Back in the summer of 2003, when I was pretty much watching Fox News all day long while taking care of an infant (this was before he could actually request Noggin and alter his mama’s TV routine), the whole Dixie Chicks brouhaha happened, and it flew all over me.
Not because they had an opinion. That didn’t bother me at all. They’re perfectly entitled to say what’s on their mind.
What bugged me is that they were – how should I say this? – kind of stupid.
I mean, if you’ve sold millions of country music albums, you should know better than to alienate your core audience with an off-the-cuff remark about the President. It’s just, as my mama would say, tacky.
Eventually the scandal died down, the Chicks’ tour ended, and they faded pretty deeply into the country music woodwork.
And even though I loved all of their CD’s, I haven’t thought much about them over the last three years. It’s not that I have some sort of personal vendetta against them…I’ve just been preoccupied with other stuff, like, you know, raising a child.
In other words, my worrying-about-the-Natalie-and-the-girls-time has been a little limited.
And, truth be told, I was pretty ambivalent when I read that they have a new CD coming out next week.
Until I listened to this.
I think I may have missed them.
Were we separated at birth? I love the Chicks! My hubby abhors country in any form, so I don’t get to really listen to it much since when I am “alone”-you know with the kids–I get to watch and listen to their stuff. It sounds like it’s gonna be good. Can’t wait to pick it up! Or download it on iTunes. =) What would I do without an iPod?
I REALLY don’t think you want me to comment on this in too much detail; I’ll refrain–you know me well enough to know where I stand.
I LOVE the Chicks and have been waiting with baited breath for this CD (I still haven’t gotten up to date with the iPod–doesn’t seem very practical to me, but that’s a whole different story). The CD WILL be pre-ordered. They’re new “experiment” sounds like it’s even more up my alley.
Yeah!! They have GREAT sound!! I don’t know though — they really ticked me and they have NEVER said “I’m sorry”!! Forgiveness is so easy to extend when it is asked!!
Grammar check: Meant “Their” not “They’re” in my last sentence.
Oh, my OCD friend Daphne, how I appreciate a grammar check. :-) And Daphne – an iPod is TOTALLY up your alley. You just don’t know it yet.
Robin, I’ve already determined we were separated at birth (see Lancome mascara, Arbonne, Paula Deen).
EK, I think that Natalie did apologize – I read something about an apology when I was writing this post – but I think they’re very, very bitter about how the music industry treated them. We can let Sister chime in on that one. :-)
I have to say I am not going to get into the debate about what they did (It has nothing to do with me anyways, so I really don’t care :)) But I must say that I would have never even listened to them if I hadn’t read this post. I never really liked country music (Except for the old stuff like Patsy Cline, Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash, etc. and I do love old Americana and Bluegrass) but I always wondered about them because I heard they used to be a hardcore Bluegrass band. Now that I’ve heard them, thanks to you :) I am going to check the rest of their stuff out. Beautiful voices, my goodness! Thanks for the turn on!
Janie or myself will not be buying the CD. I am sure it is good but that Natalie is way out there. I went to the last concert (we had already bought tickets before the blowup) and she was sneaking all this stuff in her video behind the stage. She will learn to keep her mouth shut if she wants our dollar.
I am with Stacy, I will not buy this. I LOVE their music, think that they are so gifted, but I just can not support a group of women who slander our president in another country. It also sounds like they are trying to pull themselves away from their base “going to LA”. Maybe LA is their base now. Anyway, my husband booked them for one of those “horrible crap gigs” back when they were singing on the sidewalks of Dallas and couldn’t get a record deal.
Stacy, were you at their concert in Memphis about 2/3 years ago? We, too, purchased tickets before Natalie’s ugly comments. The 2 main things I remember about the concert (besides their sweet harmony) were 1) the TOTALLY political montage during one song, and 2) a person yelling, “Just shut up and sing” when Natalie tried to philosophize. :-)
Okay – so here’s my devil’s advocate comment for the evening solely in the interest of continuing this discussion:
If Natalie had said what she did about Bill Clinton as opposed to George Bush, would there have been as much of an uproar? Would the Chicks’ country music audience have been offended?
Just something to think about….
Go Boomama go…..stir ’em up and make ’em think
I really wasn’t trying to “stir the pot” – that’s my brother’s specialty :-) – but I’ve talked about the “what if” with a couple of people today. I don’t know…I just think that because the country music fan base is going to be by and large Republican, people wouldn’t have been so offended if, say, Toby Keith went to London and said something about Clinton (that’s Daph’s example by the way).
Now in my book that would STILL be “tacky,” but I think by and large people would have patted him on the back and said, “good for you, Toby – you made ’em think.”
But b/c the Chicks’ opinion went against the majority of the country music fanbase (keep in mind, I voted for Bush, so in this case I’m the audience that I’m speaking about) – I think some people jumped on them because they didn’t support BUSH in particular, not because they didn’t support the President in general. I also think that if the Chicks were conservative politically, it wouldn’t have been as big a deal.
All that being said, the way the Chicks handled the situation left a lot to be desired…another topic for another day, I suppose.
And, you know, I don’t really know anything about anything – I’ve just been thinking about this stuff this afternoon.
p.s. Lea Margaret, I want to hear the story about C. booking the Chicks. Email me with the details.
Thanks for posting the link…I’ve liked a couple of their songs but never really got “hooked” I guess. But the video clip of this song was awesome. BTW, I am a total country fan just don’t get to listen to it much w/ the kiddos and all.
PS – You use Lancome mascara too! Go girl!!