The Dixie Chicks completed a defiant comeback on Sunday night, capturing five Grammy awards after being shunned by the country music establishment over the group’s anti-Bush comments leading up to the Iraq invasion.
The Dixie Chicks won all five awards they were nominated for, sweet vindication after the superstars’ lives were threatened and sales plummeted when Maines criticized President Bush on the eve of the Iraq war in 2003. Almost overnight, one of the most successful groups of any genre was boycotted by Nashville and disappeared from country radio.
The standing ovations the Chicks received Sunday illustrated how much the political climate has changed regarding the Iraq war, and even Bush.
“That’s interesting,” Maines crowed from the podium after the country award was handed out earlier in the night. “Well, to quote the great ‘Simpsons’ – ‘Heh-Heh.’
The AP got one item wrong — their sales never plummeted — the demographics cratered in the bible belt and ballooned in the whole country. It’s called voting with your buck.
There have been many periods in the cultural life of America when criticizing politicians wasn’t considered a crime. Sadly, there may have been as many when you were not supposed to notice the emperor’s new clothes.
I little bit off topic, but what the heck is the difference between record of the year and album of the year? Is it just to have more winners so nobody gets their feelings hurt?
#11 – An urban/European lifestyle of mass transit, tiny cars, packed together so tightly that you can easily walk everywhere is not an acceptable lifestyle for a true American.
Bullshit.
What you describe is the lifestyle I aspire to, and I am no less an American than you are.
However, despite the fact that you are wrong 95% of the time, the fact that you are will to participate in the national dialog makes you and I both better Americans than those who hide in the sand and ignore what’s going on around them.
#20 – And really, it’s fricken music. How can you say “this piece of music is better than this piece of music”.
Easily, if you are educated in music. There is bad music and good music. If that sounds snobby, fine. Snobbery sets the standard for excellence.
#30 – It is amazing how the liberal left take every opportunity they can to bash Bush.
And its amazing how conservative lapdogs go to such great lengths to stand up for the guy. Bush is an incompetent leader. His ideas are wrong. He is a domestic disaster. An economic disaster. A dishonest leader. And 100% wrong about foriegn policy. Not to mention a smug son of a bitch.
Let me just say in this international forum to all the world, including the Muslim world, that I am not ashamed our president is from Texas. I am ashamed our president is from America.
30, neither political affiliation is innocent here, but the repubs have taken that smear thing to a whole new level. Once they identify an opportunity, within a day you have the entire conservative machine pumping out BS, over and over and over, to the point that a large part of their base beileves it as fact. Examples include Pelosi’s Plane, Kerry’s education joke, Swift boats, “terrorism is a nuisance” and hundreds more during the 04 elections. Heck, that Hannity blow-hard still spouts BS that has long been disproven.
So the right takes every opportunity to blame everything on Clinton and the liberals, regardless of the facts. What response would you expect?
OK #10 and #8
8First as a matter of fact we do teach proper manners and it is just in poor taste to criticize your president in front of foreigners ( you may be mad at your sister but she is family and you can say all you want about her, but let someone else start talking bad about her and you will defend her because she is family ) Same situation but with countries
10 No. I personally don’t care what a persons political views are but I really get angry when I pay to hear some one sing ( and they are good , I still like their music )and I have to hear them rant on about their political views. Freedom of speech is freedom from government intervention not from public disdain . She made an error in judgment and has been bullheaded and arrogant about it, and it cost her and her group dearly (a simple apology for the remark would have had this over and forgotten in a week )
she is welcome to her political views just don’t go to a foreign land and disrespect our country and our President (who won and didnt steal anything (get over it ) ) and expect a hero’s welcome
#34 – We aren’t minions in a cult. I’ll criticize this President in America or any other foreign country I damn well please and I’ll defend any American’s right to speak whatever peace they like, anywhere they like, even if it is you and your anti-first amendment bullshit.
Our government is subserviant to us… not the other way around. Natalie can say anything she likes and she was right.
We should all be ashamed of our President’s actions overseas, domestically, everywhere, and everything.
Probably most people now a days who didnt like the war to begin with are getting props, like Boraq Obama who is going to win the presidency, and the Australian Prime minister is only making it more possible.
.
Dixie Chicks for Prez.
Chicks With Dix
The furor over their comments wouldn’t have been anything near it was if it wasn’t for ClearChannel trying desperately to get Congress to approve their wanting to acquire more radio stations.
ClearChannel sent out memos to station programmers essentially telling them to kill the Chicks’ music, and to bash them on air. They saw this as an opportunity to curry more favor with the republican-controlled Congress.
Good for them for thumbing their noses at bush and Co.
35
I am not anti first amendment you simply have not read it or are too ignorant to understand it
The first amendment gives you right to free speech, in that the govt can not curb your right it says nothing about the public or private business taking action and in the 90″s the supreme court you libs soooo loved found that children at a school paper didn’t even have freedom of the first amendment.
and yes Natalie can say anything she likes any where she likes and the public can get outraged as they did and thats their right. BUT THERE IS SUCH A THING AS MANNERS AND COMMON COURTESY and she doesn’t have it she is an arrogant person who thinks she is better than all of the rest of us and her costars in the group have paid dearly for it
#40. while it tends to be bad taste to critisize your family in public (to borrow your analogy), but abusive daddies need to be called out, no matter who’s within earshot.
Chicks With Dix !!!
41,
Nicely put.
Hmm..and I was reckoning this post would be a dead-end. Sigh.
records? Albums? What?
Record? When is the last time anyone put a record on their turntable?
