Apparently, the Dixie Chicks think they're Andy Kaufman. That's the only sense I can make out of their album release press, particularly their big Time Magazine interview.
Andy Kaufman was an arrogant little prick who made a big point of looking down on all those dumb little people who made him a TV sitcom star. He was a performance artist, not a stand up comedian or anything like that. He spent his last years largely in his wrestling villain persona, the better to mock his audience — while still craving their attention. He put a lot of effort into coming up with stuff designed to make the little people hate him. In his defense, he was pretty clever, and managed to concoct some pretty good entertainment out of this foolishness.
The Dixie Chicks, however, are not nearly so clever or talented. I'd rather hear Kaufman lip syncing the Mighty Mouse theme than listen to the Dixie Chicks. Silly politics aside, they're not very good.
But they seem bound and determined to make every sentient being in the country hate them. Now, I may be judged to be an easy mark for this, as already I hate the Dixie Chicks beyond all measure — and all the sexy Dixie Chicks pictures in the world won't change that. Me and Natalie got issues. Still, they seem bound and determined to make not just wingnuts like me dislike them, but everyone in the entire frickin' world, regardless of their politics.
Start with the lead single from this, their first album since The Incident. To say that "Not Ready to Make Nice" is undiplomatic hardly begins to describe it. It's a straight middle finger to their original country audience. Their defense here would be that they feel they have been treated unfairly. They have a grievance to address, even if it cheeses people off more. Fair enough.
But that doesn't explain any of these other asinine things they're saying now. It looks for all the world as if they are calculating their remarks to be as off-putting as possible.
Here's an AP summary of the big Time article:
The Dixie Chicks' Natalie Maines apologized for disrespecting President Bush during a London concert in 2003. But now, she's taking it back.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Tom
You may not think the Chicks are very good, but they've won something like seven Grammys and reviews of this CD are overwhelmingly positive, making the "at least if they were talented" argument invalid.
2 - Ann
Time WILL tell.
3 - Mia
Funny, I think this is their best cd to date.
As far as the "silly politics" go, in the 3 years since "The Incident", what have we learned? Well, pick a poll, W is in the high 20's or low 30's in approval....apparently more people agree with their "silly politics" than not. And there are now nearly 2500 less troops to even comment on this....
As for the country music establishment, screw em. Personally, I can't wait to watch the cd fly off the shelves despite NOT being played on country radio. I started liking country music because of the Chicks....and not from radio, but from their videos. Which, by the way, are being played on VH1.
4 - Scott
Al, I really think you probably have the shittiest taste in music ever.
5 - Patriot
God you seem like an uninformed arrogant little prick yourself. Natalie Maines is more informed about world events than you will ever be.
6 - United States Marine
Another 29 percenter.
7 - Samwise Baggins
Natalie did not choose to be your or anybody else's punching bag. You thought you could silence her and you must have been surprised when the punching bag hit back. She made an off the cuff remark on stage and inbreds like you decided that was much more important than W lying us into war. No one has died because of what Natalie said.
Their new record is just too good for country radio.
8 - Marango01
Speaking of arrogant little pricks. Have you looked in a mirror lately?
9 - Robert James
Interesting article. Would be much more potent and readable if you actually showed a little non-partisan spirit. Well, that and the fact that the Chicks have sold like 26 million COUNTRY albums, so for no talent bums they do pretty good.
10 - Americun Idjit
Apparently, you think you are Bill O'Reily.
11 - Cuntree Fan
"Not Ready to Make Nice" is not anti-Bush, it doesn't comment on his policies or name any individual. Rather, it addresses narrow-minded intolerance and hatred.
It's a stunning piece of pop music and a testament to the brilliance of producer Rick Rubin. Every note, every instrument counts. "Not Ready to Make Nice" is as close to perfection as a pop song gets.
12 - Andrew Geoffrey Kaufman
Please do not evoke my name when you speak. It is obvious you are in no posistion to be responsible with it.
13 - RJ Elliott
Is it possible that all the recent awards they've won and all the good press they've been getting is largely due to their anti-Bush, anti-Country music stance?
14 - Cuntree Fan
RJ: What awards have they won since the incident?
They are getting so much media attention because censorship is unAmerican. They simply will not allow themseves to be swift-boated.
15 - Arch Conservative
If brains were chocolate the dixie twits wouldn't be able to fill an M & M between the three of them.
Natalie Maines knows as much about world politics and events as my pet dog knows about particle physics.
