Re: The Dixie Chicks and Freedom of Speech

I fear my first post was a bit snarky, but it was meant to be snarky at
the NYT, not you. Your reply seems serious, so I'll atttempt a serious
response. Speaking as someone Natalie would probably consider a
redneck, I would just say that we rednecks are a bit tired of people
who look down their nose at us. I'm not angry at the Dixie Chicks, I
just don't want to hear the posturing. If the DCs want to think their
new audience is, as she says, "really cool" compared to people who
listen to Reba McEntire or Toby Keith, that's fine. I don't listen to
either of those, they bore me, but I would rather go to a party with
their fans than Natalie's fans. (I think!) The comparison she makes
between "rednecks" and those who are "more progressive" is annoying as
well. I will give the DCs credit on one point: they don't seem to be
whining too much about all this. They seem to be fairly straight about
the fact that they have just decided to change audiences. Fair enough.
But no one should be surprised when the "rednecks" listening to the
local country music station send e-mails and phone calls threatening to
change the station if they play the new Chicks song. People don't go
out of their way to spend time or money on artists who are contemptuous
toward them. That's not hard to understand. And yes, there are a fair
number of people in the mainstream country music audience who simply
will not forgive what appeared to them to be a flagrantly unpatriotic
act. The New York Times crowd reads all about this, and enjoys a
moment of smug self-congratulation that they are so much more
open-minded. Let some favored star make a pro-Bush speech between acts
at an off-Broadway theatre and see how that plays out.

Why is it different with Springsteen and Young? I guess mainly because
they have a different audience. The Chicks were country pop all along,
whereas any country music fans Bruce or Neil had would have been more
from the alt- side of the spectrum, and therefore much more open to
alternative politics.

All this just makes me thankful that Bob keeps his political cards
fairly close to the vest. Yes, he gives hints, but just hints.

I hope you enjoy the show in London, and I sincerely hope that my
redneck friends will keep their mouths shut during the performance. I
hate the posturing on the other side, too.

bobette wrote:
werjr@xxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
Thanks for posting this. I found the article to be even more
predictable and stupid than I would have imagined, and the Dixie Chicks
themselves to be of no further intererest to me musically or
personally. They are just some pop stars making marketing moves. I
like the way Hank III does it better. If I want to follow a musician
who has contempt for me and calls me "uncool," it will need to be
someone a lot hipper than they are. Our hero is the hippest of all,
and he doesn't sneer at the audience.

So now go complain to your local NPR station that they aren't playing
the new Toby Keith record.


bobette wrote:
Here's another example of a 'gang' of people rejecting someone who they
perceive to be in their gang - for having their own opinion whilst
misunderstanding it totally!



I am glad you found the article interesting. I happen to like the
Chicks and enjoy their music. I am going to see them in London in June.
I can't understand why they have been singled out as Americans being
ashamed of Bush, just because they come from Texas? There must be a lot
of you about that would not like people to think that you support him
or be associated with him?

How come Bruce Springsteen and Neil Young get away with a bit of
protest? Is it because the Dixie Chicks are seen as being Texist?!

I don't know of the other people involved so I can't comment.

I hear Bob likes the Chicks so they must be doing something right!!

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/25/arts/music/25sann.html

.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: The Dixie Chicks and Freedom of Speech
    ... I'm not angry at the Dixie Chicks, ... change the station if they play the new Chicks song. ... number of people in the mainstream country music audience who simply ... redneck friends will keep their mouths shut during the performance. ...
    (rec.music.dylan)
  • Re: The Dixie Chicks and Freedom of Speech
    ... I'm not angry at the Dixie Chicks, ... change the station if they play the new Chicks song. ... number of people in the mainstream country music audience who simply ... redneck friends will keep their mouths shut during the performance. ...
    (rec.music.dylan)
  • Re: Moonlight 11/23/07 (SPOILERS!)
    ... for chicks who read romance novels and whom the writers don't respect ... I'm not discussing anything having to do with "reality" as in the ... audience that pays attention enough to remember from one episode to ...
    (rec.arts.tv)