Dixies, Dissent and Dollars
Published April 24, 2003
I don't believe in boycotting people because of what they say. Sure, I make fun of George Clooney and Madonna for trying to be political pundits when they are not, but I am not going to give up George Clooney movies just because he subcribes to an opposite ideology than I do. I like George Clooney movies.
On the other hand, I don't own anything by Madonna, but that's because I think she is a talentless hack and has nothing to do with her political stance.
So when the Dixie Chicks did their little "I hate George Bush" number over in Europe, I thought it was nothing more than a misguided, opportunistic sound-bite - the girls trying to connect with their Blair-bashing, USA-hating audience. Sure it was crass and even a bit idiotic on their part. But that's what free speech gets you. You take the good, you take the bad. They come part and parcel with the freedom to run your mouth.
Which all gave me just as much right to call the girls idiots or wankers or really bad musicians. Yin and yang, you know?
So months later, the Dixie Chicks are crying that their dissent has cost them dearly. They have been branded and boycotted and berated. This is where the old adage "think before you speak" comes into play. Maybe they have learned something from this.
Actually, they have learned something. They learned that radio-station prompted boycotts are meaningless and no matter how many people want to stamp on your right to free speech, and no matter how many fans of yours claim that they will never, ever listen to your music again and they will tear down your posters and boycott your concerts, American consumers are basically full of shit and when their radio is turned off and their anti-Dixie Chicks newsletter has been deleted from their mailbox, they will run out and buy the new cd.
The Dixie Chicks are more popular now than ever. They have made a career move out of a negative situation. Number one on Billboard, prime-time television interviews, the cover of Entertainment Weekly. Yes, dissent is patriotic, because very public dissent keeps you in the public eye, which leads to that great American past time of keeping the cash registers ringing. Capitalism at its finest.
I mean, who would really know that Tim Robbins still existed (except as Mr. Sarandon) if not for his public tirades against George Bush? Would Bill Maher have a tv show or Michael Moore an Oscar or Arianna Huffington a website if not for loud, public dissent?
It's a marketing tool. The people who decry capitalism and all things America are the ones scooping up the cash by the fistful because they cry the loudest.
Don't cry for the Dixie Chicks. They have risen to the top of the pop culture ladder because they said some nasty things about the president.
Ain't that America?
- Dixies, Dissent and Dollars
- Published: April 24, 2003
- Type:
- Section: Culture
- Writer: Michele Catalano
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Comments on this articleComments
...pretty good, for Cow Pokin music that is..
Hey, the Dixie Chicks should not worry too much about this. I remember once a boy band out of England got caught up in the American peoples holy rolling record burning tirade, also.
You may or may not remember them, they were called,
The Beatles?
Rock on Dixie Chicks, or country on whatever. Just stick to doing your songs and leave the political commentary to other idiots who think they can guess the American peoples views. The tides change quick with us Americans, so don't get too down. It will blow back your way soon.
Neil
Michele said, "no matter how many people want to stamp on your right to free speech"
who wanted to stamp on their right to free speech?? nobody brought them up on charges, nobody said what they did should be illegal. don't people have just as much a right as they do to freedom of speech?? if someone disagrees with the dixie chix they have every right to voice that opinion. and if people don't want to spend their hard earned money on an album for WHATEVER reason, they have that right as well. that's just freedom for everyone, not just the dixie chix. i mean, should people be FORCED to buy their album?
you also wrote, "Would Bill Maher have a tv show or Michael Moore an Oscar or Arianna Huffington a website if not for loud, public dissent?"
a world without bill maher, michael moore, and arianna huffington??? that would be too good to be true.
I do not feel sorry for the Dixie Chicks.
I come from a Proud family of military background in the Army, Air Force and Navy. My husband is a muscian and toured the Balkins to entertain the troops for 6 weeks and show appreciation of what they do so that us, Americans, can enjoy everyday of our lives. Do you know that President Bush was a traveling soldier? How dare you sing sings relating to our troops?
Your career is OVER!!!!! Doug, of the Marshal Tucker Band, AND VETERAN, is taking your old followers tickets at the Concert on Monday they are giving in support of our troops. Ha Ha.
I trashed all your CD's I own and will NEVER buy another one.
Like the Soldier said, the one who e-mailed the "the use to be famous Dixie Chicks"
"Celebrities have failed to realize that they have obtained their successes on the backs of the American blue-collar workers such as our service men and women." and to Natalie Maines: the serviceman, who e-mailed you also stated this perfectly and I quote: "This Texan, (the serviceman)this American, will continue to risk his life to guarantee your freedoms. "WHAT WILL YOU DO TO DESERVE IT??????????