16 - Poppy
That would still leave more brains than "the decider" in chief.
17 - Al Barger
Ew wee! Apparently, some of y'all have been cutting class with Natalie, cause SOMEBODY needs to take you to school. I'm just the fella to do it, but I don't have all day to give you lessons right now. So I'll just make a couple of little points.
First, American Idjut says, "Apparently, you think you are Bill O'Reily." Close. I think I'm Stephen Colbert.
But Cuntree Fan, dude, I hardly know what to say to you about comment #11. As close to perfection as a pop song gets? Have you ever listened to, say, Dolly Parton?
Most especially you're specifically wrong when you say that every note and every instrument on "Not Ready To Make Nice" counts. That is precisely wrong. That record is full of big soupy string section crap. They could have tossed out most of the instruments on that record, and the song would have been about the same. Besides being good or bad, this record is certainly NOT anything in the range of chamber music. It's a big ol' kitchen sing orchestral record.
Generally, all this other stuff y'all DC fans continue spouting about freedom of speech is not just wrong and irrelevant, but trite and self-serving in a childishly obvious way. No one is proposing to stop the Dixie Chicks from saying whatever kind of dumb shit they want- but don't think that the rest of us won't feel free to talk back.
You want to make it out that anyone who takes issue with the Dixie Chicks is just doing it because they're rabid, hateful warmongering blindly partisan Bush supporters wanting to suppress dissenting voices -none of which would be an accurate description of ME. It's particularly obviously childish how you just blindly insist on this self-serving nonsense without regard to any actual facts, as if just insisting on it really loudly is supposed to convince adults that you're right.
As regards this particular article of mine, for example, you might note that I said NOTHING defending Bush, nor anything about politics. I specifically twice dismissed the entire topic of politics.
In short, some of y'all need to get with Natalie and go back to school to make up some of those classes you cut- particularly the MUSIC classes.
18 - Nicholas Stix
Sammwise Baggins: Natalie did not choose to be your or anybody else's punching bag.
Yes, she did.
19 - Mike A
How 'bout we just rename them the Dixie Chicken Shits?
20 - Dan
HAHA...i love how everyone is against this article..because the guy who wrote it is kind of a moron..he doesn't know what talent is..
I don't really think it was smart to say it on foreign soil, and i do like President Bush, but the dixie chicks are very talented, and i will continue to listen to their music.
21 - Cuntree Fan
Dolly Parton? Puhleaze! Yer just mad 'cause this record is better than anything else going on in country right now. Country music these days for the most part sucks.
22 - Al Barger
Cuntree Fan- I agree that most stuff marketed today as "country music" sucks horribly- and I count the Dixie Chicks right plop in the middle of that crappy commercial country pile. So help me, I'd rather listen to SHANIA TWAIN than the DC just as music, politics and personalities aside.
However, there are some country acts that are worth hearing here and there- they just don't get played on country radio. Have you ever heard any Junior Brown?
And actually Dolly has done some of her very best work in the last 5 or 6 years. Ever hear "Little Sparrow"?
23 - Dennis B
"The brilliance of producer Rick Rubin.."
Hahaha. Rubin is a shrewd self-marketer who made a name for himself stealing black music with the awful Beastie Boys. The guys is a hack and bandwagon jumper. It makes sense he'd hook up with the trend-obsessed Dixie Chicks, who have cut a total of about two good tracks and a bunch of politically correct tripe. They're media whores like the Beastie Boys.
And screw the Grammies. People forget the Beatles LOSt to Petula Clark and The Cars lost to A Taste of Honey.
24 - Rod
If Maines was truly the hard-ass bitch she (now) claims she is, why did she back down when the initial furor began. After the "incident" they were all over the airwaves kissing ass. Now that the presidents numbers have dropped they come out swinging. Brave? Chickenshit is more like it. I hate Bush and have never voted for him but Maines is a coward.
25 - Al Barger
Oh no, Dennis- the Grammies are far worse than you describe. A Taste of Honey beat out ELVIS COSTELLO for Best New Artist. "Alison" and "Watching the Detectives" were judged to be not quite up with "Boogie Oogie Oogie."
I will, however, defend the Beastie Boys. They've lost their muse in the last ten years, but they made several really outstanding albums.
I don't know that Rick Rubin is particularly a musical genius, but he sure knew how to get the best out of Johnny Cash. I'm forever in gratitude to him just for that. I'll overlook his involvement with these Dixie Twits.