that one Mr."Whatever the problem it's Clinton's fault".

God, this argument is such crap. Artists - musicians, poets, actors, painters, writers - aren't allowed to have political opinions? Some of the greatest expressions and arguments for political and social change have been in the form of songs. Woody Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Joni Mitchell, Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, the list goes on and on. Yes, it's entertainment, but they're allowed to have a message, too.

Also, I don't see you up here complaining about Toby Keith or all those others shoving their politics down your throat:

An' you'll be sorry that you messed with the U.S. of A.
'Cos we'll put a boot in your ass, it's the American way.

At least the Dixie Chicks' music is bearable.

Excellent column in Slate about Diane Sawyer's \"Stalinist show trial\" of the Dixie Chicks ... It might be helpful to remember before entering the oxymoronic sphere of "TV journalism" that this glamorpuss hostess worked in Nixon's press office. A shill who knows where her bread is buttered...

ALL art, pop or avant garde, is political, even by omission.

To be fair here, the girl was not expressing herself through her art, unless the between song prattle is now cosidered art. If she had written a song about the issue and people paid to listen to her sing it, fine. But to me there is a difference between expressing yourself through your art like Bob Dylan, Bruce Sprinsteen, Jackson Browne et al, and singing your song and then forcing people who have paid to hear your music to listen to your unsolicited opinion on the war (or Bush or North Korea or any other political issue). When you go to see Dylan, Sprinsteen, Browne and the like, you know what you are getting yourself into. The Chicks can have an opinion, just don't force me to listen to it when I go to hear their music, which is pretty much non-political.

All that said, the so-called boycott was blown way out of proportion.

no one? duh!

i see, when phillyfan gets shred into pieces, he resorts to name-calling.

cool!

I could pretty much care less about the Dixie Chicks but I watched about 10 minutes of the interview and thought Diane Sawyer was awful. Its like she wasnt going to be happy until they crawled to the White House (or Camp David, or wherever Chimp was on vacation) to beg for forgivness. Nixon would have been proud of her.

I'm a little sorry that I read all the posts in this thread, because a lot of time was wasted on name-calling and other playground-argument tactics.

I would encourage anyone who wants to contribute further to this discussion to read some articles about the other comments made during the concert which were completely ignored in the frenzy of calling the Chicks un-patriotic. The Entertainment Weekly interview addresses this (on stage they mentioned their support of the troops and were photographed with a U.S. embassy official after the concert, and don't back down from having said that they think there were hard questions that the President was not answering for the American people before leading the nation into war), but you have to subscribe to read it online.

You might also read about who organized the fanning of flames to defame the Dixie Chicks before you say that this is just a matter of singers politicizing their time on stage:
LINK: Dixie Chicks Protest Engineered by GOP

I think the real issue here is the race to be "more patriotic than thou", and the fact that, although there are more media outlets now than ever before, the unity of their message against any comment that varies from the "safest" view doesn't encourage the exercise of our freedom of speech.

Finally, all the "fat girl" and "commie pinko" rhetoric really detracts from this website which has always been a haven for guys who were probably called "sissies" and "faggots" while growing up and thought they had found a place where there was room for more thoughtfullness before people opened their mouths.

Thanks for the background and the link, Oly. Just what I suspected. Same goes for your last comments...

Listened to a Dixie Chicks album last night.

It was good.