I love my Country and am PROUD OF OUR COMPASSIONATE AND DETERMINED PRESIDENT. DO YOU REALLY THINK HE CARES HOW YOU FEEL? COMPARED TO HIM, AND OF YOUR OWN FREE CHOICE, YOU USE TO BE SOMEONE MANY AMERICANS LOVED AND ENJOYED.
NOW...YOUR NOTHING AND YOU disgust me. Your X fan for ever........
You know nothing of the American Soldier I'm even banning the song you sang of the American Soldier - you don't deserve the fame and I thank God you have now lost your fame. By the way the cover of Newsweek why do you think we want to look at your f_t. How could you do that to yourselves?? It is NASTY
BY THE WAY,Dixie Chicks, GOOD LUCK IN YOUR NEW ENDEAVORS.
Oh making comments on the Dixie Chicks appearance. How articulate, intelligent, and sensitive of you.
For once some people need to come of their high horse and stop acting like they are so much better than others. Now on to the comment made by Natalie Maines.
It's her god-given right to say what she said. It's more patriotic to disagree with the gov't then to agree.
I applaud her for speaking out, and I applaud those who disagree with Mrs. Maines. That is the people who disagree and go about it in a civil manner.
Boycotting by smashing cds in parking lots, death threats, and narrow-minded speeches on radio stations isn't the way to go about disagreeing.
Don't want a cd, don't buy it. Don't want the cd anymore, throw it out. Want to be heard and disagree, go for it albeit a civilized way.
Julie. I am also a musician. I have also traveled to entertain the troops - in Bosnia, Hungary and S. Korea. (Does that make my opinion more valuable in your eyes? We'll see...)
I'm also another Texan who's embarrassed by Dubyuh. I won't go on and on about why, because I'd be preaching to the choir, and wasting my breath on the rest.
I will simply say that if you think the Dixie Chicks are "over", you're dilusional. Their U.S. concerts are practically sold out, and their CDs are still high on the charts. Btw: your musician husband can explain to you that bands typically make their real money from concert revenue, not from recording contracts.
I really don't care one way or another for the Dixie Chicks. But rabid psuedo-patriot book burners (or in this, CD smashers) offend me infinitely more than entertainers who smart off during their stage performances.
People need to put things into perspective and stop foaming at the mouth.
Michele, you hit the nail on the head. This wasn't a courageous stand for the sanctity of the right to free speech. It was pandering to a crowd to sell CD's. Pose nude, cry on T.V., insult the president - so long as it boosts sales it is all good. Yes, it is true that she has the right to speak her "mind" (I am being kind here). It is also true that her remarks were ill timed and thoughtless. She choose to use her access to the public to express an opinion that offended a significant portion of her fan base. So now we should fell sorry for her because she is getting negative feed back? Grow up. You have freedom to make choices. However, you also have to live with the result of those choices. Suck it up!
Who do you think gives you the "freedom" to let you speak your "mind" however distorted it may be ? You idiots need to go to a foreign contry where they arrest you and shoot you for your "thought".
If people want to burn albums of their less then favorite bands go for it.
The artist is expressing their free speech as is the destroyer of their cds/ tapes, albums etc...
After all they paid for it they can do as they like. The artist makes money from the sales and is happy and the consumer destroying their work is content.
If anything the consumer should speak with their money by not attending a concert if they feel that strongly. Sold out shows for the Dixie Chicks just shows many consumers are all talk not action.
Dale, you might want to run the spell checker before you accuse anyone of being "dilusional" Also, for those "musicians" out there who are under the impression that the Chicks concerts are still selling out? Think again, their revenue from ticket sales is down. Thanks to pre-sales they did well in 2003, only to fall from the top ten in 2004 (they made the top ten only by virtue of winning a law-suit). In 2005 they did not even finish top 25? So I do not know where you all are getting your information? Mine comes from Rolling Stone.
Also, for those of you that are lauding the Chicks so-called success, you might want to actually look at the charts since they made the 2003 comment. They have not had a single song break the top 30.
How quickly we forget; just as Jane Fonda learned before them, the Chicks or Hens as I like to refer to them, will never again be as successful as they once were. Tis not that they spoke ill of our President, twas doing so on foreign soil that most hurt the flock! I can assure you, that hell will freeze before I buy, listen to, or watch anything from or about the Chicks again, and that too is "America!"
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I don't own any Dixie Chicks myself but there is one possibility you may have overlooked. People may be more interested in their music than in their message, and from what I've heard, that music might be pretty good.