The awards given to the Dixie Chicks were one thing, sending a message.
As you know, these awards were not given by the people. This was not the People’s Music Awards, rather less than 11,000 members of professionals in the music industry. One writer brought up the idea that the vote for the various catagories was so split, that the largest chunk of votes left were the politically active members who had the opportunity to “make a statement” with what amounts to a lackluster album and a really boring song. First of all, there’s no way a song like that would take song of the year at the Grammys unless it had help, through collusion or other means, or jury nullification, just like the O.J. trial. And for them to win 5 awards if just not only improbable, but impossible! It looks like the Grammys jumped the shark last night, allowing politics to influence the outcome of not one but 5 awards and I personally could never look at them in any kind of positive light again, though that’s been coming for a long time now.
I’ve been a professional musician for over 35 years, a session player on albums and a touring sideman. I’m hearing nothing, and I repeat nothing, but disbelief at what happened last night. Some are asking for an investigation to see if there was indeed any wrong doing in the “winning” of these awards. And all along, Natalie and the world still actually think that they really won those awards.
Sad. Hope they never realize what really happened. They were used!
Used — all the way to the bank.
That said I agree with Rob.
it is just in poor taste to criticize your president in front of foreigners
In front of foreigners? EVERYTHING is in front of foreigners. You’ve heard of CNN? The internets? Newspapers with international bureaus?
Everything that goes on here is available to be heard, everywhere.
Why it makes a difference what continent you’re standing on when you say something, you’ll have to explain to me.
I would wager more of the world heard Republican rep. Dan Burton call a sitting president a “scumbag” than actually heard Natalie Maines make that remark in that arena on that night. And I don’t remember much complaint about that remark from the right.
You are letting yourself be manipulated by those who manufacture outrage for profit.
#48. Outstanding riposte, Noam.
Good for the Dixie Chicks. I see this as more a slap at the Country Music Awards and Reba McEntyre then anything else. Though not a fan, they are good musicians and a hell of a lot easier to listen to then most of that “Country” crap put out by pseudo cowboys.
Well, the one is blue is pretty.
#46,
Sounds like you didn’t win this year. Better luck next year. Maybe you don’t pull your cowboy hat low enough over your eyes to catch the voters attention. Are you still singing songs where the dog cheats with your wife?
Just to give you a hint. Sour grapes and whining don’t win much.
#48,
I second doug’s post. Well said.
Whew that Dixie Chick thing was an embarrassing hysterical episode for the conservatives.
After years of lecturing us that “conservatives are intellectual; liberals are emotional” it was hilarious to see them totally lose it over … the Dixie Chicks!
Funny stuff
(if you forget about their insanely horrible war.)
>> it is just in poor taste to criticize your president in front of foreigners
You mean like Fox news hammering on Clinton 24-7 and then broadcasting it all around the globe?
Just remember the “archies” won in 1969. Thankyou #46 Real musicians know this was not about music.
>>Just remember the “archies” won in 1969. Thankyou #46 Real musicians know this was not about music.
And, for a while at least, The Chipmunks had way more Grammys than the Rolling Stones! But that was then. It seems like the Grammys have caught up with the times.
But, of course, it’s still an industry award — meaning it has as much to do with success as it does with musical ability.
I’m not a country music fan but even I can tell the Dixie Chicks really are all-that. They seem to have the whole package going on: talent, looks and success.
It’s only a bonus that they really piss off the hysterical conservatives who swore they would bury them!
#46 – You’re right with one exception. The Grammys jumped the shark a long time ago. As did the Oscars and the Emmys. They’ve all been used to make political statements for a long time.
What’s wrong with celebrities making political statements? They’re citizens with as many concerns for the future of this nation as anyone else. If you had the money and/of influence to have your opinion broadcast to the world, wouldn’t you? (Isn’t that what are we doing here?)
I value entertainers for their art, not their political views or their antics outside of their art. Accordingly, I try not to let their actions off the stage interfere with my enjoyment of their talent. I don’t give a damn how many photographers Russell Crowe assaults, how many midgets Charles Barkely throws through bar windows, and I don’t even care that Jane Fonda went to North Viet Nam.
But I draw the line when their political views become “in your face;” when they force you to accept their political message as part of their art. If I reject their message, then I must reject their art. Barbara Streisand incorporates her political message into her concerts, and so does the Dixie Chicks. They have every right to do so. And the public has every right to admire or scorn them as they deem fit. That the Dixie Chicks have suffered financially (remember, musicians make money off concerts, not record sales) is their own doing, not the result of neo-con censorship.
A successful entertainer should appeal to as many people as possible. A musician’s audience is already restricted by his or her genre. Further splitting your audience by incorporating your political message into your concert is a risky business move. Barbara Streisand can get away with it because her audience is largely drawn from metropolitan cities located on the east and west coast. Needless to say, the Dixie Chicks have a serious problem with their targeted audience. But it’s pretty damn stupid for them, and many of the posters to this blog, to blame the audience for rejecting the message.
But I draw the line when their political views become “in your face;” when they force you to accept their political message as part of their art. If I reject their message, then I must reject their art.
Then don’t listen to them if you don’t enjoy their music. If their music comes packaged in an obnoxios manner, then don’t buy it.
A successful entertainer should appeal to as many people as possible.
That would depend upon how you define “successful”. It appears that Rob (#46) doesn’t equate success with anything. If the Dixie Chick’s peers thought they were worthy, that should spell success. Although I imagine there are still those that think Milli Vinnilli were successful.